Kicked outa the Studio

The Burt St art studios where i have plied my trade for more than a year are owned by an old italian man. Or rather, the big former jam factory building is his: over 15 years, Rudy has decked out the interior with partitions and lights, a little kitchenette and a heap of character (thus making them studios).

Last week the old italian man's son-in-law convinced him that the rent he makes out of the artist-tenants is minimal in comparison to the land's market value. So they jacked the rent by 300%. I paid $40 a week for my studio space, as did 13 other artists. None of us can afford our studios now.