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March 30, 2009: Rail Travel in New York State On March 9, Governor David Paterson and the New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner, Astrid Glynn, announced the state's new plan for the overhaul of New York State's freight and passenger rail system. Their announcement is good news, not just for the citizens of New York State and for the thousands of tourists who visit New York every year, but for the state's cultural organizations and artists as well. Geographically, the state of New York is vast, roughly the size of France. Unlike France, however, which is part of a sprawling network of high speed trains that connects cities all over Europe, New York State has a rail system that is limited, to say the least. As a result, some of the state's cultural gems are not easily accessible via train, a low cost, energy efficient means of travel, if ever there was one. Though the overhaul of the state's rail system was most certainly not motivated by the needs of the state's cultural community, the improvements could potentially have a substantial impact on the vitality of the state's cultural life. This fact hit home for me as I toured the senior exhibition of graduating seniors in the department of photography and imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts. I was struck by the number of images that were taken in far away places. When I asked the students how they traveled, all of those who lived and worked in western and eastern Europe immediately identified the cheap, fast and safe travel made possible with a Eurail pass. They could wake up in London in the morning and be in Paris for lunch. Mostly what my students conveyed was the idea that travel in Europe was simple to access and affordable and like the social networking of the internet, made mobility and making connections fun and easy. So they used the system, over and over again. No doubt what was good for my students was also very good for the cultural market place as well, encouraging and facilitating a constant flow of people-residents, tourists, young and old. The gems in our cultural marketplace in New York State would reap those same benefits with the kind of changes envisioned in the passenger rail system. Like the overhaul of the rail system, there are any number of infrastructure issues, which on the face of them, would seem to have nothing whatsoever to do with the New York State cultural community: housing, energy, telecommunications, and transportation to name a few. On closer examination, however, they have everything to do with the health of our cultural community. For example, the availability of affordable housing is a critical issue not only for working artists, but also for the employees and staffs of cultural institutions all over the state. The cost of energy is a fundamental part of any organization's balance sheet and Proctor's Theater in downtown Schenectady discovered that finding a creative means of lowering the cost of energy not only lowered their operating costs but, in a partnership with the corporate sector, became a source of earned income. Widely available high speed internet service would make New York State a more attractive place to do business, especially when that fact is coupled with an attractive inventory of cultural institutions. Last year NYSCA held a series of cultural blueprints conversations. These conversations, conducted in partnership with the Empire State Development Corporation, were held in nine of the state's economic development regions. The goal was to identify those economic opportunities in which culture, as it often has been, might be a catalyst for economic renewal. Perhaps the most gratifying aspect of those conversations was the enthusiastic participation of a host of other state agencies, the department of transportation among them. Looking ahead, I can hardly wait for the time, when my students can travel as easily around the state of New York as they do the continent of Europe. Mary Schmidt Campbell has been dean of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts since 1991. Previously, she was New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs in the Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins administrations, after having served as executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem for ten years. In the fall of 2007 she added the voluntary position of Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts to her duties. March 2, 2009: Black History Month: Cultural Obligation or Cultural Celebration I confess. Thirty years ago, I used to dread the month of February. Not because of the weather-snow and cold can be invigorating; rather, February brought with it a deluge of invitations to participate in Black History Month celebrations. Invitations would come from all over the country as cultural institutions tried to cram into one month-and the shortest month of the year at that-as many obligatory Black History concerts, exhibitions, round table discussions, key note addresses, gatherings of elected officials and black cultural icons they could lay their hands on. And yes, I participated. At the end of the month, however, we all let out a collective sigh -whew, that's over; now, back to business as usual. Perhaps I am too harsh. But to those of us at the receiving end of the invitations, the description of the surge and its subsequent dissipation, after Black History month was over, is not far off. Blessedly, those days of only once a year attention are dissipating. In their place, cultural institutions