I read this article a couple of weeks ago and it just occurred to me to relate it to NYC.

http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?2021

The article is about a strange, exciting form of dance music that is emerging out of the isolated housing projects of Lisbon, Portugal. Although the music is definitely intriguing, it is the circumstances surrounding the creation of the music that makes it relevant to this class. 

If this were last semester, I would ask some question like; What art (in any form) is being produced in NYC at this moment? For this semester, however, I’ll ask a different question; Is there a certain neighborhood or group of people within New York that has a flourishing arts scene? If so, is the art these people are creating at all informed by their living circumstances in New York (their neighborhood) or their cultural background? 

-Will