A Message from Our Programs Team
The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and we are excited to see Brooklyn blooming once again. In case you missed it, we officially announced our 2021 Community Arts Grantees! Artists and organizations will be honored with a Virtual Celebration on Thursday, April 22, 2021, giving them an opportunity to meet, network, and celebrate their accomplishments.
Our team is also looking forward to collaborating with the J’Ouvert community in the promotion of their upcoming spring programs, made possible with funding through the New York State Council on the Arts’ Regional Economic Development Council Initiative (REDC).
Work With Us
Now Hiring: Arts in Education Coordinator
A key member of the Arts in Education (AIE) team, the Arts in Education Coordinator will report directly to the Director of Arts in Education, collaborate with BAC staff, Teaching Artists, and Partner Teachers. This is an excellent opportunity to develop BAC’s partnerships with directors of senior centers, individual participants in creative aging programs and school-based programs, as well as be part of a hardworking team of creative and talented arts professionals who are dedicated to helping and sustaining Brooklyn’s cultural sector.
We strongly encourage all races and ethnicities to apply.
Our Grantees' Events
Upcoming in-person & virtual events hosted by our grantees and fiscal sponsees.
Prophets Over Profits (P.O.P) Artivist fundraiser
April 11, 2021
6:00pm
Virtual Event
Prophets Over Profits (P.O.P) is a Brooklyn-based art collective raising money + awareness for marginalized voices. Every year musicians, DJs, performers, producers, bartenders, and allies volunteer their time and talents to make Prophets Over Profits possible. For this year’s 4th annual event, we're virtually fundraising for the 50+ Brooklyn artists, activists and allies (a.k.a ARTivists) that have previously volunteered for P.O.P hosted benefits.
For virtual viewing with face-to-face mingling like you’ve never experienced before, join us on our vSpace at vspace.live/pop.
Welcome Spring Scavenger Hunt & Seed Swap
April 25, 2021
11:00am - 1:00pm
Old Stone House & Washington Park
Join our scavenger hunt, explore the OSH gardens to find all of the hidden pictures and claim your prize- take home a DIY tulip craft and seasonal sticker. OSH Director of Gardens Sam Lewis will facilitate a neighborhood seed swap, diversify your home garden by bringing seeds or cuttings from your favorite plants to trade for something new to you. While you’re here, pick up a grow-kit from local textile artist Iviva Olenick to get you started on growing your own cotton, indigo, or flax.
Exploring Neuroscience & the Legacy of the Holocaust
April 22, 2021
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Virtual Event
Join the Ripple Project at the Museum of Jewish Heritage for an exploration by neuroscientist Dr. Daniela Schiller, filmmaker Liron Unreich, and producer Roy Wol, into the upcoming feature-length documentary, The Ripple Project ONE, which profiles five creative individuals working through the enduring trauma of the Holocaust.
POWRPLNT presents
Legal Basics Every Artist Should Know: How To File A Copyright
April 28, 2021
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Virtual Event
You’ve probably heard the word before, but what does Copyright have to do with your art? In this edition of Legal Basics, we’ll explore how to file a Copyright step by step in the most cost-effective way. Whether you’re a designer, painter, photographer, musician, programmer, writer, architect, filmmaker, and beyond, Copyright can be a powerful tool in protecting your brand.
Smack Mellon presents Katya Grokhovsky: FANTASYLAND
March 20, 2021 - May 2, 2021
Artist Talk: April 18, 2021
3:00pm - 4:30pm
FANTASYLAND is a site-specific mixed media installation that explores the rise and fall of a fantastical empire and its uncertain future. Using a variety of mediums and objects, Katya Grokhovsky underscores American society’s surplus of objects, brutally intoxicating consumerism, and unbridled desire for material possessions that form an ironic, ultimate beacon and capitalist symbol of freedom.
