Petition addressed to: Longyearbyen Lokalstyre
We ask Longyearbyen Local Council to develop a concrete plan for the artists, entrepreneurs, and small businesses that will lose their workspaces when the lease of Spitsbergen Artists Center expires in 2027.
We also ask the Local Council to explore all realistic alternatives, including external funding opportunities, before cultural and creative activity is permanently displaced from Nybyen.8
This petition is about people, jobs, and opportunities in Longyearbyen.
Today, the building that houses Spitsbergen Artists Center provides affordable studios and workshops for seven local businesses and four independent artists. These spaces support local entrepreneurship, artistic production, tourism-related businesses, and community life.
When the lease expires in 2027, these businesses and artists risk losing their workplaces. At present, there are no known affordable alternatives in Longyearbyen that can accommodate everyone affected.
Over the last two years, the center has also become an important cultural venue. Since 2025, it has hosted more than 100 artists from over 25 countries, organized more than 70 exhibitions and events, and welcomed around 5,000 visitors annually. The center has contributed to Longyearbyen's cultural life, tourism, international visibility, and attractiveness as a place to live and work.
The decision to sell the building has already been made. However, the future of the people and activities currently based there remains unresolved.
We therefore ask Longyearbyen Local Council to ensure that local artists, creative entrepreneurs, and small businesses are not left without solutions when the lease expires. We also ask that all available opportunities for preserving affordable creative workspaces in Longyearbyen are properly explored.
As Longyearbyen continues its transition beyond the mining era, supporting local initiative, creativity, and small businesses should be part of building a resilient and diverse community for the future.
Petition started:
10 Jun 2026
Collection ends:
12/09/2026
Region:
Longyearbyen
Topic:
Culture
Having spent time at the Spitsbergen Artists Center as a guest artist and recently exhibiting my work there, I have seen firsthand how important this place is. It is far more than a building—it is a vital artist-run hub that brings together artists, residents, businesses, and visitors from around the world. The loss of this extraordinary creative space would be a devastating blow to Longyearbyen's cultural life and the future of artistic activity in the High Arctic.
No CONTRA argument yet.
As a visitor to Longyearbyen I was greatly impressed by the very existence of the Artists Centre, by its numerous initiatives and the creative atmosphere the place provided to its artists. I had not anticipated finding such a lively arts centre in this remote location, and was therefore dismayed learning about its imminent closure. I hope the Council reconsiders their decision or arrive to a viable alternative to keep arts on Svalbard alive.
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Artists need a place to work, to come together, to connect to each to other and to the public and to exhibit and sell their work.