arts, culture & neighborhood change
Camden Storefront Arts Project
Organization: Walt Whitman Arts Center
Issue Addressed: Neighborhood Revitalization
Location: North Camden, NJ


Nestled at the northwestern corner of the city, just adjacent to the Delaware River and covering approximately a ten block area, is a neighborhood of about 1,000 or so families that is facing a particularly intense level of new development.  An area of mostly poor Latino families with school-aged children and elderly African Americans, the neighborhood boasts two of the city's larger K through 8th elementary schools, an unusually high number of rooming houses and abandoned housing, and the Riverfront State Prison. Recently, maneuvering has begun between the state and a multi-national oil company to take the small island located just a few hundred yards off the river's edge of this neighborhood to make it either a haven for luxury homes with a golf course, or a nature preserve.  Either scenario for the island will have a lasting and potential harmful impact for this neighborhood.

For the last five years, the Walt Whitman Arts Center has worked with North Camden Land Trust and other community organizers in this neighborhood to develop programs and services around the arts that are relevant to this community's needs and are reflective of the diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the residents that live there. 
While no written plan(s) have been officially approved by the city's Redevelopment Authority or Planning Board, local activists and long-time residents are bracing for a multi-million dollar rehab or re-build of both of the local schools, the complete removal of the state prison for a gated luxury waterfront home development, the building of 18 new units of housing for special needs adults and the city's first community arts center sponsored by the Walt Whitman Arts Center's Storefronts Arts Project. 
The Walt Whitman Arts Center is working to develop a program that uses public market planning, grass roots organizing and incubator resources to strengthen and empower a neighborhood in Camden, New Jersey threatened by neglect and fear in the face of sweeping change. 
Nuts and Bolts:
- The Walt Whitman Arts Center established key partnerships with the North Camden Land Trust as well as informal and formal institutional and community partners.  Their credibility and stature in the community have made stake-holders-both hard-scrabbled and well-heeled-- take notice. 
- Phase I:  1) coordinate in partnership with Camden Area Health Education Collaborative to expand the city's only community market into a vibrant public market featuring not only fresh food products and health initiatives, but also live concerts, art exhibits, and unique and beautiful handmade items created by area residents; and 2) hire a neighborhood coordinator who will work with artists, activists, community organizations and politicians to develop a collaborative work plan around:  building real community dialogue and input on development projects targeted for a  specific area; creating entrepreneurial training for neighborhood residents in collaboration with the expanded public market; and preparing incubator resources for fledgling organizers with neighborhoods. 
- Phase II:  Implement said plan with the according resources to coincide with the completion of the city's first community arts center which will act as a hub site for much of this work. 
Successes:
- Thus far, greater unity amongst various groups and greater interest in Camden's revitalization has grown
Keys to Success:
- Strong community buy-in and trust in their own ability to carry out their plan
- Transparency in the process of organizing and planning
- Committed staff who will work to complete our assigned tasks in a timely manner and with integrity
- Careful manipulation of the media and political stakeholders for the empowerment of the neighborhood for the long-term
- Hiring full-time neighborhood organizer to assist in coordinating resources and partnerships

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