Learn More
Center for Art Law: Art Law Lunch Talks
moderated by Founder, Irina Tarsis
From Analog To Digital, Conversations on Art Collecting and Copyright
April 14, 2021 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Learn More
Getting Wise About Inspiration, Business and Legal Considerations for Multidisciplinary Artists
April 20, 2021 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Learn More
Heavy Lifting in Public Art
April 21, 2021 | 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Learn More
Our Grantees' Artist Opportunities
Grants, funding, open calls, and other opportunities from our grantees.
NARS Foundation
2021 International Residency Program
Our International Residency Program is now officially open! NARS Foundation hosts international and US-based artists for a minimum of 3-month residencies, providing space and time in an artist community, located in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Artists receive curatorial and project support, weekly studio visits, networking opportunities, and participate in a program designed to foster artistic experimentation and exchange among peers. In addition, artists have opportunities to present their work through virtual or public programming, exhibitions, and bi-annual Open Studios.
Nature Tea 2021 Artist Open Call
Deadline: April 18, 2021
The events of this past year have taken a toll with lives lost and our paths changed forever. We all hope for a light at the end of the tunnel. Yet, it is worthwhile to reflect on our recent experiences with tea and nature as our guides and companions. Let us shift inward to connect with our inner homes and seek the inner peace from which the future can grow. We are seeking works to exhibit at our Nature Tea events in 2021 that speak to the shared experience of this troubled time. While we prefer works we can show at our Nature Tea events, virtual submissions will be considered as well. Nature Tea 2021 will continue to facilitate the conversations between nature and ourselves through tea in a fast paced and shapeshifting world.
The Steel Guitar Unconvention:
competition for composers
$750
Deadline: May 1, 2021
The Steel Guitar Unconvention will be holding a competition for composers to write an original piece for steel guitar. The winning composer will receive an honorarium, and the costs of recording the piece will be covered in full by our grant. The composition will then be premiered at our virtual event in June at Jalopy Theatre.
Death by audio arcade:
Open Call for Hands-Free Arcade Games
Deadline: April 15, 2021
We’re looking for games that can safely be played without using hands. Rather, using feet, using one’s face, who knows! Are you a game developer with a game that could be developed into a hands-free arcade game? Can you visualize how that game could work in a public space? We want to help you make that a reality. Brooklyn-based game developers are invited to submit their game to be made into a hands-free cabinet in collaboration with DBA Arcade.
Events & Programs
Additional happenings hosted by outside organizations, collectives, and institutions.
NY Writers Coalition’s Black Writers Program
April 12 , 2021 - June 19, 2021
NY Writers Coalition’s Black Writers Program is a curated literary experience in which Black writers can generate, develop, and share work in a supportive environment. The program includes themed generative writing workshops, drop-in sessions for prompt-based workshops, professional development panels and lectures, a monthly curated reading list, and a community of Black writers to share it all with.
Under the Carnival Microscope:
The Black Female Presence In Power
April 10, 2021
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Online Event
A virtual conversation moderated by Maxine Hamilton-Alexander with guests, Gail Yvette Davis and Michael Manswell. It is a talk that will oscillate contextually around a woman’s capacity, capabilities, and power; how her audacity, ingenuity, and reputation are received. This virtual installment aims to capture and release some of the relevance of carnival culture presence in New York and the intrinsic, instrumental and institutional it imparts. The talk will link back to African and European masquerade traditions stretching out the historical and artistic staying power of two female-inspired figures.
dumbo open studios 2021
May 13, 2021 - May 23, 2021
Virtual Event
DUMBO Open Studios will share profiles of DUMBO artists, virtual exhibitions, curated guides, virtual events, prerecorded studio tours, and more on dumboopenstudios.com and Art in DUMBO social media platforms.
Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute:
'On Protest and Mourning’
March 22, 2021 - June 30, 2021
Spring 2021 Digital Exhibition
Utilizing a digital exhibition anchored by a dialogue series, CCCADI explores the poignant and timely work of photographers and filmmakers whose projects simultaneously capture outrage against Black death as they affirm and center Black life. Artists include Nadia Alexis, Vanessa Charlot, Dee Dwyer, Jon Henry, Terrence Jennings, and Kareem Johnson.
