A founding father of one of Europes largest artist studio complexes has expressed grief, anger and a sense of betrayal after being told he must leave the community he helped create almost half a century ago.

The contemporary artist Howard Silverman, 73, said his part in the development of Spike Island in Bristol had been his lifes work, and being given notice to vacate the studio he considered his spiritual home had devastated him.

Fellow studio holders and artists from around the world are backing Silvermans fight to overturn the decision, with some suggesting the organisation is intent on squeezing out older, established tenants in favour of younger ones.

The New York-born Silverman, regarded as a cornerstone of the Bristol art scene, said: I wake up in the morning stressed and depressed. It affects family, friends and colleagues.

Silverman, whose award-winning work includes installation, sculpture, painting, printmaking, video and digital imagery, is angry that, after spending 46 years at Spike Island and its predecessor organisation, the panel considering his bid to renew his lease had just 20 minutes to study it before debating and then making its decision.

He is also distressed that after his appeal was rejected he was served three months notice to vacate during the first days of the Covid-19 lockdown, which would have made packing up and leaving even more difficult. My studio is my spiritual home, he said. It has always been my laboratory and my launch pad. I will be lost without it.

Spike Island is the base for more than 70 artists, dozens of creative businesses and hundreds of fine art students.

It began in the 1970s as Artspace Bristol, founded by Silverman and a group of other idealistic, radical artists who sought out and administered affordable studio spaces in old industrial buildings.

In 1992, the organisation moved to its current home, a former tea-packing warehouse and rebranded as Spike Island. A trust was set up and last year introduced a system of lease reviews. Half of the six artists who have so far reapplied for their leases have been told they must leave.

The Spike Island artist Julian Claxton said the decision to evict Silverman was outrageous. He said Silverman remained a cutting edge artist but always had time to encourage and help others. Another artist aid he was the life and soul of the community, while a third said it was a mystery why he was being evicted.

Within 48 hours, more than 500 people including artists from all around the world had signed a petition protesting against the eviction.

A spokesman for Spike Island refused to speak about an individual case, but denied it was favouring younger artists. He said: The studio review process is a way to ensure that our artists studios are managed fairly. Our [studios] must be inclusive and accessible to all in order to support local artists from different backgrounds and at different career stages.

The Guardian has seen a letter dated 26 March after the coronavirus lockdown from Spike Island giving Silverman three months to leave from that day which would have involved planning the move during physical distancing. After he objected, Spike Island said the three months notice would begin after lockdown was lifted.

The spokesman said Spike Island was being incredibly flexible with artists who were being told to leave. He confirmed the review panel members were given 20 minutes to read submissions from tenants, adding: An extensive period of discussion then follows.

Read more:

Artists campaign against Bristol Spike Island eviction of Howard Silverman - The Guardian