The arts help revitalize New York’s communities
Improving hope and prosperity for American small towns is a national challenge with vast political and economic consequences. Effective solutions have proven few and far between, but with the right kinds of support, nonprofit performing arts can be that solution.
The performing arts represent one of the few industries in the United States that have served as a reliable bedrock for economic growth. The philanthropic community has the potential to encourage performing arts organizations to build in small, distressed towns where they can have an outsize economic impact — a model that deserves more attention as a solution to revitalizing communities across New York state.
The village of Catskill is like any other small town in New York’s Hudson Valley: quaint, picturesque, just far enough from the city to find some peace and quiet yet close enough to be a day trip. It also experienced a hardship that is all too familiar to small towns across the country: a noticeable downturn when the conventional industries that supported the local economy began to disappear. In post-industrial America, proximity to a major city can be a lifeline for these communities, allowing tourism to replace some of the manufacturing dollars that have flown out. New income sources mean new jobs and new hope — an invaluable currency when so many small towns across America suffer from a crushing lack of optimism.
But, how can a town like Catskill, or so many small towns across the state, best promote itself for investment? In Catskill, home of Hudson River School founder Thomas Cole, a key differentiator historically has been the arts.
Last year, we relocated Lumberyard to Catskill. Lumberyard is a nonprofit performing arts and film campus that provides leading performing artists with the technical and design resources they need to test and perfect their work before they premiere in marquee venues in New York City. We chose Catskill for two important reasons. First, while New York City is a well-established mecca for the performing arts, the rise of theatrical innovation has outpaced the support mechanisms for artists before they’re ready to premiere their work. Our
move to Catskill allows us to fill that gap by providing large-scale rehearsal space and 24/7 access to our theater, which can recreate any New York City stage, just 101 miles from the city. Second, we saw an opportunity to partner with a town ripe for revitalization and use the performing arts to drive growth, tourism, and industry.
The support we provide to New York City through our residency program is returned in kind. Our 2018 opening weekend brought more than 1,000 visitors to Catskill including those from New York City, Massachusetts and Connecticut who shop, eat, and stay local.
Lumberyard’s mission also spurs significant social impact through our free community and education programs that have created a sense for our town that prosperity is attainable. It’s a quantifiable shift in mindset that encourages early investment in small towns like Catskill. The buzz around Catskill is real. Shortly after we opened, Stef Halmos, an artist and developer from Brooklyn, purchased a 50,000-square-foot warehouse that she is now converting into a contemporary arts center. Around the corner, another developer has purchased an old bank that will reopen as a boutique hotel.
Philanthropic foundations do enormously important work, and their funding of arts projects that foster hope and inclusion is invaluable. But to be fully relevant in these times, they must support arts organizations that are deliberately placing themselves outside the cities, where they can make a transformative social and economic impact. This may involve revisiting bylaws or allocating discretionary funds toward organizations they wouldn’t typically fund. Either way, America’s small towns urgently need their support.