Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Internationally recognised sculptor Greg James has spent the past couple of weeks processing a lot of feelings about a potential forced move, after 30 years, from his historic J Shed studio.
“There’s been a lot of feelings. It’s been very disappointing,” the Fremantle-based artist told PerthNow this week.
“If you spend a sizable amount of your life trying to make a positive contribution and do work that’s good, to feel that there are people in the community that can’t see any value in that … I think that’s a shame.”
Fremantle council last week voted to give James, along with ceramicist and fellow tenants Jenny Dawson and her partner photographer Peter Zuvela, and sculptor Jina Lee, notice to vacate their J Shed studios while it considers other lease options.
James and Dawson established their respective J Shed studios in 1992 and are among a small group of prominent artists who have long operated in and around the historic precinct — creating some of Perth’s most significant public art along the way.
When they initially moved in, James said the buildings were “empty shells” that the artists transformed over time. He was directly involved in a 2012 repainting project, which transformed the outside from “baby poo brown” to the colourful doors that remain a popular photo spot today.
He also paid out of pocket to install a toilet in the studio, and spent about $50,000 to build a loft space to exhibit his works.
“It was specifically developed with the public in mind, so people could come into a working studio environment safely, and be able to get a sense of what went into the production of public artwork,” he said.
“There has been no indication that we’ve failed in any way, on the grounds of our activation, our ability and our regularity of paying the rent, the rates and the land tax every year, without any subsidising at all.
“I think we’ve done a pretty amazing job over the years, and made a few contributions and public pieces.”
After hearing a range of views from 17 speakers at last week’s public question time, Fremantle councillors voted 6-3 to open a public expression of interest process to lease eight properties in the Manjaree arts precinct, that inlcudes the J Shed studios, at Bathers Beach.
The process will encourage young and emerging artists to apply for the space, forcing the existing tenants elsewhere.
“Now the catch cry is ‘you’ve been here too long, so you should go and let someone else have a go’. And I hear that, but it’s a case of letting someone have a go to do what?” James said.
“We move out, and we’re expected to leave the place as it was when we found it, which was a shell. For someone coming in, unless their plan is to bulldoze it or come in highly funded … I don’t believe it’s very helpful.
“Young artists will spend half their lives trying to put a space together they can work in before they can actually work.”
The staged changes will begin with a limited number of tenancies in the Fleet Street J Shed studios. This will be followed by the buildings in Trivett’s Place, and eventually Captains Lane.
Existing artists may apply for a space through the EOI process, but will need to “make-good” the tenancy before vacating their studios if their applications are not successful.
“I’m still considering putting in an expression of interest. If I don’t, that means I’m here for a year to take everything out, finish my current work and leave it as a shell,” James said.
“I’d rather spend that time being here, doing something positive.”
Councillor Melanie Clark said at the council meeting it was important to open up an EOI process to make the space more accessible for emerging artists at all career levels and ages.
“The studios are a rare asset. The location is extraordinary. The leases are equally extraordinary with heavily subsidised rents – they’re currently around 50 to 55 per cent below their market value,” she said.
“When a unique public art space is leased in Fremantle by the city under these extraordinary conditions, it’s reasonable to assume that other artists in the community would appreciate the opportunity to be considered to lease them too.
“That becomes difficult when access to those spaces remain largely fixed for extensive periods of time and there is no process to consider alternative applications or uses for the precinct.”
As part of stage one, Lee and the Studio Four artist collective, who lease J Shed units one and four respectively, have been given six months’ notice, with new leases beginning in January 2027. The relatively young Lee is the J Shed’s newest tenant.
Their neighbours, James and duo Dawson and Zuvela, who lease units two and three respectively, have been given 12 months’ notice. New leases for those studios will start in June 2027.
Stage two of the process will begin in September, when four months’ notice is given to tenants leasing units 13 and 15 at Trivett’s Place. New leases for these units will begin in January 2027.
Stage three will begin immediately after. Tenants in units 9 and 11 at Captains Lane will be given four months’ notice to vacate ahead of new leases, scheduled to start next May.
“This precinct should be more accessible and beneficial to all,” Cr Clark said.
“We are going to vote on introducing an expression of interest process that is weighted and flexible to deliver what the community wants and what they’ve asked us to deliver in that area. It’s a fair way forward for everyone.”
About 1300 people last year responded to a community consultation on the proposal. Some 90 per cent of respondents said they would like to see other artists, especially young and emerging artists, be given an opportunity to work in the Manjaree precinct.
The EOI process will also invite public realm activation proposals to enhance vibrancy and accessibility.
But several artists, including James and Dawson, spoke at the meeting, encouraging councillors to support amendments that would make the EOI process more collaborative and extend the staged timeframes.
“You can speak to the existing tenants and you can actually listen and you can formulate a plan so that instead of wasting all of the the work that we’ve put in, you can use it to help artists come along and get a start,” James said.
“How much value is there in saying to someone here, ‘well, here’s a lovely big empty shed?’.”
He said he would have appreciated more notice to work with councillors and move out of J Shed “in a reasonable way”.
“I‘ve got six months’ worth of commission work that I’ve got to try and get done by the end of this year and then it’ll mean the next six months will be taken out of my work time to move out and try and relocate and set up in another place,” he said.
“That’s going to cost $50,000 to $100,000 that I just don’t have in my back pocket. I’d ask you to consider at least voting yes for the amendments.”
Dawson told councillors that forcing the existing artists out of the precinct with “no transition period” wouldn’t be fair on them or the new artists.
Councillors voted against the two proposed amendments before carrying the officer’s recommendation.
New lease lengths will be negotiable, but will most likely run for one to five years.
Walyalup Aboriginal Cultural Centre, the Round House guides, 10 Captains Lane and Kidogo Arthouse were not included in the EOI process.
