On September 21, 2006 The Harlem Stage at the Gatehouse sponsored a community forum about the artistic and cultural changes taking place in Harlem. Visioning Harlem: Art, Culture, Place discussed the role that art plays in the future of Harlem. The event was moderated by Leonard Lopate who is a radio personality on WNYC. The panel included Bill T. Jones, co-founder of the Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Dance Company that is reportedly moving into Harlem.
Other panelists included the Reverend Calvin O. Butts, III, Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church; Kate D. Levin, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; and Max Bond an architect and the co-founder of Bond Ryder Associates, a Harlem-based firm that specializes in urban building. Patricia Cruz, executive director introduced the moderator then a lively discussion ensued.
Highlights of the panel discussion included a question which was directed at Reverend Butts concerning how much of Abyssinian’s resources are being invested in the arts. Reverend Butts responded by saying that cultural investment is one the “most elusive” in the Harlem community.
Building venues and encouraging money is hard to find.
Reverend Butts believes that some of the blame falls on the artists themselves since “artists are reluctant to bow down to the money.”
As an artist, Bill T. Jones envisions Harlem as the permanent home for his dance company. He wants it to be along the 125th Street corridor and part of the community. Jones thinks that he can “break the rules of high art and low art in Harlemoffering seminars and extending partnerships with other artistic venues in the area such as the Apollo. In his opinion,
Harlem is “the cultural capital of Black America” and a “cosmopolitan piece of real estate.”
When it came to the question of gentrification, Reverend Butts held no punches about his feelings. He definded gentrification as a neighborhood that is being “invaded by white people [thereby] creating a flavorless neighborhood.” The moderator then asked, “Vanilla isn’t a flavor?” The crowd chuckled nervously as Reverend Butts hesitantly searched for his answer. Finally he responded, “no,” that we “lose the organic sense of culture form the roots.” He considers Showman’s, The Apollo, St. Nick’s Pub and Lonnie Youngblood, the hip hop generation to be examples of organic artists. Jones refuted that the notion of “cosmopolitan” is more if not equally as important as being organic.
The event was attended by many neighborhood notables, as well as every day citizens. Among those in attendance, Barbara Ann Teer, Founder of the National Black Theatre; Andi Owens, Director of The Genesis II International Museum of Black Culture; Savona Bailey McClaine, Executive Director of the West Harlem Art Fund; and actor Roger Guenveur Smith who will be starring in Who Killed Bob Marley at the Gatehouse from October 24-28.
Posted on October 4, 2006 by D. Bell