Modern business plan for a young artist in New York City:
1. Find out where the cool kids hang out, and get yourself into the best nightclubs in town
2. Drink, dance and party like a rock star
3. If you have done #1 and #2 in the correct nightclub, chances are, you'll make some good business connections.
In her new book, The Warhol Economy, Elizabeth Currid argues that art and culture -- and the nightclubs, catwalks and gallery openings that are so much a part of those industries -- are an integral part of a city's growth and vitality. Put simply, in The Warhol Economy, Currid seeks to prove the economic and social importance of New York City's amorphous cultural pursuits.
The Warhol Economy -- with a nod to Andy Warhol's ability to encourage the intersection between art and commerce -- encourages urban planners and policymakers to take notice of the creative industries: fashion, art and cultural industries combined are the fourth largest employer in New York City, just behind management, professional services and finance. Fashion shows bring out-of-towners to the city. Broadway attracts millions. And in this hip world, deals are not only made in the boardroom -- they are also made on the dance floor, argues Currid, so nightlife and vibrant social networks are crucial for these industries to flourish.
Interviews with bold-faced names including designers Diane Von Furstenberg and Zac Posen, musicians The Talking Heads, and club owner of the legendary CBGB's, Hilly Kristal, make The Warhol Economy an engaging cross between the academic and the gossipy-like an intellectualized Page Six of The New York Post. Even for the reader who has never been to New York City, there's a sense that you've just sat down at the popular table in the lunchroom.
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