Featured Member Project

Featured Member

The Bronx Culture Trolley, a project of the South Bronx Cultural Corridor, provides free access to area arts attractions. Photo courtesy of Bronx Council on the Arts.

Just over the river from Harlem and a few blocks from Yankee Stadium, Grand Concourse serves as a main street for residents of the South Bronx. Over the years, galleries, art centers, and theaters have sprung up, lining the thoroughfare and the surrounding neighborhood. When Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA) initiated strategic plan for creative economic development a few years ago, the area, with a core of arts-related businesses already in place, was a natural fit for becoming the heart of the plan; the South Bronx Cultural Corridor was born. This “Gateway to the New Bronx” was designed to be a catalyst for fostering creativity through a network of community support, maintaining a strong creative presence in the neighborhood, and branding the neighborhood with cultural vibrancy for both residents and visitors.

A key strength of the South Bronx Cultural Corridor has been the involvement of residents and local businesses from the beginning. A survey of neighborhood residents, artists, and professionals found that an important element to bolstering the local economy was to engage the community by identifying creative potential and branding local assets. When the plan was put into action, several steps were taken to accomplish this, including job-training programs, and partnerships with local businesses and financial institutions.

Other local, for-profit businesses recognized the impact a revitalized creative economy could have and were eager to get involved in the project by giving support or forming partnerships with arts organizations along the corridor. Several Bronx employers have also begun offering employees the Bronx Cultural Card, which provides discount access to cultural institutions and events. BCA members, arts volunteers, and area students also receive the Bronx Cultural Card free of charge.

In addition to residents and local businesses, BCA fostered the presence of artists and artisans, integral to the neighborhood, through business-skills training, financial assistance, and a local network of support. The South Bronx Cultural Corridor has successfully bolstered small business activity; encouraged the professional capacity of artists; engaged residents in the cultural life of the neighborhood; and promoted the area within the borough, the greater city, and beyond.