New Downtown Arts Program Spotlights, Diversity, Community Input

Arts are essential to creating a thriving downtown.

That's the driving force behind a new program, "Jump Start," the East End Arts Executive Director Pat Snyder pitched to the Riverhead town board at their Thursday work session.

The program, which is all about "creative place making," Snyder said, would be funded by grants and help revitalization efforts in downtown Riverhead.

"Art means business," she said.

The public art project would gather local artists and train them to "use their voice" to strengthen revitalization efforts.

The goal, she said, is to make the arts available to people of all income levels, where all can thrive in one central place.

"This is really important for Riverhead," Snyder said. "We need to engage the entire community."

The project creates interesting places downtown where people would want to linger.

Snyder showed examples from other parts of the country, including Dance Spot Boston, where sidewalks are painted with dance steps and outdoor spaces are transformed into public dance floors, where passerby can join in the fun.

In Philadelphia, pianos were set up outdoors for the public to play; and in New York City, people were able to step up and conduct impromptu orchestras with Carnegie Hall musicians. 

The idea, Snyder said, is to make art accessible to anyone in the downtown area by creating unique and engaging spaces where they can join in.

The Jump Start program, she said, would be open to artists of any discipline; those involved must be committed to creating public art. Artists will engage in six sessions that begin in March, with topics including legal matters for artists, making a living as an artist, marketing and social networking, fundraising and proposal writing, and public presentation.

Part of the requirements for artists participating in the program is that the launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds.; artists will receive help with this at the Calverton Business Incubator, with Monique Goblenz, director.

Artists would also have to speak about the project to the town board and the Business Improvement District; they will have to identify a place in Riverhead where they'd like to do their presentation and they'd be responsible for reaching out to that landlord or manager of the space for approval.

Earlier in the year, artist Andrea Cote installed her "Eyes on Main Street" exhibit downtown, Snyder said; she discussed her project with the town board first.

The Jump Start exhibit is slated to take place between Aug. 23 and Sept. 7.

Funding from the Long Island Community Foundation, as well as a grant from Suffolk County Destination for $25,000 will be sought, Snyder said; additional grant funding will be applied for through the New York State Council on the Arts.