A.I.R. Gallery presents The Scalability Project: Cacophony of Troubled Stories
March 19, 2021 – April 18, 2021
A.I.R. Gallery & Virtual
By Appointment Only
The Scalability Project: Cacophony of Troubled Stories is an online exhibition and publication that includes artworks and interviews with and by adrienne maree brown, Anna L. Tsing, biarritzzz, Daria Dorosh, Felice Grodin, Gordon Hall, Klau Kinky, Melanie Hoff, Naama Tsabar, Nahee Kim, Rebecca Jordan Young, and Tabita Rezaire.
New York City Arts in Education Roundtable:
Black Women’s Wellness Retreat
Application & Nomination Deadline: April 14, 2021
Retreat Dates: June 11, 2021 – June 13, 2021
The New York City Arts in Education (NYCAIE) Roundtable is proud to host its first Black Women’s Wellness Retreat (BWWR), in the Hudson Valley area. The creation of the BWWR is in response to the recent events in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and its effect specifically to the Black Women community. The retreat is FREE for up to 30 participants, with 5 spots held for the nomination of 5 Black Female Elders. Attendees will have the opportunity to retreat away together for a weekend of connection, healing, and growth.
Artist Opportunities
Reliable funding opportunities from outside collectives and institutions.
Open Calls
WQXR: Project Airlift
Deadline: Rolling through June 2021
Now through June 2021, WQXR is selecting several organizations each month to receive four weeks of on-air promotion (up to 21 spots per week for each). Applications are open for additional New York–area nonprofit organizations — especially those that are BIPOC-led and / or with small and mid-size budgets.
New Inc OPEN CALL
Deadline: April 20, 2021
NEW INC is a shared workspace and incubator program supporting an anti-disciplinary community of individuals, small teams and collectives. NEW INC is the first museum-led cultural incubator dedicated to supporting innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship across art, design, and technology. It occupies eight thousand square feet of dedicated office, workshop, social, and presentation space, and each year attracts an outstanding interdisciplinary community of one hundred members who are investigating new ideas and developing sustainable practices.
Lost Souls Public Memorial ProjecT: DESIGN COMPETITION
Letter of Intent Deadline: April 15, 2021
Final Submission Deadline : June 1, 2021
The Lost Souls Public Memorial Project, Inc. (LSP) seeks to create a permanent memorial to 137 African Americans who, in 1818, were stolen from the state of New Jersey and transported to the Deep South to be sold into permanent slavery. This Request for Proposal (RFP) is to launch the design phase of its history-restoring monument which will be located at the Community Cultural Arts Center in the township from which infants, youth, women and men were forcibly removed by a sitting judge and consigned to permanent enslavement in the Deep South.
Make the Road: Request for proposals
Deadline: April 16, 2021
Make the Road New York is seeking artists to create site-specific original artwork as part of the new construction of a community center in Corona, Queens. There are two opportunities within the project: 1) a semi-permanent mural
2) a permanent art installation on the grand staircase.
This project is open to established artists, with preference for those with experience related to low income immigrant and communities of color.
Rochester Contemporary Art Center:
International Open Call for 6x6 exhibition
Deadline: April 10, 2021
Each summer Rochester Contemporary Art Center’s 6x6 exhibition brings together thousands of original artworks, made and donated by celebrities, international & local artists, designers, youth and YOU. Each artist may enter up to three artworks of any medium (2D or 3D). All artworks will be exhibited and for sale to the public for $20 each to benefit RoCo.
Recess Session: Open Call
$1,000-$4,000
Deadline: April 10, 2021
The Session program supports the creation of new work by providing flexible work and exhibition space, funding, professional development, and resources to artists to realize ambitious projects in partnership with communities. Selected artists receive an artists' stipend, a materials budget, 24/7 studio access, and 1,200 square feet of studio space.
Photoville Festival: Call for Proposals
Deadline: April 30, 2021
Celebrating our 10 year anniversary – Photoville will once again combine online gatherings, and dispersed outdoor exhibitions. Working with parks and city officials, we plan to safely install exhibition banners throughout parks and public spaces in NYC that will remain on view for several months so that communities can enjoy them while using these open spaces as a place to recharge, exercise, and relax. We want to see your visual stories — local and global, long-term projects and pressing current issues, stories of communities, of celebration, of resilience, of challenges— stories that help us better understand the world around us.
