Brooklyn Arts Council on LinkedIn: Meet Our 2024 Grantees & Awardees! — Brooklyn Arts Council (2024)

Introducing Our 2024 Social Innovation Fellows!🔗 Read the Full Announcement: https://lnkd.in/g9hk8aFEBrooklyn Arts Council (BAC), with support from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), is launching a six-month pilot of the Social Innovation Fellowship, a professional development program for creatives and cultural entrepreneurs. Beginning in Fall 2024, a cohort of 12 artists will receive coaching, training, technical assistance, and additional funding while critiquing and supporting each other to build their individual and collective capacity for transformative change and abundance.The 2024 Social Innovation Fellows are Emma Alpert, Multitude Films; Asmaa Amadou; Danielle Brown, PhD.; Ragnhild (“Ragz”) Bruland, Flex Dance Program; Chief Baba Neil Clarke; Rochelle Jamila; Tilly J. Lapidos, Vers :: Clothing for People; Harvey Leon, Byas & Leon; Sirlenda Maxwell; Shaun Neblett; and Vong Pak.Each year, a Senior Fellow will lead the cohort through a self-developed, individualized curriculum. This year, BAC welcomescultural entrepreneur, artist, and educator Jeremiah O. Ojoas the pilot’s Senior Fellow. As this year’s facilitator, Jeremiah will equip Fellows with entrepreneurial, community, and strategic skills to establish deeper knowledge of Brooklyn’s vibrant cultural tapestry and the greater creative economic landscape.-Image: “Where the Women Dance” featuring Rochelle Wilbun, 2024 Social Innovation Fellow & CEF Grantee. Photo by Lisa Buser, 2023.

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With 70% of BAC’s community identifying as belonging to marginalized, historically oppressed racial and ethnic groups, BAC’s commitment to advancing social and racial equity in the arts is stronger than ever. Black artists have long been instrumental in shaping Brooklyn as an epicenter of diversity and creativity. They champion Black heritage and use the transformative power of the arts to address systemic discrimination and craft equitable, justice-centered social change throughout Brooklyn.Through our dynamic suite of programs and services, BAC invests in Black artists, creatives, cultural heritage practitioners, and entrepreneurs. In 2023, we distributed a total of $600,000 in funding to the Black and Afro-Latino creative community. We also continue to build economic prosperity in neighborhoods that lack traditional arts infrastructure and those most heavily impacted by systemic barriers such as Crown Heights, Sunset Park, Brownsville, and East New York. Last year, 35% of BAC’s regrant funds, totaling over $400,000, were allocated to Brooklyn artists to support projects in these under-resourced neighborhoods.This Black History Month, join us in celebrating the invaluable contributions of Black artists to our beloved borough. African Peach Arts Coalition (APAC), Art and Resistance through Education (ARTE), Flex Dance Program (FDP), J. Bouey Dance Projects, Lampblack Literary Foundation, and Siren- Protectors of RainForest are just a few of the many BAC Grantees making our borough more vibrant.Meet the artists!: https://lnkd.in/gZ-_9SN6J. Bouey. Photo by Rachel Keane, 2023.

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Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) announced today, with deep gratitude and excitement, that Desiree Gordon (she/her), will be stepping down from her position at BAC as Innovation, Grants, and Strategic Partnerships Director to embark on a new chapter as the Executive Director of Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy, Inc.For over four and half years, Desirée has led the charge for BAC’s Arts in Education (AIE), Brooklyn Innovation Institute (BII), and Grantmaking programs. Her vision and dedication have played a pivotal role in guiding our organization’s community engagement and impact efforts, elevated the organization's commitment to equity and justice, and enriched the artistic and cultural landscape of Brooklyn. Read the full announcement and learn more about Desiree's achievements during her time at BAC: https://lnkd.in/gDSe3NQM

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This year, Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) invited dynamic, experienced, and creative Teaching Artists (TAs) to join us in a special initiative, Project FireFly, focused on the unique dynamics of homeschooled families. This February and March, TAs will be instructing four FREE stand-alone 90-minute STEAM workshops for homeschooled children ages 5-8 and 9-11. Each workshop will be conducted at a local library and will conclude at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. All supplies are included with additional engagement provided by the hosting library and/or museum. These workshops will provide art lessons complete with an “Artstory Swag Box,” a kit with materials to expand on the project and increase engagement at home. At least one workshop in each age group offers a digital component (animation, graphic design, coding, game design/creation) using digital Lego or robotics programming (laptops/computers will be provided). By connecting the homeschooling community with free creative resources, Project FireFly aims to establish a shared identity, foster a sense of belonging, and create new community connections amongst a demographic that historically has not had these services available.Advanced registration is required for all workshops: https://lnkd.in/gddcka_9Project FireFly is presented by Brooklyn Arts Council in partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library and Brooklyn Children's Museum.