bring us not only black history and culture but other underrepresented cultures, year round. Many of these institutions have cultivated distinguished track records and, now, reside at the heart of the American cultural landscape. I thought about that during this holiday season as I sat through the finale performance of Alvin Ailey's fiftieth anniversary celebration. Looking around the audience, I noted an intergenerational and culturally pluralistic audience of passionate Ailey aficionados. Again, as I sat one Sunday afternoon through an open house at Dance Theater of Harlem, I marveled at the ferocious energy and boundless talent of a new generation of young people from a multitude of cultural backgrounds. In New York State, a growing number of institutions that represent ethnic groups underrepresented in their disciplines, have had a galvanizing impact on all of American culture. To name just a few: Garth Fagan Dance in Rochester New York. Fagan is the Tony award winning, path breaking choreographer of Broadway's Lion King. The African American Cultural Center is a multi-disciplinary vibrant gathering place that has served the Buffalo community for over 50 years. Syracuse University's Community Folk Art Center, a hub of artistic excellence in upstate New York for over 35 years, is yet another example. The list could go on. All of these organizations have a commitment to learning, and teaching, to young people and new artists and to excellence. In their respective communities they are touchstones of continuity and stability. In addition to institutions, there are Black cultural leaders who would appear on anyone's list of leading cultural figures in the arts. In the state of New York, a partial list would include: everyone from a college president like Dr. Shirley Jackson, the visionary who conceived of the Empire Performing Arts Center (EMPAC), a forward looking, technologically advanced performing arts center in central New York dedicated to research in science and the arts, to the innovative award winning leader of Syracuse Stage, Timothy Bond, to Brooklyn's Laurie Cumbo whose leadership at MoCADA has created a vital presence for visual arts that focus on critical social, historical and political issues in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, to Pat Cruz whose transformation of the gate house uptown has given Harlem another major cultural institution. With so much institutional and individual wealth on display in New York State alone, do we still even need a once a year celebration of Black History and Culture? As triumphant as we have the right to be, the truth is that too much of our young talent still remains untapped and too many of our communities remain isolated from opportunity. With our economic crisis deepening, the work of these institutions and individuals alike will be necessary to keep open the doors of opportunity and possibility. If we call attention to that once a year, I am fine with that. Mary Schmidt Campbell has been dean of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts since 1991. Previously, she was New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs in the Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins administrations, after having served as executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem for ten years. In the fall of 2007 she added the voluntary position of Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts to her duties. January 26, 2009: Thoughts on the Inauguration: the Paradox of American History Customarily, at the start of the new semester as dean of the Tisch School of the Arts-- the hat I wear, in addition to serving as Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts--I usually write a welcome back statement to our students, faculty and staff, after the long winter break. The time for this year's welcome message coincided with the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States. Somehow, starting the semester with the usual institutional news seemed pedestrian and parochial at such an epic moment. Our school, like much of the world on inauguration day, the day of our return, was captivated by the monumental events shifting our country in new directions. At viewing stations around the school, hundreds of members of the Tisch community watched the inauguration on big screens, while the overflow huddled in office doorways to watch desk top computer screens. Even after we all went back to work or back to class, we greeted each other all day long in the hallways and on the elevators with congratulations. What exactly were we congratulating? For one, there was the miracle of the election itself. Who would have thought, two years ago, when campaign season was just beginning, that vision, the gift of language, and a sense of possibility would be enough to trump the familiarity of political brand names, and conventional wisdom? What this election made clear is that, after all is said and done, American politics is not closed; it need not depend on belonging to the right circles. Quite the contrary, American politics is still resilient enough to permit a relative unknown to invent new a circle, and make that circle large, open and embracing. We should all congratulate that. No doubt, some of my colleagues were congratulating the country's giant step toward racial maturation. Despite past racial tensions, the country elected an African American. Though only the most naďve among us would believe that we have completely left behind the old country of structural inequities based on race, few would argue with the fact that we have