Notes From the 6 Train: Using Your HART!

So I want to tell you about this super cool art collective doing incredible community based work. As an artist interested in building community, I am still figuring out how to do that in a productive way. HART (Harlem Art Collective), founded by Kristy McCarthy, is providing a framework for me to figure out how to do just that. HART is “a politically conscious and socially active collective of artists who are either based in or have a special connection to Harlem.”

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HART created the Guerrilla Gallery on East 116th Street between Second and Third that avenues accepts art from any East Harlem resident, as long as it’s waterproof. I helped out out a bit at this weekend’s Guerilla Gallery, and below are the results.

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HART also has an East Harlem apartment that offers housing at an affordable rate (read, actually affordable, not just “NYC affordable) and accepts Airbnb in “order to use gentrification in the community’s benefit and that it’s a way for money to come into the neighborhood without having the rents go up.” (Kristy)

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The money made from Airbnb is then uses a portion of the proceeds to fund free art workshops for area residents. Finally, local artists can use the apartment as free studio space &use free art supplies.

If you want to read more about what HART is up to, you can check out these articles at the bottom of this post. You can also send a message to the collective by searching for HART: Harlem Art Collective on Facebook.

All Things Color, Love & Fashion,
Ayanna Lane

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150618/east-harlem/harlem-art-collective-using-gentrification-subsidize-free-art-programs

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2015/06/19/harlem_art_collective_tries_to_better_community_with_airbnb.php

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