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💰💰 PAID OPPORTUNITY 💰💰 Present at ThriveFest 2024 on March 23!Proposal Deadline: December 29, 2023Our first ThriveFest, attended by hundreds in-person and virtually, was amazing! So in the spirit of community design, we are widening our doors for the next one with a special invitation...Are you a coach, financial advisor, designer, or otherwise creative whose work helps to accelerate financial thriving for individuals, businesses, organizations and/or communities? Then Brooklyn Arts Council wants to hear from you!The proposal form is super easy and informal so don't wait to submit! Selected presenters will receive an honorarium.🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gG74UG8bImage: Octavia Project Summer Institute, 2023 BAC Grantee. Photo by Emmanuel Abreu.

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The past twelve months have seen Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) make immense strides in enriching our borough by providing the necessary resources for Brooklyn’s artists to thrive. As we look ahead to 2024, we wanted to take a moment and share with you our wishes for the new year – wishes that with your help, we can make a reality.In 2024, we resolve to:🌟 Award an increased number of direct grants to Brooklyn artists, ensuring they can pursue their vital work;🌟 Create space for Brooklynites to convene and celebrate our community’s rich artistic landscape; and🌟 Continue to evolve in meeting the dynamic needs of our one-of-a-kind borough.Together, we can create a groundswell of support for Brooklyn’s artists and artistic organizations that enliven our neighborhoods. Won’t you join us in realizing this dream for our beloved borough by making a gift today? Thank you for joining us in this good work. We wish you joy, safety, and community this holiday season!🩵 To donate, visithttps://bit.ly/support-BACor text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321.Image: Rooftop concert by Duo Livia & Fred for “We Are Nature: Patterns of Connection — Earth Ethics” presented by NOoSPHERE Arts, Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. Photo by Effy Grey, 2022.

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Despite our ever-changing world, Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring Brooklyn’s creative fabric continues to flourish for generations to come. That’s why we constantly strive to think bigger and deeper about the ways we fulfill our mission, and how we can embrace innovation in celebrating and nourishing creative expression in our beloved borough. These days, community members can join us online as well as in person to witness the astounding work of Brooklyn’s artists as we continue expanding our impact and reach by regularly partnering with local organizations. Together, we are increasing access for our audiences to everything Brooklyn’s cultural landscape has to offer as we build a direct pipeline between our communities and the arts. We promise to keep changing and innovating to the benefit of Brooklyn, and we hope you’ll support these efforts by making a gift today. Thank you for believing in the arts as crucial to Brooklyn’s cultural landscape.🩵 To donate, visit bit.ly/support-BACor text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321.Image: “Tree Chuang” textile workshops by Xinan Ran, 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. Photos by Xinan Ran & Maria Jose Estevez.

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It's #GivingTuesday! For over 55 years, Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) has continually supported our community’s most under-resourced artists when and where they need it most – whether through our responsive grantmaking, or through our robust education, wellness, and professional development programs.Thanks to our supporters, BAC engaged more than 250,000 artists and art lovers across all of Brooklyn’s 16 districts through our services over the past year. In 2024, we’re committed to surpassing that number as we work to strengthen the artistic and cultural fabric that makes Brooklyn such a quintessential place to call home. Your support is crucial to building up Brooklyn’s arts infrastructure, especially for our under-resourced artists who need it most. Will you join our efforts by making a gift this #GivingTuesday? 🩵 To donate, visithttps://bit.ly/support-BACor text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321.Image: “Belly” choreographed by Elizabeth Dishman in collaboration with dancers Larissa Asebedo, Tony Gonzales, Mary Lyn Graves, Nadia Halim, Owen Prum, and Julie Seal. Dishman + Co. Choreography is a 2023 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. Photo by Alice Chacon.

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Want to help fuel Brooklyn’s artistic future? 💭🩵 For 57 years, Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) has played a vital role in supporting the creative forces that drive our borough’s artists. Through grants, programs, and services, BAC has helped shape Brooklyn into a global hub of creative innovation and cultural liberation. This past year, BAC proudly awarded $1.16 million in grants to 233 individual artists and cultural organizations and engaged over 250,000 Brooklynites across all 16 districts. Your support of BAC is crucial to continuing to nurture the artistic and cultural fabric that defines Brooklyn as such a quintessential place to call home. This holiday season, join me in making a significant difference in the lives of Brooklyn artists and the cultural vibrancy of our beloved borough. Together, we can further strengthen Brooklyn’s art ecosystem in ways never before seen. 🩵 To donate, visit https://bit.ly/support-BAC or text "SUPPORTBAC" to 44-321. Image: Siren – Protectors of the Rainforest perform at Brooklyn FAM 2023: Festival of Arts and Music, 2023 BAC Grantee. Photo by Gregory Horan.

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