This fall we are in the midst of mayoral election campaigns in both of our cities (New York & Boston). Considering how deeply we believe that healthy arts ecologies are essential to healthy urban environments and vice versa, these elections are of critical importance to the arts communities of both cities. It is noteworthy how a greater integration of political ‘savvy’, activism and influence is not only benefitting the arts sector in many neighborhoods but exerting a greater arts profile and presence overall.

In Boston, the collective action of the arts community took a big step forward with MASSCreative’s Create the Vote campaign (http://www.mass-creative.org/).

In New York strong and active arts service organizations (including A.R.T./New York) have advocated for the arts community’s interests through coordinated information networks and advocacy around elections and on arts-related issues for many years.   Adding strength to these efforts in recent years are arts leaders and entities exerting greater political activism on the local level around issues of neighborhood economic development, revitalization, streetscape design and improvements, education and public space. Sheila Lewandowski/Chocolate Factory Theater, Taryn Sacramone/Queens Theatre (formerly at Astoria Performing Arts Center), Charles Rice Gonzalez/BAAD, Dick Zigun/Coney Island USA, David Pincus/WorkShop Theater Company and Tamara Greenfield/Fourth Arts Block (FAB), among others, have all exerted strong influence with borough presidents, local representatives and community boards finding and integrating shared arts, community and political interests that bring the arts to ‘the table’ as partners to address many important issues.

Read more about the politics behind the transformation of East 4^th Street at FAB’s website (http://fabnyc.org/about.php) or the Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts NY (NOCD-NY)’s policy recommendations for electeds and agencies at:

http://nocdny.org/policy-priorities/. Also, check out the League of Independent Theater and their work on the current election http://litny.org/.

What will truly indicate our emerging influence? The number ‘arts voters’ on November 7^th.