Prime Produce Apprentice Cooperative is a space that values and welcomes members with a creative practice. To serve this purpose, we have a designated Art Workspace within the basement to support these practices. Like all other parts of PPAC, our members strive to cultivate working practices in order to effectively share one of our most valuable resources: space.

We recognize that this community and its norms are actively evolving. The norms here are proposed for a period of about 6 months, concluding with a review at the end of February 2020.

At the current rate and type of usage, the capacity of the art studio cannot accommodate more than 5 Art Workspace Users. There are currently 4 Art Workspace Users already utilizing this space (Qinza, Saks, Amelia, and Jerone). A 5th member would bring the basement to maximum capacity, provided that a 5th artist could fit their practice into an already crowded space.

The basement is also home to a variety of building infrastructure, maintenance, and supplies. 1 member, Dave (with some support from Jerone), maintains a variety tools and building supplies, all of which are used to care for the building and made available to the benefit of our membership. In addition, there are several shelves used for general storage (see “Basement Storage” proposal in Loomio).

The Art Workspace portion of the basement is indicated by a strip of multicolored paint on the floor. Regular access should be confined to the Art Workspace Users and their guests of that space for a variety of safety reasons (both toward the artworks being created there as well as to unaccompanied guests). The only exception would be members needing to access the boiler room and/or the electrical panels which are within that space.

At some point, the members utilizing the basement still hope to accommodate Hanunah (our rescue tortoise) on the back landing, but we continue to hold off as that area is still being used for storage.

Norms

The Art Workspace is for use by all of its Art Workspace Users and should not be used as storage at any time
The Art Workspace Users working there share their practice and creative energy with each other and our broader membership
Other members who are excited to engage in the studio are welcome to do so with one of the Art Workspace Users present

Definitions

• An “Art Workspace User” is an active member of Prime Produce that has indicated they need regular access to the basement space for their art practice. Many members of the community are creative but this denotes those members with an art practice that lives in the Art Workspace at PPAC
• Art Workspace: the space indicated south of the painted strip dividing the basement

Proposal

• Prime Produce Apprentice Cooperative will maintain an art workspace in the basement to support the practice of its Art Workspace Users.

• The Art Studio is limited to up to 5 members that are Art Workspace Users:
  > The 4 current Art Workspace Users for PPAC are: Amelia, Jerone, Qinza and Saks. A 5th Art Workspace User can be added with confirmation from Art Workspace Users to ensure that the space can accommodate the scope of the new member’s practice. The 4 Art Workspace Users intend to contribute to PPAC’s initiative to grow membership by making this additional spot available.

• The Art Workspace Users will work together to denote space as is necessary for their respective practices. They will continue to share those norms/practices with the wider community.

• The Art Workspace is not for storage (unless permission is granted from the Art Workspace Users or if there is some sort of emergency situation, of course)

• The Art Workspace often contains materials that may be hazardous to unaccompanied guests as well as valuable artworks that may be fragile or still drying. For this reason, regular use of this space should be reserved for Art Workspace Users and their teammates. Members needing to access the boiler room or electrical panels will have to enter the Art Workspace, but will try to do so carefully.

• Tours to the Art Workshop are welcome, but should be chaperoned by a member and monitored with an eye toward protecting both artworks and guests. Safety is the norm.

Storage space throughout Prime Produce Apprentice Cooperative is very limited. Therefore, as a Cooperative, members work together to ensure that the use of storage space is as efficient as possible.

Norms

• Storage spaces are clean and organized, to the fullest extent possible. We appreciate our rodent and insect neighbors, but they do not pay membership or residency dues and will try to steal our food without apologizing! Items are labeled by the member and organization that is using them
• Items stay in the storage spaces except when in use. They are not left in other spaces because that might affect another member’s practice
• Items will be cleared out of hallways and pathways to ensure maximum accessibility and safety of all members, residents, and guests
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is always worn when handling dangerous items or in spaces that require it to work safely

Definitions

• The boiler room: the room at the south end of the basement that houses… the boiler.
• The basement fixtures > * The backflow prevention device (BPD): The giant horizontal pipes against the west wall that prevent sewage from backing up into our various plumbing fixtures > * The shut-off valve: this is an important valve in the assortment of plumbing pipes in the northwest corner of the basement that allow us to quickly shut off the water to the building if a pipe breaks > * The gas meter: the large gray box against the west wall that connects to the pipe labelled “natural gas” > * The electric meter: the console on the on the wall across from the BPD (next to the basement door)
  > * The electrical panels: the 2 large electrical boxes on the east wall (in the Art Workspace)
• The sidewalk vault AKA “the crypt/dungeon hallway”: the creepy underground tunnel that leads to the older boiler room
• The old boiler room AKA “the crypt/dungeon”: the ancient boiler room at the end of the sidewalk vault

Proposal

• There are three storage there are 3 racks of storage in the basement. There is also an additional open table. They are specifically for members who need to storage items for quick use on the first floor during events. Currently, this space is being used by Marcos (Be Social Change), Yvonne (H+), Michelle (Seeds to Soil), and several tubs of general items for PPAC as a whole. Any member is welcome to use the space after consultation with the members listed above to ensure that all practices have sufficient space. It is everyone’s responsibility to make space for practices that benefit our cooperative.

• Since the basement is a slightly more restricted area, the guests of the members who retrieve these items should be given an orientation of the basement before coming down without a member or resident present.

• There is another storage space affectionately called “the dungeon/crypt". This is only for construction and maintenance supplies. Due to health concerns, this is not a usable space. It can only be used by specially trained members who are also wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while in that space. Currently, the trained members are David and Jerone. Any member interested in receiving training and equipment should speak to them.

• Access to the boiler room, the electrical panels, the BPD, the electric meter, the shut-off valve, and the gas meter need to be kept clear to allow for easy access for emergency access, repairs, and inspections.