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Commissioner of Cultural Affairs of the City of New York Kate D. Levin.
By Luis Miranda
The acclaimed journalist and broadcaster Carol Jenkins served as moderator of the discussion that began with a warm welcome by Sandra García-Betancourt, President of the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA).
Before Carol introduced me so that I would frame the dialogue with a question for the distinguished panel, I was transported six years back when we first began the development of NoMAA . The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ) had made a strategic decision to strengthen a series of small but dynamic artistic institutions north of 155th Street, while at the same time aiding performers and artists who had made their home in northern Manhattan.
We had the funds. We had convinced the Hispanic Federation to incubate our experiment. Now we had to galvanize the leadership of Upper Manhattan and the artists of the neighborhood to close ranks in support of the new institution.
Then, as well as now, our elected officials supported the move.
Knowledgeable of this history, Assemblyman Linares, then City Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs, was the first to remind us of NoMAA's history. When he spoke, he congratulated UMEZ for having the vision to get involved in the development of NoMAA.
In his remarks, Senator Espaillat stressed the importance of our communities serving as a destination, and thus become a stage for artistic expression and a place to visit. As such, he argued, the arts would translate into economic capital locally, and that which delights and entertains could also serve as part of the economic development of northern Manhattan. He made a call to each audience member present to contribute a grain of sand, to do their part. He said that in the past, in his official capacity as an elected official, he'd chosen to honor institutions and neighbors with plaques or proclamations. Now, he said, he goes to Mike Fitelson, former editor of The Manhattan Times and professional photographer, and buys his photographs of Washington Heights and Inwood, which he offers in recognition.
"If everyone did this," stressed Senator Espaillat, "we would afford a genuine economic incentive to our local artists, as well as a platform to highlight their artistic expression."
Councilmember Rodriguez spoke emotively of how his daughter, of only five years of age, has visited more museums than he has visited in a lifetime.
Moreover, he explained, "Because I understand how important it is that my daughter have these artistic experiences, I am now going to museums all the time."
Rodriguez stressed that NoMAA has worked to instill the same mission and message every day since its foundation: "We are a community of different voices that live from river to river".
Assemblyman Linares reiterated the spirit of the breakfast meeting, and of its members present, as he explained that he would follow up with his legislative colleagues and with Commissioner Levin to ensure that the arts "up here" get a fair share of funding.
Councilman Rodriguez stressed that we must work with this generation so that they become lovers of the arts, and Senator Espaillat hammered home the point that, as a community, we must invest in the arts.
Commissioner Levin told us that her Department invests hundreds of thousands of dollars in our neck of the woods, and that since its founding, NoMAA's development had been followed closely by her office.
It may be that 75 people may not seem like that many people; it may be argued that the arts as a priority cannot strongly compete with so many others such as education and health. It can be said that NoMAA is still in its infancy.
There is some truth, perhaps in part, to these assertions.
But it is also true that, in just four years of work NoMAA has distributed close to $400,000 of their scarce resources in grants for artists and institutions. It is also true that over 500 artists have participated in workshops and discussions sponsored by NoMAA.
And what was also shown at the breakfast is that despite the many battles in which our elected officials and leaders are involved, we do have them in the trenches waving, proudly, the flag of the arts.
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