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This is an interesting topic that I've noticed in different cities I've lived/visited but didn't know others had researched it. My hypothesis was that artists

This is an interesting topic that I've noticed in different cities I've lived/visited but didn't know others had researched it. My hypothesis was that artists will go to cheap neighborhoods that are satellites to Gentrified ones (their consumers). With time, they will attract affluent "artsy" people and will slowly gentrified that neighborhood, forcing new artists to move to the next cheap neighborhood close by... This research claims that it is not like this, but it seems that they are using some concept of "commercial art establishments" that might not be representative of the initial inflow of artists (which I imagine would operate more informally). Sadly the research is paywalled for me to confirm.

b59831 2y ago
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mmooss 2y ago
Do artists need to live and prepare their work near their audience? My guesses: Artists making durable physical artwork, such as painters, probably don't. Performing artists maybe can rehearse and train within a work commute of the performance locations (e.g., someone who performs on Broadway doesn't have to live around Times Square - they can do all that in Harlem or Brooklyn, etc.). I'd also guess that they benefit from living within commuting range of their community, including other artists, managers, gallery owners, etc. And I can imagine it's probably good to live in the community, especially for people on their way up, so you can grab a coffee with someone and run into someone else while you're there, and go to the ad hoc jam session upstairs - just like IT people in SV.
- makeitdouble 2y ago
  Artists who can talk to their audience have an easier path to success, and having a lived experience of the customer's environment helps tremendously (even knowing just what fashon is standard in that part of town is useful, wether they follow it or not) There's also the more mundane part of it that makes proximity a big advantage: for a painter asked to decorate a new appartment, the hurddle will be lower if they live 15min from there, can bring anything from their atelier in a quick trip, or show up when the client comes unscheduled to have a quick look. A lot of artists will do smallish commission work to make ends meet.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- creer 2y ago
  It helps to have ongoing foot traffic. But otherwise Open Studio days can drag in customers into artist ghettos from quite a distance, and into neighborhoods were nobody goes.
guywithahat 2y ago
Seems rather bold to assume artsy people have such a draw on rich people. It seems more likely that most artist neighborhoods disappear without notice, or that the rich neighborhood would have grown regardless.
- dakial1 2y ago
  We need proper causation links here, maybe one day we will see a study with it. Until then all we have are theories....

b59831 2y ago

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mmooss 2y ago

Do artists need to live and prepare their work near their audience? My guesses: Artists making durable physical artwork, such as painters, probably don't. Performing artists maybe can rehearse and train within a work commute of the performance locations (e.g., someone who performs on Broadway doesn't have to live around Times Square - they can do all that in Harlem or Brooklyn, etc.). I'd also guess that they benefit from living within commuting range of their community, including other artists, managers, gallery owners, etc. And I can imagine it's probably good to live in the community, especially for people on their way up, so you can grab a coffee with someone and run into someone else while you're there, and go to the ad hoc jam session upstairs - just like IT people in SV.

makeitdouble 2y ago
Artists who can talk to their audience have an easier path to success, and having a lived experience of the customer's environment helps tremendously (even knowing just what fashon is standard in that part of town is useful, wether they follow it or not) There's also the more mundane part of it that makes proximity a big advantage: for a painter asked to decorate a new appartment, the hurddle will be lower if they live 15min from there, can bring anything from their atelier in a quick trip, or show up when the client comes unscheduled to have a quick look. A lot of artists will do smallish commission work to make ends meet.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
creer 2y ago
It helps to have ongoing foot traffic. But otherwise Open Studio days can drag in customers into artist ghettos from quite a distance, and into neighborhoods were nobody goes.

guywithahat 2y ago

Seems rather bold to assume artsy people have such a draw on rich people. It seems more likely that most artist neighborhoods disappear without notice, or that the rich neighborhood would have grown regardless.

dakial1 2y ago
We need proper causation links here, maybe one day we will see a study with it. Until then all we have are theories....