Council Members

The Westbeth Artists Residents Council

Elected by the resident artists of Westbeth Artists Housing, the Westbeth Artists Residents Council is dedicated to exhibiting and promoting the work of the painters, poets, dancers, writers, musicians, choreographers, filmmakers, directors, actors, printmakers, sculptors who reside at Westbeth Artists Housing – home to the arts.

The Council sponsors free poetry and literary readings, theatrical performances, dance concerts, music festivals, film screenings, artist’s talks, in the Westbeth Community Room and exhibits the work of resident and guest artists in the Westbeth Gallery.

The Westbeth Artists Residents’ Council believes that the life of a city and the persistence of the arts depend on the accessibility of affordable housing and work studios for artists, as well as access to performance and exhibition space to show their work.

The Council is one of the sponsors of the annual WESTBETH MUSIC FESTIVAL in the Fall, and the annual WESTFEST dance events in the Spring.

The Council also functions as a tenants association and works with management and the Board of Directors of Westbeth to address issues of concern to the residents. The Council is also involved in larger community issues. In particular it works closely with the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation with regard to preserving the historic character of the West Village neighborhood, and zoning issues.

To broaden the audience for its artistic endeavors, the Council works with such institutions as Whitney Musuem – a future neighbor, the PEN Literary organization, and others.

The work of the Council is supported by grants from the NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs, the NYC Dept of Youth Services, and community cultural grants from City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s office, and State Senator Thomas Duane’s office. The Council also received a Pollack Krasner grant for its efforts in featuring Westbeth artists on the internet.