Artist run open studio. setup info?

[k8bit]

I know a lot of people on here run in commercial shops, but I was wondering if anyone on here has experience with artist run printmaking studios that they would be willing to share. Studio setups and member structures that work, pitfalls to avoid- that kind of thing. Any links to mandate or handbook examples would also be awesome.
I'm part of a collective that will be opening up shop later this year. The more info we have going in, the smoother it will run and the sooner we can print!

[Quinine]

Mark all your equipment w/ your name and/or initials. Make a schedule for shop hours. Write a checklist of shop duties that everyone agrees to. And cross your fingers. The whole co-op shop thing can be real dicey if people aren't all on the same page. Cleanliness and organization can be a real bitch when there are multiple people involved.

[steve w]

buy a sledgehammer and use it on every screen and piece of equipment you own.

[k8bit]

Thanks, yeah duties checklist is a must, and I was thinking lockers for personal gear. Things like who gets a key and all that are also tense issues I have no experience dealing with. I've worked in shared spaces before, and it can be pretty maddening and sketchy at times. We're trying to ride the line between limited membership and affordable rental prices. Unfortunately there is nowhere to print in this province unless you can shell out for your own space and press, so there's a huge amount of interest in an open studio. We all want to make sure we have clearly set rules and guidelines before we get too big and too far in.

[strawberryluna]

have a few tiers of pricing, like per hour, per day and a monthly limited, and a monthly unlimited, and even annual fees that you can work out. and get those payments prior to any printing being done.

i printed out of a co-op for years, it was awesome and heartbreaking all at once.

also have the numbers for a glass co. easily on hand at all times. mofos break the exposure glass accidentally far more often than you would think. and have a clear "when there is one left, buy 2 more" system for things like emulsion, reclaimer, degreaser, dehazer, films, etc.

all of that said, i now have my own space and i fucking love it. when something breaks? i know it, cause i broke it. when i'm out of emulsion? i know it, cause i'm the asshole who used that last bit. ad infinitum.

[strawberryluna]

Thanks, yeah duties checklist is a must, and I was thinking lockers for personal gear. Things like who gets a key and all that are also tense issues I have no experience dealing with. I've worked in shared spaces before, and it can be pretty maddening and sketchy at times. We're trying to ride the line between limited membership and affordable rental prices. Unfortunately there is nowhere to print in this province unless you can shell out for your own space and press, so there's a huge amount of interest in an open studio. We all want to make sure we have clearly set rules and guidelines before we get too big and too far in.

the fewer people who have keys, the better. AIR ran on about 20-75+ people coming through any given month and i think there were 10 people with keys, tops. it was mostly the actual paid employees and some of the monthly users like me who had them. but you'd be amazed at how dicey things can get with a huge space and too many keys.

[strawberryluna]

and work out if people will have a safe place for individuals to leave things like their own screens/ink/squeegees for those who don't want to use the more beat up community equipment, or if (like at AIR) you had to haul in and haul out your own: screens, paper, inks, squeegees, etc.

[k8bit]

Thanks Strawberryluna, The glass thing never occurred to me, and i think lockable lockers for monthly and yearly renters is a must. I know the ARC can be a somewhat naive and idealist model that will have a lot of rough kinks, which is why I'm appealing to the well of GP wisdom to try and minimize them. For now our group is pretty small and I've worked with most of them enough to know they aren't mutants, I'm more worried about when outside people want to join or members start letting their friends in, or protocols for if someone does turn into a press destroying mutant.

Does AIR have a handbook or mandate you could link me to?

I have my own screenprinting setup, so no sledging that gear. My motivation is an Etching and relief printing setup since the startup is so expensive. Plus it's nice to have a community to work in.

[marvinc02]

depends on what you want, space, equipment, and intent, etc. personal studio, group shared studio, open studio, co-op, a combination of all the above?
the problem is space availability, storage space, and personal habits. it's difficult to get everyone on the same page especially on organization and cleanliness. "because they're making art and art is messy or whatever" so RULES, RULES, RULES, in which every one must abide by even the owner/s. enforce shop policies.
Reposting this video because as a studio technician/manager some points resonates with and/or addresses certain pet peeves.

YouTube - 10 Bullets

for starters. trustworthy members, that apply for membership and throw down heavily in dedication, shop maintenance, and rent should have keys and 24hr access to pretty much everything. everyone else, on whatever rate you work on, are limited to open hours and limited equipment.

look for other open studios, find the owners, pick their brains. Ex. off the bat there is Spudnik Press and Screwball Press in chicago.
its one of those things will need ongoing adjustments and improvements as shop volume increases or changes direction.

[Fools Gold]

non-profit + government grants . . . .