The Artist-Developer: Art-Centered Developments in Three Neighborhoods of Color

Across the country, organizations centered around arts, led by resident African American artists, have reinforced communities, strengthened social bonds, and preserved culture in historically African-American neighborhoods. Aisha Densmore-Bey, a Meyer Dissertation Fellow who received her Doctorate in Design from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2023, will discuss her dissertation, which examined work done by:

• Mark Bradford, co-founder of Art + Practice, a non-profit based in South Los Angeles’ Leimert Park neighborhood that works with social service providers to support transition-age foster youth, and children experiencing displacement. The organization also provides Angelenos with free access to museum-curated contemporary art;
• Theaster Gates, founder and leader of the Rebuild Foundation, an artist-led, community-based platform for art, cultural development, and neighborhood transformation on the South Side of Chicago; and
• Rick Lowe, co-founder of Project Row Houses, an arts and cultural community organization located in Houston’s Historic Third Ward, one of the city’s oldest African-American neighborhoods that uses engagement, art, and direct action to empower people and enrich communities.

Watch the video:

Photo by Peter Molick, courtesy of Project Row Houses