INTRODUCTION

This study explores the development of an art movement in the small, Black Belt town of York, Alabama, located on the far Western edge of the state. Like many towns in the Black Belt, York has experienced declining population rates, jobs, and resources in recent decades. York’s young people continue to pursue better opportunities elsewhere, industries continue to pass it by, and poverty rates continue to climb. Once a booming railroad town and the hub of the county, York has seen its downtown shops close one by one with nothing to replace them, leaving the main street full of boarded up stores and empty of people.

York residents, however, have not given up on their town. Many in York recognize the limitations of traditional economic strategies based on attracting industry, more mobile than ever before in a global economy. Residents have witnessed firsthand the departure of longtime manufacturers and the resulting loss of jobs and a stable economy. Many in York have thus turned their focus toward creating a new economy by building on the assets they do have: a pastoral setting, a 25-year-old art center, downtown art galleries, and dedicated citizens.

In the past few years, York has breathed new life into its art scene through new directors, new artists in residence, and new galleries on the main street. York residents visualize the town as an arts destination for visitors seeking a unique experience in a rural setting. They hope to increase works of art in the community and the artists in residence program in order to transform their town into an arts haven. York has created a monthly festival to attract tourists on day trips, beautified its main street, and opened new restaurants and shops.

The art movement in York is one example of rural tourism, a strategy implemented by some rural communities attempting to thrive in a new economy. The past fifty years have brought a decline in agriculture, the departure of manufacturing, and the rise of a new economy based on knowledge and innovation to rural communities. In a globalized world, other places now offer cheaper labor, lax environmental regulations, and a more skilled and plentiful workforce, forcing American communities to pursue new strategies to remain viable. This is especially true for rural communities, who are often unable to benefit from technical infrastructure and opportunities available in urban areas.

Fortunately, the globalized economy has one effect on which rural areas can capitalize. As the pace of change in modern society continues to hurtle forward, some Americans are beginning to seek out rural places for comfort, quiet, and a simpler existence. Day and weekend trips are on the rise, and many baby boomers seek didactic travel experiences which allow them to learn about history or local culture. Rural art tourism efforts have been particularly successful in the South, ranging from plays which feature local heritage to trails leading tourists to local artisans to entire towns rebuilt around experiencing locally made art.

Importantly, rural tourism fits into the broader context of community development, a movement which aids communities in implementing new strategies for economic success in a global economy. Community development efforts are locally driven, broad based, grassroots efforts which build on the community’s inherent assets instead of seeking outside solutions. Community development principles are rooted in equity within the community, equal access by its members, and building the capacity of all citizens. Community development efforts also attempt to retain the character of the community and to respect local environment and culture.

The art movement in York incorporates elements of rural tourism and community development by seeking to build on existing art as opposed to seeking outside solutions. York residents are keenly aware of community development principles, and those spearheading the art movement seek to create a diverse, equitable movement from the bottom up, with local citizens as experts and instigators in development plans. Residents do seek to build the capacity of all citizens, and are particularly interested in art which involves community members or addresses community needs.

York residents also recognize the need to gain broad based support for the art movement’s success. In fact, many in York cite increased participation from a wide range of community members as the movement’s biggest challenge, due to the social, cultural, and racial segregation which has permeated York since its inception. In York, blacks and whites are separated in virtually every aspect of life, including in schools, churches, jobs, social clubs, restaurants, and even in some area cemeteries. York’s population is currently eighty percent black and twenty percent white, and the art movement has traditionally been viewed by the black community as a white enterprise. Thus, efforts to build the movement depend on leaders’ ability to draw in members of the black community.

In order to increase black participation, the art movement must facilitate trust between the black and white communities in York. The networks, trust, and norms of reciprocity among individuals which allow for collective action are what scholars refer to as “social capital.” Increased participation by the black community also requires the establishment of a collective identity in order to unite blacks and whites behind a common goal. Scholars have dubbed this “cultural capital”: the cultural signals, symbols, and knowledge which identify someone as belonging to a particular group. York has high amounts of bonding capital, existing between like individuals, but trace amounts of bridging capital, which connects disparate individuals. Thus, the success of the art movement in York hinges upon its ability to increase bridging social and cultural capital among black and white community members.

