ARTSY WESTSIDE--SYNERGY TAKING OVER?
There's a good article in the Daily Pilot about the Westside that's worth reading. LINK.
Many of us have been working for years to prime the pump that will allow a large part of the Westside to become a real artists colony. Maybe it's starting to happen. We hope so.
There have always been artists on the Westside. Some of the first improvers are working artists. Even the mayor has an arts background.
Maybe now the critical mass of artists moving to the area is reaching the point where a synergy will be created that will make things change even faster.
As one who was acting in New York in and around Greenwich Village, the East Village and SoHo (which is mentioned in the DP article) before SoHo was known as SoHo, I've long felt that the Westside has the natural potential to become a real artists colony that will be a benefit to those living there and in all other parts of Costa Mesa as well.
Is there anything missing on the Westside that might nudge things forward even more?
Well, one thing that might help would be an arts oriented college.
And specifically an urban arts oriented college; a college with the streets of the Westside as its campus. A college with classes in industrial buildings and storefronts.
Nothing can pump youthful energy into an area faster than a college.
Maybe the folks at UCI or even OCC could be talked into renting or buying space on the Westside or in Triangle Square for some satellite classes.
Put enough students in the area, and stores and cafes catering to their needs will soon follow and with them the area will start blossoming.
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Those are our thoughts. Thanks for reading them.
