Leveraging Arts as an Economic Driver
Driving along St. Claude Ave. in Arabi near the parish line about six years ago, it would have taken a lot to imagine the stretch as a hub for arts and culture. An old theater, pawn shop, and industrial supply store each sat vacant and surrounded by empty lots.
Thankfully, with the support of local artists, the Meraux Foundation had the vision to see an opportunity – and the drive to seize it.
The area, a main point of entry into St. Bernard Parish, lies within the state-certified Old Arabi Cultural District, which offers incentives for artists.
“We wanted to help ignite the development of the Cultural District,” said Rita Gue, the president of the Meraux Foundation. “The nearby Bywater neighborhood in New Orleans had been flourishing and spaces were filling up and at a premium. Arabi was positioned to welcome artists looking for galleries and studio spaces. We saw the opportunity to assemble properties and create the critical mass needed to establish an anchor for the Cultural District – and the overall creative economy in St. Bernard Parish.”
Since then, the private family foundation has invested millions of dollars to develop a two-block stretch of vacant and underused properties into an “arts campus” that includes studios, galleries, a theater, and an arts park. Today, St. Claude Arts is packed with artists and bustling with activity.
A Creative Placemaking Model
When conceptualizing St. Claude Arts, the Meraux Foundation looked to national best practices and nearby success stories as well as borrowed from creative placemaking approaches. In 2017, Board Member Bill Haines and others from St. Bernard Parish government and economic development traveled to Arnaudville, La. for a creative placemaking workshop. In the rural town of a little over 1,000 people, artists created a collective that revitalized an area that had suffered from significant decline.
“I thought, ‘we can do this too,’” said Haines referring to the Meraux Foundation’s ability to revitalize the area in St. Bernard, which hadn’t fully rebounded since Hurricane Katrina.
Placemaking is an intentional, collaborative effort to build the character of a place. Creative placemaking employs arts, culture, and creativity to transform a community in a way that builds character, identity, and a sense of place. There are many approaches to creative placemaking, including cultural districts, creative industry clusters, mixed-use development, and public art.
“A growing body of evidence shows that fostering creative activity is an effective way to invigorate communities. And we’ve seen it firsthand since we began work on St. Claude Arts. The area is blossoming with new stores, shops, restaurants, and cultural venues,” he said.
Arts Park is Latest Addition
Over the years, St. Claude Arts has grown and evolved. Its anchor property houses 12 studios that provide workspace to artists as well as a storefront and galleries. The old pawn shop is now the home to Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, which relocated to the space in 2019 and is celebrating its 36th anniversary this year. In what was once the Arabi Theatre, Art Conscious provides art consulting, fine art printing, and picture framing.
The latest addition to the campus is the St. Claude Arts Park. The outdoor venue nestled between Art Conscious and Zeitgeist provides a stage, amenities, and space for performances, arts markets, and other events that support the cultural economy in St. Bernard Parish. The Meraux Foundation tapped the nonprofit Zeitgeist to program the space and leverage it to raise funds. More information can be found at stclaudearts.org.
Murals Connect the Campus
To beautify and visually connect the collection of its buildings along St. Claude Ave., the Meraux Foundation sponsored a series of murals. It partnered with the NOLA Mural Project to identify the artists and manage the project, which continues to grow with the addition of new murals.