Residencies & Fellowships
Joy of Giving Something: Photography Fellowship
$7,000
Deadline: May 13, 2021
The JGS Fellowship for Photography is a $7,000 cash grant open to New York State photography artists living and working outside of New York City. The Fellowship will be awarded to five artists working in traditional and experimental photography or any form in which photographic techniques are pivotal. The support for this funding is provided by The Joy of Giving Something (JGS).
UrbanGlass Studio Residencies
$4,000
Deadline: April 18, 2021
The UrbanGlass Studio Residency annually provides four emerging glass artists the opportunity to create a new body of work through supported studio experimentation. Since 2016, the residency has provided more than 18 artists and designers with the essential resources of space, education, and time to turn their ambitious ideas into reality. Exemplifying the spirit of UrbanGlass' mission, the residency fosters experimentation and advances the critical understanding of glass as a creative medium.
Culture Hub Residency
$2,500
Deadline: April 18, 2021
CultureHub envisions a world where technology amplifies our humanity rather than diminishes it. We support artists who critically examine technology from a diverse array of mediums and creative perspectives. The residency program is designed to support artists as they take risks and target specific areas of their project’s development. Yearlong residencies will take place between July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022 and will be anchored in either New York or Los Angeles.
Harlem Studio Museum Artist Residency
$20,000
Deadline: April 19, 2021
Since 1968, the Studio Museum has earned recognition for its catalytic role in advancing the work of visual artists of African and Afro-Latinx descent through its Artist-in-Residence program. Every year, the Museum offers an eleven-month residency for three local, national, or international emerging artists working in any media. Each artist receives institutional guidance and professional development, research support, and a stipend of 20K paid out on a bi-weekly basis over the course of the residency.
MacDowell Fellowship
Deadline: April 15, 2021
A MacDowell Fellowship consists of exclusive use of a studio, accommodations, and three prepared meals a day for up to eight weeks. The sole criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence and encourages applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics. MacDowell welcomes artists engaging in the broadest spectrum of artistic practice and investigating an unlimited array of inquiries and concerns.
Grants & Funding
2021 Museum Workers Relief Fund
$500
Deadline: Rolling
The Museum Workers Relief Fund operates by the principles of mutual aid: organized by and for museum workers, founded on equity, trust, solidarity, and empowerment of our members, without conditions. We will gather the voices of museum workers offering and asking for aid and, together, we will advocate for a transformation of museum culture that will center dignity, justice, and humanity.
ChaShaMa
Anita's Way: Immigrant Artist Performance Award
$500 - $1,000
Deadline: May 1, 2021
ChaShaMa is looking to highlight the art of Immigrant Artists by offering grant-funded weekly performance residencies for the months of June. Each residency includes grant funding to assist with performance and artist expenses depending on the duration of the project. We are looking for musicians, dancers, and performers of any kind who are passionate about engaging the public through showcases that are free and family friendly!
The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant
$15,000 - $50,000
Applications Open: April 14, 2021
Deadline: May 19, 2021
The Arts Writers Grant supports both emerging and established writers who are writing about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in three categories—articles, books, and short-form writing—these grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies. We also support art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods or experiments with literary styles.
New York community trust:
2021 Van Lier Fellowship Program
Deadline: May 5, 2021
The New York Community Trust's Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund provides support for talented young people from historically underrepresented populations who are dedicated to a career in the arts. Grants this year will provide assistance to arts groups in all disciplines that identify, train, and support young professional artists between the ages of 18 and 30 who are not and will not be enrolled in any academic, conservatory, college, or degree-granting program during the fellowship.
The National Endowment for the Arts:
Challenge America
$10,000
Deadline: April 22, 2021
Challenge America offers support primarily to small organizations for projects in all artistic disciplines that extend the reach of the arts to populations that are underserved. Challenge America features an abbreviated application, a robust structure of technical assistance, and grants for a set amount of $10,000. This category is an entry point for organizations seeking Arts Endowment funding.
