Creative Time

Creative Time is a New York-based nonprofit arts organization. It was founded in 1973 to support the creation of innovative, site-specific, socially engaged works in the public realm, especially in vacant spaces of historical and architectural interest. Creative Time focuses on presenting artworks that both create inspiring personal experiences and foster social progress, while pushing artists beyond their normal boundaries.

History

Creative Time came to life during a period of artists testing out new forms and media that forced their works out of galleries and into the public sphere. The deterioration of New York City prompted response from its citizens, joining together around the common goal of improving city life. The federal government established the National Endowment for the Arts to promote the role of artists in society and introduce new audiences to contemporary art. This climate heavily influenced Creative Time's values of fostering artistic experimentation, enriching public space and the everyday experience, and bringing artists to the forefront as key contributors to a democratic society.