Hikayat Open Mic, ArteEast is a 2024 BAC Grantee. Photo: Maria Sakr
Happy New Year from BAC!
As we welcome 2025, we just want to take a moment to thank you – our incredible community of artists, makers, and supporters. Your creativity and passion are what make Brooklyn such a vibrant, inspiring place to be.
This year, we’re excited to dream bigger, create more, and celebrate everything that makes our borough shine. We couldn’t do it without you, and we can’t wait to see what we’ll build together in the months ahead.
Wishing you a year full of joy, connection, and artistic breakthroughs.
Thank you to Orange Barrel Media & Breuckelen Distilling Company!
Photo: BAC Staff
Shoutout to Orange Barrel Media for hosting us in their beautiful space last month and to Breuckelen Distilling Company for helping us keep our community refreshed during our holiday event. Stay tuned for more BAC gatherings like this one.
NYC Teaching Artist Compensation & Employment Survey
The NYC Teaching Artist Compensation & Employment Research initiative is made possible with support from Creatives Rebuild NY (CRNY), a project of The Tides Center, Brooklyn Arts Council, and support from individual donors.
Deadline: January 10 at 11:59pm ET
Calling all NYC-based Teaching Artists and hiring organizations! The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable requests your participation in our NYC Teaching Artist Compensation & Employment Research initiative. By surveying both NYC-based Teaching Artists and organizations, we seek to publish a report to educate, spark dialogue, and advocate for Teaching Artist fair compensation and employment practices with hiring organizations, government agencies, and philanthropic partners.
BAC Grantee & Partner Events
SydeBoob Duo: Operator
January 10 & 11 | Doors - 6pm
MITU580 Theater - 580 Sackett St., Unit A – Ground Fl, Brooklyn
Sydeboob Duo is a 2024 BAC Grantee.
Experimental flute and soprano ensemble SydeBoob Duo, in collaboration with ChamberQueer Presents, bring you Operator, a queer made, sex-positive showcase with new music inspired by our Director's experience as a sex worker. The project features new music by composers Michael Genese, Anna Elder, Nathan Hall, Liz Gre, Curtis Rumrill, and Anthony R. Green. We will be joined by Aerialist Heather Michele Meyer and members of the Hot Fix Sideshow. There will be drinks, local vendors, recorded erotica by writers from Deviance Magazine, and interviews with NYC Sex Workers. A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to local sex worker organizations Decriminalize Sex Work, G.L.I.T.S., and Red Canary Song. The doors will open at 6:30pm with Circus Acts & Burlesque at 7:30pm and SydeBoob Duo at 8:30pm.
Remix ⟷ Culture: Brooklyn premiere of Tanfis III
Remix ⟷ Culture is a BAC Grantee.
January 13 | Roulette Brooklyn
A stunning live multimedia experience and the culmination of a 3-week communal, collaborative process between 7 artists-in-residence from African-American, Colombian, Gambian, Guinean, Peruvian, and Senegalese communities.
Sacred chants, virtuosic West African drumming, stunning cinematography, honoring of ancestors and teachers, powerful spoken words and life-affirming storytelling, exquisite dance, masterful electronic music, live video remixing - these are just some of the incredible offerings you can expect at this memorable event.
Nikita Shah: At home in Brooklyn - A Kalamkari story cloth Showcase
Nikita Shah is a 2024 BAC Grantee.
January 17 | 4pm
Brooklyn Community Pride Center - 1561 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn
After months of Kalamkari workshops held at the Brooklyn Community Pride Centre and GRIOT senior centre, the 30+ participants created a communal Kalmakari story cloth. Kalamkari is a 3000-year old textile craft practiced currently only in Sri Kalahasti, India. Brooklyn based artist and educator, Nikita Shah has brought together the first ever communal kalamkari story-cloth based on stories from residents in Brooklyn, espically Queer adults and seniors. The showcase is a celebration of the stories, the cloth and most importantly the people! This event is open to all and is at an ADA accessible space. Light snacks will be served.
Anderson Zaca: The Melting pot POdcast
Anderson Zaca is a 2024 SU-CASA Teaching Artist.
Seniors from the Swinging Sixties Older Adult Center in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, share their stories, experiences, and reflections with you. Each episode is short, sweet, and brimming with memories, wisdom, and a touch of humor.
This initiative is especially important for the elder community, particularly in a city like NYC, where youth come and go rapidly, and those who remain in the city have a wealth of experiences to share. From choosing the podcast's name to editing and sharing it with the world, the participants will be actively involved in every step of the process.
Events, Workshops, & Professional Development
The Creative Center: Training Institute for Arts-In-Healthcare and Creative Aging
Deadline: January 10 | Program: March 3, 4, 8, 9
The Creative Center’s Training Institute for Arts-In-Healthcare and Creative Aging is a unique opportunity for practitioners working at the intersection of the arts and healthcare to learn from experts in the field while fostering lifelong connections with their peers from the United States and around the world. Participants have the opportunity to learn everything needed to implement best practice arts programming in hospitals, healthcare centers, nursing homes, community-based organizations, senior centers, hospice and palliative care centers, and residential facilities.
