Harlem Biennale

A recent conference of government leaders in Rome on “Culture, The Economic Engine of the 21st Century”, concluded that sustained investment in the arts returns $15 for every $1 spent, creates 7 jobs for every $1 spent, and generates $22 of private investments for every $1 spent. At the same time Bill Gates is advising that corporations hire more artists. Meanwhile in Upper Manhattan the arts, and arts education, have been chronically under-funded, and limited to a few established institutions, leaving our youth at a lifelong disadvantage for these growth sectors, business opportunities and future jobs. The Harlem Biennale is to take place every two years from March to June, starting in 2010. During this period local, national, and international artists will present contemporary art (visual, theater, dance and multidisciplinary) including indoor and outdoor exhibitions, site-specific installations, performances and educational seminars, in public and private spaces, historic buildings and new developments, museums and cultural institutions, street-corners, parks and unutilized land, throughout Harlem. The Harlem Biennale will act as a catalyst for the new Harlem Renaissance and the city’s zoning plans for 125th Street, bringing money to be spent in Harlem and Upper Manhattan through cultural tourism, private-public partnerships, and private investment. The project includes a year-round educational component, placing established artists to work with students in the area’s public schools. The event creates collaborations and economic affiliations between local and international institutions. It connects Harlem to a global circuit of arts biennales and brings attention to Upper Manhattan at a scale never seen before. The Harlem Biennale will create between 5-100 local jobs sustainable throughout each edition of the event.