News & Events
9/11 and the New York Art Scene
In May, City Tech’s Department of Social Science hosted a presentation by Julia Rothenberg on “The Impact of 9/11 on New York City’s Art World.” Her presentation was based on research she conducted as part of a larger Sage Foundation project on how September 11 affected different aspects of life in the city.
Rothenberg’s research confirms that the events of September 11 had the effect of reinforcing many changes in the status of local artists that began long before that tragic day three years ago. For example, while New York City’s artists and art institutions play a key role in attracting visitors from all over the globe and in retaining its status as the financial and corporate epicenter of the world, this contribution far outweighs any financial support for the arts the city provides.
Despite their enormous contribution to New York’s status as a major world cultural center, Rothenberg’s research confirms that most artists reap little or no financial reward from those contributions. Most make very little money from their artistic endeavors, and often are forced to take low- to moderate-paying jobs to support themselves and the continuation of their artistic labors. Indeed, the glamour of the city’s artistic world masks a hierarchical structure in which a small minority thrives both financially and in terms of public recognition, while the vast majority finds itself perpetually in a financially precarious position.
The precarious position of most artists is amplified by the city’s ongoing process of gentrification, according to Rothenberg, and the real estate industry is another sector of New York’s economy that has profited greatly from their work. Formerly inexpensive neighborhoods like Manhattan’s Soho and East Village as well as DUMBO in Brooklyn, which attracted artists because of the low rents, eventually became trendy by virtue of their presence and that of the small galleries and shops that opened to showcase their work. In time, such artsy neighborhoods became the place to live for high-paid professionals with the financial resources to drive rents up and artists out.
Citywide, the more successful artists and blue-chip galleries were less adversely affected by September 11 than were the majority of struggling artists, who suffered even more as a result of the severe economic slowdown that followed. The loss of jobs and continuing escalation of rents and real estate prices make their position even more tenuous, increasing the risk that New York City will find its ability to attract artists and the benefits they bring to its economy further diminished.
Julia Rothenberg has studied painting at the Art Institute of
Chicago and at Queens College, and is currently completing her
dissertation on the sociology of art at The City University of
New York Graduate Center. She has taught at several institutions,
including the Art Institute of Chicago, Wesleyan University and
a number of CUNY colleges.
