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Help Me Rebuild After Studio Eviction
0% complete
$10,467 raised of
103 donations
Dear Friends, Neighbors, and Members of my Community,
For the past four years, Studio 102 at the Lincoln Street Center in Rockland has been the heart of my creative life and livelihood. It is where I make my work, host workshops, retreats, and community events, collaborate with other artists, and welcome students into the transformative world of fiber arts.
Last year, when the future of Lincoln Street Center was at risk of being lost to commercial development, I joined fellow artists in organizing, publicizing, and campaigning to save the building. When our campaign failed and Waterfall Arts stepped in to continue the fundraising, I poured my heart, reputation, and labor into supporting that effort because I believe deeply in preserving dedicated, affordable space for artists in Midcoast Maine. When the purchase was finalized this past July, everyone celebrated. We were promised stability: that we would be safe, that no major disruptions would occur in our first year, and that we could all stay in our studios. I signed a year-long lease through June 2027, and in good faith, booked a year’s worth of work and projects in my space.
On September 24th, without prior conversation, warning, cause, or an offer to relocate to another space in the building, I received a 60-day notice terminating my lease.
Waterfall Arts has decided to assume control of my studio for its own internal use, taking advantage of an escape clause built into the lease. While a landlord may legally have the right to terminate a lease under fine print, the suddenness and timing of this decision has created a devastating emergency for my small business and art practice. As many artists I know, I was barely making ends meet as it was. Losing this studio on 60 days’ notice at the beginning of the holiday season is financially catastrophic:
- Disrupted Community Programs: Just one week before receiving my notice, I signed off on a year-long list of dates with RSU 13 to teach textile arts to local ESL students in my studio, a program I’ve been building over the past two years. This program—which represented both vital income and meaningful community work—has now been derailed.
- Canceled Classes & Workshops: I had booked over a dozen workshops, classes, and events through the spring that I now have no space to host.
- Lost Holiday Production: Fall is the critical window when independent artists hustle to produce work for the holiday markets that sustain us through the lean Maine winter. Instead of making and selling work, my days have been consumed by shock, packing, and crisis management.
- Emergency Relocation Costs: Finding, securing, and moving an entire textile studio, with equipment, inventory, and a library on short notice in the current real estate market carries significant upfront expenses.
I’m overwhelmed and heartbroken to be forced out of a space that has been my creative home and community for the last 4 years. I am asking for your support to help me navigate this complex loss and rebuild my creative practice and workspace. Funds raised through this campaign will go directly toward:
- Emergency Moving & Storage: Packing supplies, professional movers for heavy equipment, and temporary storage fees.
- Securing a New Studio: First/last month’s rent and security deposits for a new working and teaching space in the Midcoast area.
- Loss of Income Bridge: Offsetting the immediate loss of teaching contracts, canceled workshops, and compromised holiday inventory during the transition months. (Lost workshop income alone is over $10,000)
If you are not in a position to contribute financially, you can still help in meaningful ways:
- Share this campaign with your network, social media, and arts circles.
- Leads on studio space: If you know of an accessible, heated commercial or studio space in the Rockland/Thomaston area suitable for working and small-group teaching, please reach out.
- Buy art & spread the word: Support my work during upcoming holiday pop-ups and markets.
This studio was more than four walls; it was a sanctuary of creativity, hospitality, and connection. It was my creative home, and the hub of a community I care deeply about. While I am heartbroken by how abruptly this chapter is ending, I know that community is not tied to a single building. Thank you for standing with me, believing in the value of independent artists, and helping me land on my feet.
With deep gratitude,
Katherine Ferrier