Saturday, October 25, 2014

Is Jamaica where the artists want to be?

From the Times Ledger:

Jamaica may provide the stage artists are scouring the city for, one study suggests.

An 18-month analysis on art workspace in Queens by Exploring the Metropolis Inc., which connects artists and performance facilities in the city, found Jamaica is ripe for an artistic revival.

David Johnson, Exploring the Metropolis’ executive director, told the Greater Jamaica Development Corp. at its quarterly meeting last week that the neighborhood could take steps to bolster its attractiveness to artists, including soliciting an affordable loft development.

“Jamaica is so well-positioned in terms of transit, it just seems like low hanging fruit,” Johnson told nearly 50 peopled gathered in the Harvest Room Oct. 15. “With the upcoming development, it’s a great opportunity to really focus on artists’ live-work space, find the space, find the developers who can do this.”

Johnson noted an East Harlem school that was transformed into a 90-unit live-work development for working artists received 53,000 applications.

“Clearly, there is a demand for this,” he said.

The Greater Jamaica Development Corp. leaders expressed interest in buttressing the area’s creative capital, saying it spurs economic development and personal fulfillment.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sure artists will appreciate the hatchet open that comes with every space.

Anonymous said...

I agree! Joe Moretti's photography is truly pioneering the next wave of avante garde!

Anonymous said...

Typical Queens 'study' where the script is written before the report started.

Went to his presentation. Not well attended and those present rolled back their eyes at the prospect of being sent to Jamaica as the shock wave of gentrification.

A non starter and a huge waste of money by the foundation that supported it.

JQ said...

Jamaica is so well-positioned in terms of transit, it just seems like low hanging fruit,”

more like buzzards on a dying corpse in the desert,the second these types or artists hear about burgeoning development,a bogus pointless hearing is held by some self-appointed cretin with a hastily assembled concern group or organization.
My guess is that these folks got priced out of brooklyn and "discovered" jamaica because,holy shit there are trains close by.This is not what Jamaica or any community or town needs.

watch out for these bums/artists

Anonymous said...

Thought the proposed arts/artisan district around the Steinway Mansion was 'to far away' but Jamaica?

Well, lads, that tha' ticket!

Anonymous said...

Sounds great-- move in right next to the racist islamic terrorist axe murderers.