discovered new territory, cut new pathways through the wilderness of American race relations. We should all congratulate that as well. The political worker bees among us congratulated ourselves and our fellow workers for having ignored everyone who said that our new president's election was impossible. We are all still dazzled by the brilliance of his political strategies and national network of organized grass roots activism. We marveled at the way in which old fashioned door to door, telephone banking, get out the vote activism was married to social networking and new technology. We the people really felt power to the people. In the past few days, there has been a great deal of speculation whizzing around the internet about what the election of Barack Obama will mean for the arts. Who will serve as the new chair of the national endowment for the Arts; will the chairmanship be elevated to a cabinet level post; will the new administration in its emphasis on job creation resurrect the old Comprehensive Employment Training Act (CETA), as it was called over 20 years ago? Who knows? All of those policy issues are important for the cultural community. But as I think about a back to school message for my students, I believe that the lesson of this election is that it illustrates the potency of America the paradox. By that I mean, logically, there is nothing in our history which would have predicted the election of this president. At the same time, everything in the history of a country which invented itself out of sheer audacity and willful imagination made the election of this president not only possible but inevitable, a lesson for all of us. And, congratulations to that as well. Mary Schmidt Campbell has been dean of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts since 1991. Previously, she was New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs in the Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins administrations, after having served as executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem for ten years. In the fall of 2007 she added the voluntary position of Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts to her duties. December 29, 2008: New Deal for the Arts? Charles Dickens wrote a "Tale of Two Cities" in the 19th century, but his words hold true for today: "It was the best of times and the worst of times." On the one hand, a new administration, full of hope and possibility, invites new ideas and new ways of approaching old problems while, on the other hand, an economic crisis grows exponentially with each passing day, knocking off course even the best laid plans. In the middle of this paradox resides the fate of New York State's creative community. A dense infrastructure of not for profit charitable institutions-small, mid-size, and large- individual artists, some of whom make a living from their art, some who do not, as well as for profit creative businesses, large and small, major corporations and industries all call the state of New York their home. Their health is vital not only to the economy of the state, but to the quality and character of life throughout the state. Innovation and invention, the currency of the creative communities, no doubt, will be the source of our economic recovery. With the sense of possibility in the air, yet the awful reality of economic restraint facing the state, the New York State Council on the Arts will continue to have as its core function the awarding of grants to cultural institutions; however, it is worthwhile to consider what else, in addition to grant making, are some other possibilities? What alliances might there be between the New York State Council on the Arts and say, for example, housing, transportation, labor, tourism and/or the "I Love New York Campaign? " The next two commentaries will explore possible partnerships and offer some ideas even as we are all navigating the treacherous waters of a tumultuous economy. One possibility for a concerted effort would be in the area of housing. New York State could distinguish itself as being the most artist friendly state in the union. Certainly, the housing stock is available for this. Areas of New York State suffering from the decline or abandonment of housing stock could establish programs that both rehabilitate decaying housing and provide below market rate housing to members of the creative community. Syracuse, New York already has such a program. The Near Westside Initiative a not for profit civic organization, that works closely with local state legislators and Syracuse University, has acquired abandoned houses, located in the Syracuse Art Life and Technology District (SALT), stabilized them and is offering them for sale at below market prices with a preference for working artists. Determining elsewhere in the state where this model might work could provide a statewide re-investment in housing and an incentive to capture and retain members of the state's creative community. Housing stock is not the only commodity needed to support the creative community. Work space of all types is necessary as well. Studio space for visual artists, rehearsal space for theatrical productions, recording studios, sound stages and film production facilities would enhance New York State's user friendliness to the creative community. Thirty years ago the wholesale abandonment of real estate in New York City created the conditions for any number of small to mid-size not for profit cultural institutions to acquire space at rock bottom prices. P.S. 1 took over an abandoned school house; the Joyce Theater reclaimed an aging movie