Creative Spaces is an Australian based project designed to link artists with vacant or underutilized spaces. Seriously. Here’s a statement that I wish was represented a more prevalent mindset in the US:

The website was first conceived by the City of Melbourne in an effort to address the critical need for artist spaces in the Melbourne CBD and then expanded with the financial support of Arts Victoria to include spaces across Victoria.

… “critical need for artist spaces” … I’d like to find a municipality here in the US with that sort of mentality.

Now, about their website. It’s pretty edgy, which they can get away with because they cater to artists. … okay, it’s very edgy. You’re going to have that grungy concrete wall look stuck in your head. Plus, it’s easy to use, has clear navigation, and is valid xHTML.

Critiques:

• There are several instances of repeating graphical elements. The wall, for instance, uses the same patterns in a few spots. The floor has definite repeating elements. It’s hard to tell if that was intentional, but my guess is that the artist succumbed to perceived web limitations.