REMARKS
Collaboration with arts organizations and challenges for veteran artists
0:46:25
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3 min
Ellen Greeley, Assistant Commissioner for Policy and Strategic Partnerships at DVS, discusses various arts initiatives for veterans and the challenges faced by veteran artists in New York City.
- DVS encourages arts organizations to contact them for help in spreading the word about veteran-focused events
- Greeley mentions a recent collaboration with the opera 'Grounded,' which resulted in free tickets being offered to veterans
- The GI Bill enables many veteran artists to come to New York City to learn their craft
- Maintaining artists in New York City is challenging due to high housing costs
- Greeley cites examples of communities that have successfully created artist-friendly environments, such as Peekskill in Westchester County
- The economic impact of artists on communities is highlighted, including gentrification of areas like the Lower East Side, Williamsburg, and Bushwick
Ellen Greeley
0:46:25
We we certainly will encourage organizations to contact us for us to spread the word.
0:46:31
Right.
0:46:31
And that does happen.
0:46:33
Sorry.
0:46:37
We do encourage the organizations to contact us and we certainly will spread the word.
0:46:42
We had an interesting, situation a couple of weeks ago.
0:46:47
There is a new opera called Grounded which is about an air a female air force pilot.
0:46:55
And, initially we were contacted to for lower ticket prices.
0:47:02
And because there was still a cost involved, we couldn't promote, but I did ask them if they ever thought about providing tickets for free, would they come back?
0:47:13
We would be happy to promote and that did happen.
0:47:15
Of course, it happened only a day or 2 before the performance, which usually does happen.
0:47:21
But, it's those types of situations that do arise that we try to take advantage of, of course.
0:47:28
Then I turn to Curtis and to Chuck, also in our communications team to get the word out and that's kind of how we do it.
0:47:36
But we are, we're very willing to work with all of our arts organizations, cultural organizations also, to really promote the work especially for the veterans.
0:47:47
And we are embarking on something incredibly new, I think, in terms of creating the veteran and artist genre here in New York City.
0:47:56
And one of the major areas, of course, is that many of the veteran, artists get a wonderful GI bill to come to New York to learn their crafts.
0:48:06
This is certainly the best playground in the world to learn that, in turn, become part of the institutions.
0:48:15
And part of our, our challenge of course is maintaining the artist in New York City.
0:48:22
As the commissioner mentioned, of course, the cost of housing is quite expensive.
0:48:26
I was quite involved in the Peekskill community in Westchester for many years, and they purposely created an arts community up there, built housing for artists, offered, generous wear, a space for them, exhibition halls and generous working space for them.
0:48:46
And they did create, you know, a huge community up there which of course paid off, in terms of an economic multiplier.
0:48:54
Restaurants are now populating the downtown area and Peekskill has come alive again from that particular experience.
0:49:03
I know there is specific housing for artists in the West Village.
0:49:08
I think that those are rare in this particular day and age.
0:49:13
We also know that artists, you know, create these communities and then they get gentrified.
0:49:18
I mean, Lower East Side, Williamsburg, Bushwick now, which is quite amazing
Robert Holden
0:49:25
SoHo.
0:49:26
Yeah.
Ellen Greeley
0:49:26
Soho, Long Island City, you name it.
0:49:29
They're and they bring economic vitality to the community, and we really have to think of this as an investment.
0:49:38
Yep.
Robert Holden
0:49:39
We we know we see that the American Alliance of Museums supports free museum admissions for veterans and does a lot of work.
