An Artist’s Thoughts on Fighting Back Against Displacement
Following the recent, very sad news of Green Street Studios sudden closing, artist and digboston’s Executive Editor, Jason Pramas, published an opinion piece, Oct. 16, 2019, highlighting the fading reality of what remains of the state’s cultural district in Central Square, Cambridge, MA.
“It joins such recent closings in Central Square—a state designated cultural district—as the Out of the Blue art gallery and Mobius performance art space and the EMF music community and its New Alliance Gallery. Cambridge has also seen the departure of the Deborah Mason School of Dance, Comedy Studio and Bridge Repertory theater company in recent years.” ~ CAMBRIDGE ARTISTS FIGHTING BACK AGAINST DISPLACEMENT
Expressed in the article are three valid points that artists much acknowledge in order to better our chances of reversing the steady economic displacement of our community.
“And the political establishment—seeing no air beneath the arts movement’s proverbial wings—then feels it is free to ignore artists’ entreaties. A good way to forestall such an outcome is for activist artists to make sure that their first order of business is really doing stuff to directly help local neighborhoods and other communities of interest in tangible ways.” ~ CAMBRIDGE ARTISTS FIGHTING BACK AGAINST DISPLACEMENT
Please also see our recent “Statement on the Boston Center for the Arts Studio Program & Green Street Dance Studios” for more detail on the current struggles artists face today.