Next Stop...Gentrification Station.

In my earlier post, I wrote about the marginalized early days of street art. The street art of the 80's was synonymous with gritty, less desirable neighborhoods, poverty, gangs and crime. This is significantly different from the social and cultural acceptance street art is currently enjoying.  Street art then was considered vandalism. Ironically, the street art of today is highly recognized and coveted, making the neighborhoods more attractive to the hip, young and affluent.

The street art of today has unfortunately become monetized and inextricably linked to gentrification. 
In the ruthless real estate market of NYC, developers have found a way to capitalize on art. I recently read that a building in Chelsea adorned by a colorful mural by the Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra was estimated to have risen in property value by 15% after the mural was completed. Who would have thought that real estate could be manipulated by a spray can.

Chelsea, NYC 2013 - Photo by Katherine Gomez
Mural by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra.
Estimated to have risen property value of building by as much as 15%

Developers commission known and unknown street artist to create murals on their properties in an effort to attract those with a higher income base as renters or buyers. Remember Mr. Wolkoff?  Guess what will be gracing the concrete walls of his new "community"? You got it! His plans for the 5Pointz Community will include 50,000 sq ft of retail space. So, not only is he thinking of the affluent renter, he is also looking to create a tourist destination.

You may wonder: What exactly is the problem with this? The problem is that we are staging creativity, a faux creative community for the enjoying of the rich, monetizing it and in the process pricing out the long standing residents of these communities including the artists. Artists have the responsibility not to allow developers to use their art as decoration with the sole intent of creating visually stimulating spaces for the affluent. Artists need to be cognizant not to obliterate the history of the community but embrace it, and if possible, use it as inspiration for the art work. We can't continue to promote the "Columbus syndrome," these communities have been there all along, thriving or not, but with people who have stories to tell.