According to York residents, the key to breaking down the barrier of segregation and increasing bridging capital lies in providing opportunities for black and white youth to interact. York maintains a de facto segregation in its schools, with virtually all of the black students attending public schools and all of the white students attending a private academy. Residents view segregated schools as the main reason why segregation persists in York, stating that if black and white children went to school together, their parents would be forced together through school events, and eventually the community would move toward integration. Residents add that integrated schools would also help to prevent youth from forming stereotypes, thereby thwarting the persistence of segregation in the next generation.

Integration is critical for York because communities whose members are unable to work together cannot thrive. Segregation also hurts York’s economy. Businesses rarely locate in York because white employees would be forced to either pay for private school or drive their children thirty miles to a school in another county to provide their children with a good education. Segregation therefore sets up a vicious cycle of deterioration and poverty: businesses refuse to locate in York so youth leave to find work elsewhere, leaving the town with a diminished population, economy, and body of leadership. This lack of needed resources then continues to preclude reinvestment in the town.

The art movement in York can play a pivotal role in promoting integration by providing opportunities for black and white youth and their families to interact. In fact, leaders in the art movement hold integration at the center of their mission. They have worked to recreate the Coleman Center for the Arts as a racially neutral space and have featured the work of local black artists and the types of art of interest to the black community. Leaders have also moved beyond the Coleman Center walls to reach the black community by creating a yearly arts festival and community art projects. Finally, they have developed projects which specifically seek to unite black and white youth.

Although York’s art movement is making strides toward integration, those involved in the movement are few, and there is still much work to be done. Challenges in leadership, funding, and segregation persist, and progress toward a racially unified community is made one person at a time. As former Coleman Center artistic director Richard Saxton states, the challenges facing York are the same challenges that everyone who works to better the Black Belt region face. Lack of funding, lack of interest from the outside world, trying to develop projects in a somewhat isolated region of America, poverty, lack of resources, low education levels, racism, the list goes on. I don’t think there is anything that isn’t challenging about working in this particular region of Alabama. That said, what makes this region attractive to an artist like myself is the level to which the projects can actually impact a local population of people and create real change and real examples of forward thinking and creative social progress.

Indeed, the art movement has created a sense of momentum in York, sparking new projects and new energy among its residents. The movement provides the only arena in town in which blacks and whites can freely interact, and has specifically created programs to facilitate interracial interaction among youth. Thus, the art movement in York has the potential for creating interracial relationships in a place where they are strikingly absent. These relationships are a necessary element for rebuilding the fabric of York and ensuring its longevity.

In summary, this study examines the emergence of an art movement in the context of community development. It addresses the challenge of increasing black participation in York’s art movement by turning to community development principles, successes in York thus far, and residents’ ideas for promoting integration. This study also evaluates the art movement in terms of the specific challenges faced by Black Belt communities, including high poverty and outward migration, low wages and educational attainment, scant jobs and resources, and persistent racial segregation. This study thus evaluates the art movement in the context of York’s unique historical and cultural identity in hopes of discovering strategies to ensure its viability in a changing economy.

The overall objective of this study is to document the development of an art movement in the Black Belt in the context of historical and modern segregation in order to find strategies for promoting integration through the arts. This objective involves several tasks:

Task 1: Conduct a literature review of the Black Belt and of York which includes history, racial segregation, economic and population trends, and media coverage.

Task 2: Conduct a literature review based on rural tourism and community development.

Task 3: Conduct a literature review of cultural and social capital to understand their definitions and roles in community development.

Task 4: Interview residents, business owners, and leaders in York, community leaders in the surrounding area and at the state level, and anyone else connected to the art movement to gain an understanding of the movement’s history, current status, successes, and challenges.

Task 5: Conduct non-participant observation at community meetings and events in York to gain a sense of the community, its leaders, and how it functions.