house. Elsewhere in New York State, restoration has occurred with great success. The Westchester Arts Council occupies a portion of their building while they rent below market rate to artists and arts related organizations and the plans to transform Nyack New York operate on the same principle of reclaiming derelict space and re-imagining uses that include aspects of the creative community. An inventory on the part of the state and local officials of abandoned property could be compiled and circulated with preference to not for profit and for profit creative organizations and businesses that might want to build, expand or re-locate to the state of New York. Times are hard. Ideas are free and as long as we keep exploring, new solutions will become evident. Mary Schmidt Campbell has been dean of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts since 1991. Previously, she was New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs in the Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins administrations, after having served as executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem for ten years. In the fall of 2007 she added the voluntary position of Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts to her duties. November 03, 2008: Why Public Funding for the Arts and Humanities In the best of times, philanthropy contains enough variables to make it virtually impossible for not-for -profit cultural institutions to predict a certain outcome. With this year's economic debacle, however, knowing what philanthropy might yield is anybody's guess. One after another, the usual sources of philanthropic support for the arts are under severe constraints. Vulnerable investment houses have collapsed; major banks have disappeared overnight; well known corporate brands have been eviscerated by corporate mergers; and the rapidly shrinking investment portfolios of foundations and private individuals only heightens the uncertainty. New York State is not exempt from this economic turmoil. Governor David Paterson has projected a deficit over the next few years, approaching $47 billion and all state agencies are being asked to bear some measure of the pain. Given the world's dire financial straits, and the state of New York's announced need for fiscal austerity, why, you might ask, is the New York State Council on the Arts, (NYSCA), the funding arm for the state's treasure trove of cultural institutions, traveling throughout the state of New York hosting conversations on the topic of economic development and the arts? To be sure, economic development is a high priority for the state of New York. The state is losing population faster than it is gaining it; the state has also lost jobs faster than it can re-create new ones. Like old, once industrial states all over the country, New York State's infrastructure is aging. As challenging as New York State's problems might be, however, the assets of the state are extraordinary. Magnificent parks, lakes and recreation centers combine with some of the world's greatest colleges and universities-private and public and, of course, New York State boasts a collection of cultural institutions unrivalled any where else in the world. Surely an imaginative re-thinking of these assets can create opportunities for innovation, change and economic growth. The agency in charge of the state's economic development is the Empire State Development (ESD). The agency has divided the state into ten economic development regions in an effort to explore the opportunities for economic re-vitalization in each of these ten regions. Recognizing that cultural institutions have had a long track record as catalysts for economic renewal, NYSCA has partnered with ESD and I Love NY to create companion cultural blueprints which can accompany ESD's economic development plans. To accomplish this goal, in September, NYSCA and ESD launched a set of cultural blueprint conversations throughout the state. Conversations have been completed in eight of the nine economic development regions outside of New York City (New York City, a region unto itself will be visited next year). Close to 1000 people across the state have participated in these conversations. At each conversation, the regional director of the ESD has had a major role in organizing the event along with local arts councils and I Love NY, and members of the NYSCA staff. Participants have included other agencies in state government including the department of transportation, the department of labor, tourism, parks the department of aging. Also present have been citizens representing small businesses; the press; private foundations; and, of course, cultural institutions from each region. What will come out of these meetings? We don't yet know. As I told the group who met in Syracuse, the New York State Council on the Arts came into these meetings with no pre-conceptions, no recipes, no formulas and-no money. What is certain is that these conversations are bringing together agencies in state government which rarely have an opportunity to work with each other and they are convening various aspects of the private sector along with representatives of the state's cultural community. Times, indeed, are hard. Hard times, however, do not stop us from imagining new possibilities. By mid-November we will have completed the cultural blue prints conversations for all of New York State, except for the five boroughs of New York City that take place next year. We are convinced that, in spite of economic hard times, these conversations are just the beginning. If you would like to participate