On Tuesday, January 17, 2017 the Berkeley Arts + Design Initiative, Arts Research Center, the David Brower Center, and Art Practical organized a public lecture to discuss the future of artists in the Bay Area and beyond. The talk discussed how traditionally, artists have flocked to the cities, turning them into engines of creativity. But after the tragic Ghost Ship fire and under a new Trump presidency, what are the prospects for artists and culture in the American city? Is the era of maker culture and place-making giving way to an era of intensified displacement? How might artists, educational institutions, government institution, the non-profit sector, and creative companies respond to the new conditions? What strategies might we use to preserve affordability, diversity, and creativity?
Fantastic Negrito, Musician
Roberto Bedoya, Cultural Affairs Manager, City of Oakland
Jeff Chang, Stanford Institute for Diversity in the Arts
Moy Eng, Executive Director, Community Arts Stabilization Trust
Walter Hood, Founder, Hood Design and Professor of Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning and Urban Design, UC Berkeley
Moderated by Shannon Jackson, Associate Vice Chancellor for the Arts + Design, UC Berkeley.
Watch a video of the talk below:
The talk followed this statement made by Associate Vice Chancellor of Arts + Design, Shannon Jackson.