By Leslie Albrecht
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — For more than 50 years, Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council has stood up for the rights of tenants on the Upper West Side.
Now, the nonprofit needs a financial boost, and Upper West Side artists have come together to help out.
Led by painter and photographer Ramon Vasquez, more than 60 artists submitted pieces to be auctioned to raise money for Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council, which has seen its budget shrink due to cutbacks at the state level, said executive director Kelley Williams.
The collection is on display at El Taller at 2710 Broadway and will be auctioned off at a closing party on Saturday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Vasquez said putting together the art show was a chance for him to give back to an organization that's played an important role in the neighborhood.
Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council was formed in the late 1950s to voice neighborhood concerns about plans to bulldoze housing in the name of urban renewal. Since then, the organization's role has expanded. It now runs an after-school program and an eviction prevention program.
Vasquez teaches fitness at the after-school progam. He was also once a client of Strycker's Bay. The nonprofit helped pressure his landlord into fixing the floors at his apartment so his baby daughter could have a safe place to walk.
Vasquez said Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council plays a key role on the rapidly changing Upper West Side.
"The organization is needed in the neighborhood," Vasquez said. "I've been part of the community and it's helped me out, so this is the art community giving back."