in the conversation go to: http://www.culturalblueprints.co.cc/, where there are blogs, comments and session summaries. Mary Schmidt Campbell has been dean of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts since 1991. Previously, she was New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs in the Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins administrations, after having served as executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem for ten years. In the fall of 2007 she added the voluntary position of Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts to her duties. August 25, 2008: Back to School Next week New Yorkers will be sending their children back to school, the perfect time to consider the role of the arts in K-12 education. Years ago, New York State possessed exemplary arts programs in the public schools. Our schools, for example, once provided students with musical instruments, instruction, and the opportunity to play in orchestras and ensembles. In the 1970's, however, catastrophic budget cuts resulted in the reduction, if not the out right loss of arts programming in public schools in New York state. Rumor has it that the left over musical instruments were consigned to public school basements. Certified art teachers certainly became a rarity and schools often had to depend on cultural institutions to provide programming in the arts. While much of this programming is quite good-some of it funded by the New York State Council on the Arts, there is no way cultural institutions can fill the need for consistent, universal arts education throughout the state from k-12. With all of the talk of math and reading scores, no child left behind and the evaluation of schools based on test scores, why, you may ask, should we spend time worrying about the role of the arts in our schools. Aren't the arts, "the icing on the cake," a common phrase used to describe arts education. It turns out, maybe not. As one scientist observed in a recent NY Times book review, the arts may not be the icing on the cake at all, but rather the baking soda, that is a necessary catalyst for the process of learning and comprehension. What a child learns from the both the practice of the arts and the study of the art of others has multiple dimensions. Take, for example, a teacher who assigns her students The Crucible, a play by the great American playwright, Arthur Miller. In order to understand The Crucible, her students would have to read the text closely, understand the historical setting-- Puritanism, 17th century America, the Salem witch trials-- as well as the period during which Miller wrote the play, the McCarthy era. A good teacher might introduce ideas of justice, first amendment rights, individual courage vs. the lure of collective thinking. She may even ask her students to enact a scene from the play so that they can empathetically inhabit the characters in order to understand more deeply the dramatic conflicts. For some students, studying theater could create new ways of becoming alive to ideas. Theater is just one example of the way in which excellent training in the arts does not have to compete with learning rather open up new opportunities for learning. To its credit the New York State Education Department passed comprehensive arts standards in four areas several years ago.
Mary Schmidt Campbell has been dean of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts since 1991. Previously, she was New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs in the Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins administrations, after having served as executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem for ten years. In the fall of 2007 she added the voluntary position of Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts to her duties. July 28, 2008: Summer in New York: Part II, Cultural Diversity For the month of August, I'll have my three grandsons in tow as I continue my cultural tour of New York State. When I consider the exciting possibilities for planning family outings, I realize that a cultural tour of the state presents an opportunity for my grandchildren not only to enjoy the arts but to learn about the state's dense mix of cultural traditions. Fifty years ago, that learning experience would not have been possible. When Governor Nelson Rockefeller established the New York State Council on the Arts in 1960, the census for that year recorded a population of 91% white; 8.5% African American, .4% Asian and a Latino population that was not even identified separately. Of those numbers 13.6% were foreign born. The cultural institutions first funded by the new council on the arts, reflected the state's homogeneity. In stark contrast to the 1960 census, the census of 2000 paints a very different picture: Whites are 68% of New York State's population; African Americans 16%; Latinos 15% and Asians 5.5%. Of those numbers, over 20% are foreign born. Thanks in large measure to funding from the council on the arts, with the growth in the state's diversity has come a growth in cultural institutions and programs which reflect the addition of new voices and new traditions. Whether these new voices are funded equitably is a subject for another commentary. For now, I am considering what this range of heritages and histories has to offer the cultural tourist. During the month of August, we could travel to Auburn, New York to the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center. There, we could enjoy the music and dance heritages of the Ukraine, Ghana and the Meskhetian Turks of Russia. Another