In a city as culture-conscious and New York, the arts, not surprisingly, play a very big part. From Broadway stages, to art galleries in SoHo, Brooklyn and Queens and entertainment venues in all five boroughs, art is a major factor socially and economically. 

Before the pandemic, 293,000 New Yorkers were employed in the creative sector, earning nearly $30 billion in wages.

Maritza Davila represents one New York City neighborhood that has become one of the capitals of the art world, Bushwick, Brooklyn. She joined In Focus to talk about the importance of learning to appreciate the arts at a very young age and why the city, state and federal governments need to contribute to arts education in our schools. 

She also talked about a true point of pride in her district, The Brooklyn Film Festival, which has been drawing thousands of visitors to the borough over the past 14 years, and returns with both live and virtual events this Wednesday.