The Cost of Culture and Selling Out: Artists and Gentrification

Normadic Julien via unsplash.com

If you were to ask any long-time Bay Area residents about the history of their city, they would more than likely tell you a story about community and art. From San Francisco’s vibrantly colored neighborhoods that line the hills, to the blooming murals that decorate every side of Oakland, to Berkeley’s numerous museums that feature both local and international talent, the Bay Area is a hotspot for creative expression. This is also particularly true for communities of color, who rooted themselves in the landscape generations ago. Unfortunately, however, it is these long-standing families and artists who face the brunt of rising gentrification. According to a Bay Area study from Urban Displacement Project, “the arts have also been linked to gentrification, or an abrupt rise in land values, which may make it difficult for current residents and businesses to stay.” Taking a trip across any Bay Area city would demonstrate that gentrification means more than a changing landscape; it’s an indication of a changing economy, political direction, and a shift in demographics. As the infamous saying goes, life mimics art and vice versa - these rapid developments force artists to sacrifice their originality and adhere to new standards, a pressure that threatens the very intent of art itself.

How are local communities coping? Bay Area Creative’s teaching artist, Jamar “Jammer,” explains how “the East Bay Center for Performing Arts has naturally evolved over time… however, the community has become even more disenfranchised with the removal of art programs from schools and other centers due to reduced funding.” As a lead choreographer with an extensive dancing history, he understands the importance of creative resources as an outlet for everyone. Unfortunately, however, as money is reallocated to support the influx of corporate companies being established in the Bay Area, it drains the reserves for many nonprofits. Property values rise, and more affluent individuals move to the area, directly impacting those who cultivated the city’s culture to begin with. “Art is vital because it inspires young people to be creative,” Jammer continues. “It should be more accessible, but the current administration is losing touch with the importance of the arts, as seen in the lack of funding and overall support.” Culture cannot be defined without the richness of music, dance, spoken word, paintings, etc. In the midst of reduced resources and finances, artists continue to stay - but in order to do so, they must adapt to new standards of changing clientele.

"Art is vital because it inspires young people to be creative. It should be more accessible, but the current administration is losing touch with the importance of arts..."

At some point in their journeys, professional artists will encounter the pressure to compromise artistic vision to make a living. Local muralist and Bay Area Creative teaching artist, Chris, shares his own experience: “My artistic vision goes beyond what their limitations have placed. Paid commission murals with fewer limitations would cost less and look better, but the pressure to compromise within limitations adds to making a living.” Having grown up in New York, vibrant city energy is a major source of inspiration for Chris. His creative expression was shaped by the bustle of streets, the towering of buildings, local corner stores, and cultures from all over the globe that have come to converge in one place. His art is not only a symbol of where he was raised, but also of what shaped him - it is a pillar to his identity. The visual and residential changes brought on by gentrification, however, are demanding artists adhere to a new vision - which, oftentimes, is not their own. As Chis puts it, “living to make art…Price tag is part of the art, and that’s the way things go.” 

Gentrification goes beyond property value, as it reconstructs the physical and cultural foundations of a city. The reworking of infrastructure in the Bay Area has taken communities by storm, draining the funding from enrichment programs that power art, togetherness, and expression - all of which act as both the underbelly and backbone of the Bay. Nevertheless, its people and art persist, squeezing themselves into new (and sometimes painful) positions in order to fit. Life mimics art - and vice versa. Springing to life in various forms, whether it be streaked in paint or forged by fire, art and the people who create it refuse to be snuffed out. Because that’s what art does; it keeps us human, even when circumstances treat us otherwise.