Support and expand community-centered arts and culture

One of the tri-state area’s greatest strengths is its creative and cultural diversity—from our major art institutions to community cultural spaces across the region. But as neighborhoods change, local artists and cultural groups may be forced to move out of the communities where they are rooted, leading to cultural displacement. Supporting arts and culture in the region’s communities requires investment and policies at the local and state level. To preserve the region’s naturally occurring cultural districts and encourage more creative activity in all communities, the region needs more funding for the arts, more affordable housing and flexible creative spaces, more equitable access to arts and culture activities, and more opportunities for the emerging practice of creative placemaking.