The Santa Fe Art Colony Tenants Association is a collective of SFAC artist resident members, united to support the preservation of its site and the permanence of SFAC as an affordable artist live-work property in Downtown Los Angeles.

The SFAC Tenants Association is fighting to save the historic Santa Fe Art Colony — a vital live/work artists’ community in downtown Los Angeles. The new owner, Florida-based Fifteen Group, more than doubled the rents and initiated eviction proceedings for 21 studios that paid the rental amount prescribed by the California State Rent Cap law that went into effect Jan. 1, 2020. The residents are currently fighting this action.

The Santa Fe Art Colony — established in 1986 with City funding — is the city’s only rent-restricted artist-in-residence complex. Its historic brick buildings, once a furniture factory, are the studios and homes of 72 artists who are gender-balanced, intergenerational and ethnically diverse. SFAC’s annual “Open Studios” art walks have attracted tens of thousands of visitors, providing sustained outreach to the public. For 30 years, residents have played a critical role in shaping the city’s cultural landscape and contributing to the renaissance of downtown, now a primary driver of the city’s economy. 

Join SFAC now to keep SFAC affordable for working artists and continue this unique community’s role as a cultural resource! Learn more and donate to #saveSFAC via our Go Fund Me campaign. Your donations are 100% tax deductible, thanks to our partner, Safer DIY Spaces. Be sure to sign our SFAC Change.org petition to our elected officials and share our story! Thanks for your consideration.

Photos © Wild Don Lewis.