Maya’s platform, Community Building Through the Arts, reflects her devotion to the intersection of art and community. She endeavors to illuminate the transformative potential of the arts in four crucial areas:
-
Youth Development and Education: Extensive research highlights the positive impact of arts involvement on academic and social outcomes for youth across diverse socio-economic backgrounds and age groups. The arts contribute to higher test scores, improved critical thinking skills, and enhanced emotional regulation.
-
Health and Wellness: Beyond medical settings, the arts have the power to improve individual and community health, alleviating stress, anxiety, and aiding in coping with trauma and disease symptoms. Currently, 45% of medical institutions nationwide incorporate arts programs, primarily to benefit patient recovery.
-
Fostering Neighborhood Vitality: The presence of arts correlates with increased neighborhood livability, community identity, and social inclusion. This fosters community cohesion and serves as a bridge across cultural divides.
-
Economic Opportunity: The arts wield a substantial $5.6 billion impact on the New York-New Jersey metropolitan economy. Thriving arts sectors attract and retain customers for businesses and provide an arts-educated pipeline of workers.
Initiatives
Art Arches will be variations of free community art activations featuring different African American artists and activities inspired by their work. The mock-up showcases a mixed-media art project influenced by Faith Ringgold’s work. Participants will craft self-portraits on fabric squares, which will be assembled into a communal quilt that adorns a large arch.
Throughout her reign, Maya envisions a proactive approach, including facilitating free art workshops for local communities, forging partnerships with organizations to bolster existing programs, and shining a spotlight on the work of local artisans.
