what is big dream?
The Big Dream Art Center consists of nine art studios for practicing artists, a community space for gathering, as well as a community space for arts and classes in New York State.
Collective social and economic outcomes improve when communities invest in artists. Creating a stable place for artists to create, regardless of their housing situation, means less interruptions, more skill sharing, more creative development, and more growth.
This space is inspired by basic income programs and a particularly hard year in 2025. Having enough functional space for my art practice as well as my living space proved cost prohibitive. I know I am not the only one.
what’s the plan?
phase one
Purchase ~ 15 acres in Tompkins County, New York
Build first artist dwelling (that’s for me!)
Develop relationships with Art Center stakeholders
Develop financial and legal systems for Art Center
phase two
Hire architect
Develop decision making process for land
Develop selection process for artists
Build Art Center
Begin Artist Residencies
phase three
Develop decision making process for housing
Develop additional programming at Art Center
Build additional houses
Host farmers on land
what now?
I am currently in the process of developing connections with alternative funding agencies for community improvement, artist support networks that currently exist in Ithaca and New York State, and artists who would be interested in using the space. Some of the questions that I hope to answer as I continue to have conversations in community are:
What is the decision making process for the space?
How much would yearly operations cost?
What is the financial and legal structure of the organization?
What range of arts would be welcome?
What kind of revenue might the space generate?