Jerome Foundation FILM, VIDEO AND DIGITAL PRODUCTION GRANTS
Max $30,000
Deadline: April 21, 2021
Production grants of up to $30,000 for all stages of production, supporting early career film, video and digital production directors. Directors must reside in the five boroughs of New York City and work in the animation, documentary, experimental or narrative genres, or in any combination of these forms.
Additional Resources
Hollaback! FRee Bystander Intervention to Stop Anti-Asian & Xenophobic Harassment
In response to the rise in Anti-Asian/American and xenophobic harassment, we at Hollaback! partnered with Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC to provide free bystander intervention training as well as offering a de-escalation training to meet this moment. Unfortunately, anti-Asian and Asian American racism and xenophobia is not a new phenomenon. It has been part of American history for a long time, and we have seen it manifested against different Asian/American and Pacific Islander communities in many ways over the years. As the coronavirus pandemic escalates, we have seen more harassment, discrimination, and even violence directed at these communities.
Alliance of resident theatres (A.R.T.) New York:
Resources for Reopening in New York
Some aspects of our industry have begun to reopen, and we are inching closer to welcoming more artists - and eventually audience members - back into our spaces. When we do, we know we have to do so safely. So, we've compiled a list of resources that we hope will be useful as you make plans to reopen your spaces and gather in person once again.
New York Edge’s A/D/O Learning Labs
Mondays - Fridays | 8:00am - 3:00pm
29 Norman Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
ADO Learning Lab is currently accepting NYC DOE students at our location for grades K-8 to provide them a location with free childcare when they are scheduled for remote or blended learning. Our learning labs are a COVID-safe space for students to take their scheduled classes with additional tutoring, homework help, and extracurricular activities such as STEM, dance, theatre, and sports. Our program runs Mondays - Fridays, 8am-3pm, and provides free school prepared breakfast and lunch!
Fill out the below enrollment form and send it to adollk@newyorkedge.org or bring it to the A/D/O Learning Lab at 29 Norman Ave. If you need any assistance or want a physical copy, feel free to visit and we’ll provide one for you!
ARC’s safety guide for artists
ARC’s Safety Guide for Artists Imagery.
ARC’s Safety Guide for Artists is a vital resource that offers practical strategies for artists to understand, navigate, and overcome risk. Bringing together research and expertise from ARC, our global network of partner organizations, and the firsthand testimonies of at-risk artists themselves, this guide offers a crucial roadmap for artists and those who support them to better prepare for and react to persecution.
What We're Reading
Have you encountered an inspiring or engaging read related to the COVID-19 era lately? Tell us about it at webmaster@brooklynartscouncil.org.
Banton, Lawrence. "Blazing Trails: Women Who Left Their Marks on the Art World," Cheddar, March 2021.
Read
Center for Cultural Innovation. "Business of Art: An Artist's Guide to Profitable Self Employment," Third Edition.
Read
Dilenschneider, Colleen. "When Black Swans Happen: How Cultural Entities Can Better Respond to Disruption,” Know Your Own Bone, March 2021.
Read
Haimerl, Amy. "What Keeps U.S. Art Museums Running—and How Might the Pandemic Change That?" ART News, March 2021.
Read
Help Sustain Brooklyn's Artists
During times of uncertainty, Brooklyn Arts Council depends increasingly upon community members like you to help us continue celebrating and empowering local artists.
Cover Image:
Songwriter, vocalist, and community force Courtnie presents a work in partnership with Grandchamps Restaurant in Bed-Stuy. Courtnie is a 651 ARTS 2020/21 Resident Artist and worked alongside 2021 Charlene Victor & Ella J. Weiss Cultural Entrepreneur Fund recipient Kendra J. Ross in 'The Neighborhood Project.'
Learn More on the 651 ARTS website. Follow Courtnie on her Instagram and YouTube. Follow Kendra J. Ross on her Instagram and website.