Mission
The mission of Living Artist Society is to strengthen communities by unifying people through the arts, cultivating shared understanding and collective responsibility for the social and economic future we shape together.
LAS activates artists across disciplines as conscious contributors to the cultural life of communities, using artistic expression to expand imagination, encourage dialogue, and foster the conditions for peace grounded in freedom, compassion, and mutual respect.
History
Living Artist Society began in 2024 as a grassroots, community-driven initiative in the Hudson Valley exploring how the arts can strengthen civic life.
The organization grew out of early cultural programs including the Robeson in Peekskill Project, which commemorates the legacy of Paul Robeson and examines the history and ongoing significance of the 1949 Peekskill Riots.
These efforts demonstrated the power of the arts to bring people together, engage difficult history, and create space for reflection and dialogue.
Today LAS continues to grow as a nonprofit dedicated to activating artists and cultural programs that help communities understand the past, connect in the present, and imagine a more just and peaceful future.
Our Values
Our work is grounded in three core commitments:
Freedom is the ability to imagine, express, and participate fully in shaping one’s future. The arts expand human possibility and create space for voices and experiences that might otherwise remain unheard.
Compassion that begins with listening. Through art, people encounter the lived experiences of others, creating the empathy and understanding necessary for trust, reconciliation, and community.
Fairness in both process and outcome. LAS seeks to create spaces where diverse voices are meaningfully included in the conversations that shape our shared future.
Before systems or structures change, stories, symbols, and emotions shift; narratives shift. The arts play a vital role influencing the stories we tell, how we see one another, and how communities imagine their future.
Living Artist Society supports artistic work that expands understanding, strengthens relationships, and contributes to the long work of peace grounded in freedom, compassion, and mutual respect.