stop might be Hennepin Park Gazebo in Lewiston, New York which features the authentic folk music and cultural traditions of a different ethnic group-Italian, West African, Native American, Polish, Swedish, German - every week. If we were to decide to go to Albany during the August 2nd weekend, we could take advantage of New York State's, Office of General Services, African-American Family Day, which this year celebrates the African Diaspora. What is great about all of these events is that they are free! Speaking of festivals, there are festivals galore in New York City - all of them free. Among them, they offer performers of the highest caliber from a vast range of cultural heritages. Tompkins Square Park in my neighborhood annually presents the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, which assembles some of the finest jazz musicians in the world. Alvin Ailey Dance Theater's 50th Anniversary celebration tours to all five boroughs a series of free performances. In the event I want to teach my grandchildren dance, Ailey offers dance classes and workshops for families and children during the month of August. If we decide to go to Central Park during the day, we can spend the evening at Summerscape. Everything from Jennifer Muller Dance, to Sonny Rollins, to Wyclef Jean, or Alejandro Escovedo is available free of charge. The City Parks Foundation presents theatrical productions for free throughout the five boroughs. Among the productions presented this year are Waterwell's the Last Year in the Life of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: a Rock Opera; Teatro StageFest in collaboration with Hostos Center for Arts and culture's Borinquen Vive En El Barrio, a bilingual play by Tere Martinez; and New Federal Theater's The Toilet by Amiri Baraka a play probably more suitable for my children than my grandchildren. By the end of August, I am sure that my grandchildren will have been totally saturated with culture. They will be ready to go home and I will be ready for a vacation! Mary Schmidt Campbell has been dean of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts since 1991. Previously, she was New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs in the Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins administrations, after having served as executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem for ten years. In the fall of 2007 she added the voluntary position of Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts to her duties. June 26, 2008: Summer in New York State Summer in New York State: who needs to travel abroad, when the entire state of New York is chocked full of festivals, concerts and special summer events? This summer, my first as Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts on the Arts, with a map of the state spread out on my kitchen table and an inventory of cultural events supported by the New York State Council on the Arts at my finger tips, I set out to construct some possible "cultural tours" of the state as if I were from out of town and just looking to have a great summer vacation. One thing strikes me right away and that is the number of free events throughout the five boroughs and all over the state. For example, summer dancing appeals to me and I can take a twirl in the Bronx during First Fridays at the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Or I could enjoy what's billed as the country's hottest outdoor dance party-- Lincoln Center's Midsummer night swing-- in full force from late June through the month of July. Later in the season, I could exercise my craving for free outdoor dancing in August at Moondance, under the stars on the Hudson River at West Street and North Moore. On the banks of the Hudson River, just north of New York City, the village of Haverstraw is shutting down the streets and turning up the music on July 11th so if I want free salsa or meringue lessons, I know just where to go! Once I have mastered Latin dancing, I can travel upstate to Binghamton for an evening on July 12th of swing dancing at the " Southern Tier Celebrates" Free Concerts series in Binghamton. By the end of the summer, I could be a dancing diva-and all for free. Shakespeare is another love of mine and the number of free Shakespeare events could almost get me through the entire canon this summer! The largest and probably the oldest summer Shakespeare is in Central Park. The Public theater's New York Shkespeare Festival has been offering free Shakespeare for over 50 years at the Delacorte Theater, where Hamlet is currently playing. A younger free Shakespeare in the Park is the New York Classical Theater's summer season first in Central park where Cymbeline just closed and then in Battery Park where "the Scottish play" will be presented, the last week in June and the first two weeks of July. The second largest Shakespeare festival in New York State is Shakespeare in Delaware Park, a Buffalo summer tradition since 1976. Shakespeare in Delaware Park takes place in a historic park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. A grand Tudor-Style stage on a sweeping hill of green is the setting for this year's productions of King Lear and Merry Wives of Windsor, both free. From July 17th to the 27th the Theater Company at Hubbard Hall presents an out doors touring production of Two Gentleman of Verona. Last but not least Delaware County's Franklin Stage offers, free of charge, Shakespeare's Measure for Measure which opens next week and later in the season Berthold Brecht's Galileo. As if the free opportunities were not enough, Shakespeare