New York City has always been a center of art and ideas, as well as a commercial engine. Visual artists are essential contributors to this production. Our city’s cultural energy derives from its art makers and from its diverse population of people from all over the world, of every stripe, at every economic level. This vibrancy is now being threatened by rising rents and gentrification: artists, musicians, job-producing industries, and mom-and-pop stores alike are priced out of their workspaces. The community of artists in NYC is in crisis, and our future is linked to preserving the diverse fabric of neighborhoods throughout the boroughs. The Artist Studio Affordability Project (ASAP) is an effort to bring this issue to the attention of the public and local politicians. We focus on raising awareness about the crisis of affordable studio space, and on advocating legislation that will protect and expand affordable artist studios, in solidarity with the residents and small businesses of New York City. By using ioby, we hope to not only raise funds, but for our supporters to know they are part of building our organization from the ground up.