BC Business
The event venue says financial pressures from the pandemic are driving its potential closure.
Arts venues around the world are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic, and Vancouver is no safe haven. The loss of cherished creative hubs is a stark reminder of how fragile any city’s creative ecosystem can be, especially with words like “inflation” and “recession” floating in the air.
To that end, Mount Pleasant event venue Beaumont Studios has been struggling since 2019, citing real estate costs and financial pressures from the pandemic as root causes behind its potential closure. The organization, which supports over 100 artists and creators, saw its tax obligations rise by a whopping 20 percent in three years. Although it subsidizes rents for its tenants, Beaumont has been falling short by around $5,000 each month (with the total cost being $40,000 a month).
In addition to longer-term plans for strategic and sustainable partnerships, Beaumont’s fundraising approach involves rallying for community support through a GoFundMe campaign aimed at stabilizing its situation.
“The Beaumont Studios is more than just a building; we are a modern-day inclusive community centre; a living and breathing entity that once experienced cannot be easily forgotten,” said founder, executive and creative director Jude Kusnierz in a release. “We take an incredible amount of pride in the community that we have built together. We urgently seek your support to keep our doors open. Our creative community depends on it, and time is of the essence. We don’t want to become one of the 150 artist buildings lost in the past decade.”