The East Hampton Arts Council was founded in June of 2013 to advise the Town of East Hampton on issues concerning the arts, as well as help foster education and business opportunities for the local creative community that are so integral to our character as a center of historic and cultural heritage.
The town of East Hampton holds a unique place in art and cultural history. It is here that multiple generations of historically significant and internationally recognized artists have worked and called home. Many are drawn to East Hampton because of its natural beauty, unique light and proximity to New York City - factors that provide an ideal environment for creativity.
While the arts community is thriving and contributing financially to the local economy, venues for performance, exhibition and education are scarce, expensive to secure and generally out of financial reach for most artists. With property values so high, it is very difficult for the creative community to foster and maintain venues dedicated to the arts that serve the local population.
In recent years, funding for the arts has been drastically cut. With little public financial support, the creative community has struggled to find affordable work, exhibition and performance space. It is our belief that the demographics of East Hampton support this project. The year-round population of East Hampton is approximately 22,000 people, with a summer population growing to over 70,000. With schools cutting back on arts programming, we believe that independent groups need to step in to bridge the gap.
While the arts community is thriving and contributing financially to the local economy, venues for performance, exhibition and education are scarce, expensive to secure and generally out of financial reach for most artists. With property values so high, it is very difficult for the creative community to foster and maintain venues dedicated to the arts that serve the local population.
In recent years, funding for the arts has been drastically cut. With little public financial support, the creative community has struggled to find affordable work, exhibition and performance space. It is our belief that the demographics of East Hampton support this project. The year-round population of East Hampton is approximately 22,000 people, with a summer population growing to over 70,000. With schools cutting back on arts programming, we believe that independent groups need to step in to bridge the gap.