Arts

A settlement is an outpost of culture and learning - where minds, as well as bodies, can be nourished in hard times.

The arts have always been at the forefront of the Settlement House Movement, and University Settlement – with its historic Speyer Hall – has been bringing people from different walks of life together to celebrate and understand the social functions of art for more than a century. In its early years, the settlement cooperated with the East Side Arts League and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to bring work with historic significance and local appeal to the community at large. Artists such as Elmer Rice, Edward G. Robinson, Walter Mathau, Irving Caesar and George Gershwin once called University Settlement home.

Today, a new crop of emerging and established artists are immersing themselves in the diverse culture that the settlement provides. As new work is crafted, inspiring minds are collaborating with settlement staff to build the arts as a bridge – connecting programs and reawakening the spirit of the Settlement House Movement.

The arts connect across cultures and generations, and University Settlement has crafted an integrated arts program that supports the creative voices of its participants and resident artists.

Supporting today's artists as they influence tomorrow's visionaries is a smart idea, and it makes all the difference.