MAD will build on the recent PAKT Business Breakfast with additional information sessions for Midtown community members and artists. “Our goal is to answer community questions about the Arts District,” said MAD co-founder Richard Frumess.”

Broadway Arts founders Joe LaLima and Liz Butler, popular host of The Art Biz with Liz on WKNY, will host a meeting for Midtown residents at their gallery, 694 Broadway, on October 17. For Joe, a lifelong Midtown resident whose family’s x-generation LaLima’s Barbershop is a Broadway fixture, growing the arts in Midtown is a personal mission. “There’s a lot of music and art going on now in Midtown neighborhoods, and an even larger interest in new opportunities to make and enjoy art,” LaLima said. “We want Midtowners to come on October 17 and tell us what they want, need, expect and fear from an Arts District.”

An Artists’ Information Meeting is also in the works for November, date to be announced. MAD organizer Micah Blumenthal hopes to engage a wide range of artists from both inside and outside the district. “We want to hear ideas about how MAD can help artists become a successful and sustainable segment of the Midtown economy,” Blumenthal explained. “We also want to talk about how artists can contribute to a special quality of life and a high level of unique and exciting arts experiences for all sectors of the Midtown community,” said Blumenthal.