Time and space limited : community art and neighborhood development in Hudson, New York

Abstract

Facing disinvestment and unemployment, many places look to culture-based strategies for revitalization. Traditional models of culture-based community revitalization, however, have been criticized for contributing to gentrification, social polarization, and cultural discrimination. Communities seeking to avoid the contradictions of market oriented culture-based revitalization strategies can look to the efforts of community based organizations for models of how culture and the arts can contribute to revitalization without being limited to defining the benefits of their efforts solely in economic terms. In this thesis, I describe the efforts of one arts organization, Time & Space Limited (TSL), as an example of this process. Through an in-depth case study, I describe the role of TSL, a community-based arts organization, in creating an alternative strategy for community revitalization through the arts in Hudson, New York.