Crosscut: Artists ponder how to avoid Seattle’s own ‘Ghost Ship’

Originally published in Crosscut.

In the aftermath of the tragic "Ghost Ship" fire, which swept through a warehouse-turned-underground-arts-space in Oakland, California, killing 36 people, Seattle's arts community is wondering if that could happen here. After all, many blame Oakland's fierce rental market for forcing artists out of legal spaces and into illegal ones. It's a narrative that could easily transpose to Seattle.

It's a tricky situation: Emptying any and all suspect arts spaces could further drain the city artists. If artists are not allowed to exist in the fringes, then where do they go?

With that in mind, the Seattle Arts Commission, the Seattle Music Commission, and leaders of arts districts in the Central Area and Capitol Hill presented a set of eight recommendations to the Seattle City Council Tuesday.

You can read the full story in Crosscut.