The Cultural Assets Map (CAM) is an ambitious new initiative that will provide a comprehensive resource for cultural advocacy throughout the borough. Through CAM, Bronx Council On The Arts (BAC) is creating interactive, GIS-based maps that combine tangible information – such as demographics, population density, pending real estate development applications, and the locations of artists’ studios, community gardens and cultural institutions – with intangible cultural assets such as historic community portraits and oral histories.
Our CAM work is proceeding in three phases: the Public Commons began in 2018, in which we held community conversations and a roundtable where we reached out to diverse local groups, including those engaged in similar work. The Data Collection phase began in the summer of 2019, headed by Bronx Institute of Urban Systems (BIUS), retrieving information from public databases and partnering with local artists, individuals, and organizations to gain local and culturally specific data. The final Maps and Reports phase will be the most ambitious – a website with two interactive GIS maps that overlay all the information in a user-friendly format.
Cultural mapping is increasingly recognized as a strategy for building strong communities and increasing community engagement. Know of an important cultural resource that should be included, or an oral history that should be collected? Let us know!
During Phase One; the Map will feature cultural assets within Community Boards 1, 2, 4, 9, and 10. In the future, as more resources become available, BCA will expand the Map’s scope to gradually include additional boroughs.
To fill out the survey for organizations, please visit here. Alternatively, the survey for individual artists is available here.
About Bronx Council On The Arts
Founded by visionary community leaders in 1962, the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA) is dedicated to advancing cultural equity in Bronx. From creative placemaking and arts advocacy to the provision of services for artists and arts organizations, as well as programming for children and seniors, BCA was the first organization in Bronx to focus equally on supporting local artists, serving the community, and catalyzing relationships between the two.
Since its founding, BCA has focused on the work of underrepresented groups, especially artists of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ community. We provide direct services to over 1,000 artists and 250 community-based arts groups each year, and thanks to our granting programs, we are able to touch the lives of over thousands of audience members.
For the original article, click here
Our CAM work is proceeding in three phases: the Public Commons began in 2018, in which we held community conversations and a roundtable where we reached out to diverse local groups, including those engaged in similar work. The Data Collection phase began in the summer of 2019, headed by Bronx Institute of Urban Systems (BIUS), retrieving information from public databases and partnering with local artists, individuals, and organizations to gain local and culturally specific data. The final Maps and Reports phase will be the most ambitious – a website with two interactive GIS maps that overlay all the information in a user-friendly format.
Cultural mapping is increasingly recognized as a strategy for building strong communities and increasing community engagement. Know of an important cultural resource that should be included, or an oral history that should be collected? Let us know!
During Phase One; the Map will feature cultural assets within Community Boards 1, 2, 4, 9, and 10. In the future, as more resources become available, BCA will expand the Map’s scope to gradually include additional boroughs.
To fill out the survey for organizations, please visit here. Alternatively, the survey for individual artists is available here.
About Bronx Council On The Arts
Founded by visionary community leaders in 1962, the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA) is dedicated to advancing cultural equity in Bronx. From creative placemaking and arts advocacy to the provision of services for artists and arts organizations, as well as programming for children and seniors, BCA was the first organization in Bronx to focus equally on supporting local artists, serving the community, and catalyzing relationships between the two.
Since its founding, BCA has focused on the work of underrepresented groups, especially artists of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ community. We provide direct services to over 1,000 artists and 250 community-based arts groups each year, and thanks to our granting programs, we are able to touch the lives of over thousands of audience members.
For the original article, click here
