Building Creative Capacity One Community at a Time
Inaugurating the Robeson in Peekskill Project: "Here I Stand" - The 75th Anniversary commemoration of the Peekskill Riots & Musical Tribute to Paul Robeson
Living Artist Society uses arts-based programs to promote cultural exchange and to cultivate the creative capacity of communities to achieve positive social and economic impact.
The Society administers arts related community development projects from feasibility to implementation. In the course of this work, the Society offers strategic planning, administrative support, and other business resources to Arts and Culture professionals to support the project and to ensure ongoing sustainability after the project is complete.
Our immediate goal is to shepherd a project in Sleepy Hollow, NY to acquire and transform a former Strand Theatre (circa 1914) into a Community Arts and Culture Center to open by the Fall of 2025. Partnering with local arts groups in need of affordable space, Living Artist Society put together a proposal that was selected by the Village as a priority project recommended for funding through the NY Forward/Downtown Revitalization Initiative. In addition to managing the project, the Society will stay in place as a partner in the operations of the Center providing business performance monitoring and data analysis to support marketing and audience development.
Robeson in Peekskill is a project in Cortlandt Manor, NY that promotes the legacy of artist-civil rights activist Paul Robeson. Living Artist Society is organizing a musical program to celebrate Robeson’s contributions and commemorate the 75th anniversary of events surrounding Robeson’s 1949 Concert just outside Peekskill on picnic grounds in Town of Cortlandt (aka the “Peekskill Riots”). Proceeds from this event will be used to establish a scholarship fund to inspire and support students pursuing multi-disciplinary careers in social justice.
The Society’s long-term goal is to promote the integration of arts and culture into the community development processes and amplify the impact of Arts & Culture professionals throughout New York’s Lower Hudson Valley.