comes in the form of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, choreographed by Mark Morris, which launches Bard College's "Summerscape" program on the 4th of July. That same weekend, Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown presents Kiss Me Kate, Cole Porter's musical version of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. This exercise of trying to come up with cultural tours has made me realize that it will take more than one commentary even to begin to scratch the surface of what New York State has to offer this summer. I'll be back next month for part II! Mary Schmidt Campbell has been dean of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts since 1991. Previously, she was New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs in the Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins administrations, after having served as executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem for ten years. In the fall of 2007 she added the voluntary position of Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts to her duties. May 22, 2008: Individual Artists and the State of the State What are we going to do about the state of New York State's economy? One strategy might be to make the state more attractive to artists. Experience tells us that the presence of working artists can radically transform a community. Countless neighborhoods in New York City, for example, as diverse as Soho and tribeca in Manhattan, Long Island City in Queens, DUMBO and Williamsburg in Brooklyn have been re-imagined by the presence of working artists. Once derelict buildings have been brought back to life made vibrant by artists who use them for live/work space. Communities of working artists can fill a region with creative capital, becoming a magnet for shops, restaurants, small businesses, and, eventually more residents. What are the possibilities at the state level? The question is by no means rhetorical. Many regions in New York State contain the same kind of old manufacturing infrastructure as many of the New York City neighborhoods that were so successfully transformed by residential working artists. As manufacturing dies in regions around New York or as once major public institutions close their doors, many times the architectural structures left behind with their high ceilings, big windows with lots of natural light and large interior spaces, make for ideal spaces for working artists. Two outstanding examples are Art space in Buffalo and the Near West Side Initiative in Syracuse, affiliated with Syracuse University. A statewide inventory of these structures might be a useful first step to determine which structures might be recyclable and turned into studio space for the visual arts, new media, film production, dance, performance space, music. A statewide offering of space in return for a modest investment or sweat equity might be enough incentive to attract artists to migrate from down state to upstate. Making it attractive for artists to move into available unused state owned space might also help with another serious New York State problem and that is the state's current brain drain. According to a study conducted by the New York State Department of Economic Development and Cornell University, from 1995 to 2000, although upstate New York attracted a total of 235,000 young adults, the region also lost 303,000 young adults. This number is especially shocking, when you realize the record numbers of young people who come into the state to study at the state's extraordinary network of world class colleges and universities. Many of those students who come to New York are artists in training. What would make more of them stay in the state? The opportunity to live in the state with space to work would be a powerful attraction to stay after college. But why take that risk now, you might ask? New York State is in deep economic distress. Already this year, $800 million dollars was cut from the state's budget and next year that figure will surely be larger. Urban areas throughout the state are experiencing a seriously depressed economy. Economic growth in the state has slowed almost to a standstill. In times like these shouldn't the state of New York focus on the bare essentials like education, economic development, creating jobs? Indeed, New York City was facing the same dilemma 30 years ago, when on the brink of bankruptcy, the city had to decide whether it would continue to provide funding for its cultural institutions. Utterly impoverished, the city decided that a key to the city's revival was the continued vitality of its cultural infrastructure. Partnering with a range of agencies in federal and state government from the department of labor, to Housing and Urban Development to state economic development, the city, its artists and its cultural institutions became a vital part of the effort to impact education, spur economic development and create new jobs. Can New York State afford to invest in attracting and retaining its most talented artists? The real question is: can New York State afford not to. Mary Schmidt Campbell has been dean of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts since 1991. Previously, she was New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs in the Edward I. Koch and David Dinkins administrations, after having served as executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem for ten years. In the fall of 2007 she added the voluntary position of Chair of the New York State Council on the Arts to her duties. |
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