Helen Stratford

Since the beginning of the 20^th century New York City has been a major hub for experimental and alternative artistic expression, often being on the forefront of the latest trends and styles.  Some of the biggest and most influential artists got their start in New York City.  New York City is a melting pot of a huge conglomeration of ethnicities, making it the perfect spawning ground for the great cultural diversity it has been famous for.

Artists can take their inspiration from the large variety of people that have come to make and call New York City their home. The variety of people and cultures creates an atmosphere of openness and acceptance which is exactly the right combination which allows creativity and individuality to express itself and blossom.

Music and performance art are good example of how New York has been a midwife to a diversity of sounds and expressions. Historically, performers like Fletcher Henderson, whose jazz orchestra helped give birth to swing music in the 1920s, and Benny Goodman, whose unique style profoundly influenced the development of modern jazz, New York has certainly had an enduring and deep impact on performance art in the rest of the world.