Our Mission
The West Chelsea Building Artists Association (WCBAA) is a coalition of resident artists, cultural workers, and community allies dedicated to protecting one of New York City’s most important creative hubs.
Our mission is to protect, preserve, and empower the West Chelsea artists’ community by securing the building under nonprofit ownership, ensuring permanent affordability for working artists, and expanding public cultural programming for New Yorkers of all backgrounds.
Why the West Chelsea Building Matters
Inside the West Chelsea Building are hundreds of studios and creative spaces where painters, sculptors, performers, writers, designers, and interdisciplinary artists work every day. The building has been a catalyst for the rise of the West Chelsea arts district and a quiet engine behind countless exhibitions, ideas, and cultural movements.
As real estate pressures intensify across the city, the building faces the risk of sale and redevelopment. Without action, the artists who helped shape this neighborhood could be displaced from the very place they built.
Our Vision
WCBAA envisions the West Chelsea Building as a permanently protected West Chelsea Arts Center: a nonprofit cultural institution that provides:
- Affordable studio spaces for working artists
- Public galleries for exhibitions and performances
- Educational programs and workshops for youth and adults
- Community events that connect artists, neighbors, and visitors
By securing the building through an arts nonprofit, we can preserve not only a physical structure, but the living community of artists who animate it.