To help artists post-pandemic, create
community spaces and affordable homes
COURIER LIFE, APRIL 9-15, 2021 25
EDITORIAL
Another yoke on our neck
For all the talk about “supporting
local journalism,” it appears New
York state government isn’t all
that interested in doing so.
It’s no secret that the journalism
business — the only industry protected
by the Constitution, as John F.
Kennedy once said — is under siege by
a barrage of fi nancial complications
that predate the pandemic itself. At
this point, no company can afford additional
burdens that stand in the way
of producing quality, essential journalism
to keep the public informed.
Yet the state legislature seems
hellbent on throwing another yoke
onto the neck of our oxen with the Extended
Producer Liability Act.
The legislation has an aim that
doesn’t sound so bad on paper: making
product producers responsible for
recycling their products after use. But
if passed, it will have the unintended
consequence of driving another nail
into the local journalism coffi n.
The bill mandates that any company
that produces “product packaging,
plastic wrappers and bottles and
paper products” — such as brochures,
fl yers, catalogs, booklets, telephone directories
and, you guessed it, newspapers
and magazines — bears the fi nancial
burden of paying to have unused or
undistributed materials to be recycled.
For full disclosure: Our company,
Schneps Media, has more than 70 different
newspapers and magazines circulated
across New York City daily, weekly
and monthly. You can imagine the kind
of devastating impact this act would
have should the legislature pass it, and
should the governor sign it into law.
It is utterly ridiculous that newspaper
companies are not exempt from
this law. To say nothing about the
vital services we provide, the journalism
industry already takes great
pains to be eco-friendly.
As Michelle Rea, New York Press
Association president, recently
pointed out, newsprint accounts for
less than 7 percent of all solid waste
in a community. The printing industry
has committed to using more recycled
newsprint in its products, and
the materials themselves — including
non-toxic ink — are biodegradable.
Newspapers should be exempt from
the Extended Producer Liability Act.
The legislation further endangers an
already stressed industry that needs
more relief, not more restrictions, to
deliver the news and essential information
you need every day.
Long Island state Senator Todd
Kaminsky is the main sponsor of the
bill. Reach out to his offi ce by calling
518-455-3401 and let him know that this
bill is bad for New York journalism.
And please call your local representative
and tell them to give your
local newspaper a break!
OP-ED
BY JAMEL GAINES
In my 27 years as a choreographer,
I’ve never seen artists
struggling more than they are
right now. Not only have we
been unable to come together
in person safely to practice,
perform, and do the work we
love — we’ve also been struggling
to pay the bills.
For artists, living with
near-constant economic anxiety
is, unfortunately, nothing
new. When I founded Creative
Outlet back in 1994, I
wanted to create a space in
Fort Greene to uplift young
artists — particularly artists
of color — through education,
performance and cultural programming.
Growing up, I was
lucky enough to participate
in community arts programs
that were truly inclusive. As I
got older and understood just
how rare those opportunities
were, I decided to expand on
these programs and create a
communal creative space that
was truly open to everyone.
Almost two decades later,
forging equity through the
arts is still at the core of what
we do. It’s why Creative Outlet
put together a youth scholarship
training program, why
we help students with college
applications, and why we provide
free mentorship and affordable
opportunities to families
whenever we can. It’s
why when the pandemic hit,
we did whatever it took to keep
our programming going, including
offering free outdoor
classes. I’ve seen fi rsthand
that when artistic resources
are accessible, they have an
amazing ability to bring diverse
communities together.
The need for creative environments
and organizations
like ours still exists — in
some ways, they’re more critical
than ever. Due to the pandemic,
many artists have been
furloughed or laid off, and are
left trying to navigate a job
market as it reinvents itself
to fi t a post-COVID world. To
say our futures are uncertain
would be an understatement.
That’s why I’m thrilled to
be partnering with 840 Atlantic
Ave. to develop a shared space
dedicated to our vibrant community
of local Brooklyn artists.
The almost 8000 squarefoot
area will include a theatre
and rehearsal studios for classes
and workshops that will not
only benefi t nearby creatives,
but will also attract world class
artists. This new cultural performing
arts center will be the
newest training ground to help
young artists achieve their
dreams whether that’s on the
Broadway stage, or beyond.
Importantly, 840 Atlantic
Ave. would be a new home base
for Brooklyn creatives, many
of whom have to commute outside
the borough to fi nd a good
place to practice their craft.
In a city like Brooklyn, this
should never be the case — in
fact, there should be communal
creative spaces like this in
every neighborhood.
We already know that art
and creativity are powerful
tools for healing, and recent
studies show they can really
improve your mental health,
particularly during the pandemic
when mental illness has
seen a giant uptick. Not surprisingly,
access to the arts improves
the well-being and mental
health of low-income people.
A study of NYC neighborhoods
found that cultural resources,
like the arts, were linked to improved
outcomes in health, education,
and overall well-being.
The 840 Atlantic Ave. development
will not only bring
a new arts-driven, community
space to Brooklyn, but also
will provide approximately
95 units of affordable housing.
On top of navigating a pandemic
prompted recession,
artists and working people
are getting pushed out of the
neighborhoods we call home
due to increased prices and a
lack of affordable housing options.
It’s not enough to simply
create a space for artists — we
also need to ensure that artists
can actually afford to live
in these same communities. I
hope this project can be an example
for other developer-nonprofi
t partnerships in Brooklyn
and across the city.
My passion for choreography
has always been woven
with my desire to uplift the African
American experience,
using dance as a medium for
honoring our history and celebrating
our future. This space
will be truly inclusive of all
races, religions, genders and
ethnicities, and dedicated to
artists who want to explore
their own cultures, whatever
they may be.
It’s crucial for arts and culture
organizations like ours to
be included in the development
of Downtown Brooklyn, not
just for this one project but for
the long term planning of our
community. Due to this gentrifi
cation of the Downtown
Brooklyn area, many people
of color, artists and other community
members desperately
need access to affordable housing
and creative spaces to keep
them in their neighborhoods
and build their quality of life.
We are so fortunate to have
this opportunity to partner
with 840 Atlantic Ave., and to
see this project come to fruition
would be one of our biggest
dreams coming true.
Jamel Gaines is the artistic
director and founder of Jamel
Gaines Creative Outlet.