SoHo Arts Council

Political activists form the SoHo Arts Council, Inc., for the specific purposes of protecting the Art and Cultural essence predominantly of the area known as SoHo. The many influences of commercial and residential development in SoHo owe their financial success directly to artists and the work that has been internationally recognized. While there has been commercial success in SoHo especially in the real estate business and in commercial development, little has been given back to the arts and artists. In fact, the success of the international interest has done a great deal to force out the very people and influences that created this artistic influence and desirability as a place to live and work.

As a result, where there were local shops and artists living in working loft spaces, there are now luxury clothiers and $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 living lofts for sale. The remnants of original art and artists are hard to find and the quality of life issues have been denigrated.

Where there were street sculptures, there is now a token park that is a port for the homeless. Where there were wall paintings, there is a car wash that allows the paintings to deteriorate. Where there was SoHo architecture, there are horrendous billboards.

While the City of New York has neither the will or interest in protecting SoHo's artistic heritage, the SoHo Arts Council has evolved into an organization which has also become engaged in supporting a more pernicious struggle -- that of the protection and support of Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press. In our embattled Democracy, mainstream publications, independent writers and independent bloggers have more and more been threatened by economic devastation as well as legal and political attacks. Publications, for example, have been threatened by financial losses due to the evaporation of advertising revenue and Internet competition. In some cases, newspapers which purportedly reports the news, have become puppets of their political and economic masters. This has created a media that resembles little more than propaganda machines. Bloggers have, by default, become the new voices of Democracy since they often work for nothing and have their "ears to the ground" -- while they are often the subject of litigation and law enforcement action. It is not only in North Korea and Iran that journalists are threatened and imprisoned. In America, pressure to silence opposing views come in many forms. Law enforcement may endlessly investigate in order to intimidate and may use cooperative "friendly" mainstream media to discredit and pressure journalists or bloggers to cease their criticism. While independent writers and journalists are not treated with the extreme methods of totalitarian states, any attempt to hinder the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution are a grave error.

The SoHo Arts Council supports the independent democratic foundations of artists' and writer's rights to express themselves, as well as the absolute right of journalists and bloggers to report and present their opinions in furthering the right of publishers and independent writers and artists to disseminate their views. Acting as a clearing house for our freedoms, The SoHo Arts Council is an important organization for creative artists and writers.