APAP|NYC conference
January 10-14 | New York Hilton Midtown
APAP|NYC is the world's premier gathering of the performing arts presenting, booking, and touring industry and the annual members conference of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals—including many dance-focused sessions and showcases. Join their community of more than 3,000 professionals for five days of performance showcases, networking, learning, discovery, community building, and the largest EXPO hall in the performing arts.
Hunter College: MFA Playwriting Program
Deadline: January 15
Students study with award-winning writers, working theatre professionals, and esteemed guest artists. The program offers ample workshop opportunities and free or affordable tickets to a wide range of New York City productions. Tuition waivers and Teaching Assistantships are available to incoming students.
ArtBuilt Presents: Creatives Thrive NYC: Make more money this year
January 16 | Virtual
No more starving artists. No more overproducing in the hopes one will hit different. No more burnout. No more waiting. Be in control of how your art fits into your budget. Figure out how AND why you send invoices. Defeat impostor syndrome with spreadsheets. Look at the numbers. You’re probably a small business owner already. Treat yourself like a producer instead of a product and you’ll never have to compromise your art.
NYC Open Data Week Winter Meet Up
January 30 | Downtown Brooklyn (TBD)
The NYC Open Data Week team and Data Through Design are hosting a winter meetup event, and everyone is welcome! Save the date for a festive night in Downtown Brooklyn to mingle with fellow open data fans. RSVP below so we can gauge how many people to expect.
NYFA: Inside Representation: Paths to Working with Galleries
February 13 | 12pm | Virtual
Attaining representation is a goal for many visual artists. While it’s seen by many as a marker of success and support, it’s often unclear how to get representation. This FREE event will focus on how to attain representation with a gallery, and provide an overview of industry standards. In this panel discussion, you’ll hear directly from artists on their paths towards reaching this milestone. You’ll also hear from gallerists to get their perspective on what factors they consider when deciding whether to represent an artist.
Funding Opportunities
DUMBO Open Studios 2025
Deadline: January 12
A project presented by Art in DUMBO, a resource for art events, happenings, galleries and residency programs. All artists with studios in DUMBO and Vinegar Hill are welcome to participate. Participating artists should commit to opening their studios for the full event.
NYSCA: fy25 Capital Projects Fund
Deadline: January 14
Small and Midsized Capital Improvement Grants for Arts and Culture: Funds projects initiated by nonprofit arts and culture organizations of any size that prioritize accessibility, artistry, cultural development, sustainability, health and safety, and structural and historical improvements.
Large Capital Improvement Grants for Arts and Culture: Supports arts and cultural nonprofits across the state that are undertaking impactful, large-scale capital improvements.
Capital Design Grants for Arts and Culture: Supports the development of mid-stage and advanced design documents for arts and culture nonprofits with operating budgets of $10 million or less across the state that are planning eligible capital improvements and are currently in the early stages of design.
Museum of the Moving Image: 2025 Marvels of Media Festival open call
Deadline: January 15
Open now through January 15, Marvels of Media Festival welcomes submissions of film, animation, video art, virtual reality, episodic series, and video games created by autistic media-makers. A selection of media-makers will be celebrated through an exhibition, film screenings, and in-depth panel discussions. Emerging autistic media-makers of all ages will have a chance to learn from industry experts and independent filmmakers on the spectrum with media workshops.
Open Call for Teaching Artist Roster and LGBTQIA+ Facilitators
Deadline: January 17
Lehman College Art Gallery is seeking experienced teaching artists to work in Bronx area K-12 schools and senior centers. Opportunities include:
• Artist Residencies for Multi Language Learners and Students with Disabilities.
Artist Residencies for LGBTQIA+ high school students to provide a safe space for students to explore their identities as they learn about art and artists from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Artist residencies in Senior Centers
Afterschool Artist Residencies in K-12 Schools
Teaching artists develop and lead multi-session visual arts partnerships. Teaching artists integrate their artistic practice into the arts residency curriculum.
Japan Parade Art Contest 2025 Accepting Submissions
Deadline: January 17
This Art Contest began in 2012 as the Japan Day Art Contest, when the public were first invited to submit illustrations for our official posters, flyers, and programs. The contest was such a success, resulting in so many splendid entries and yielding such wonderful winning artwork, that we decided to make the art contest an annual part of the Japan Day event. This year marks the 13th annual Art Contest and the fourth Japan Parade Art Contest!
I-ParkArtists-in-Residence Program
Deadline: January 20
I-Park is now accepting applications for its fully funded General Residency Program. These onsite, multidisciplinary residencies are open to artists and designers working in the visual arts, creative writing, music composition, moving image, architecture, interdisciplinary practice and landscape/garden design. The residency season runs from May 20-November 24, 2025. All sessions are 4-weeks in duration except for the May session which is 2-weeks.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read
Deadline (Intent to Apply): January 23
Deadline (Application): January 30
The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read is a program that awards grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 to organizations. These grants support community reading programs designed around a single NEA Big Read book. The NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of ourselves and our neighbors through the power of a shared reading experience. The goal of this program is to inspire meaningful conversations, celebrate local creativity, elevate a wide variety of voices and perspectives, and build stronger connections in each community.
2025 Open Streets partners
Deadline: January 31
Applications are now open for 2025 Open Streets partners. Community-based organizations, schools, businesses, and other partners are invited to join New York City’s program to reimagine the use of streets as public spaces. These transformations allow for a range of activities that promote economic development, support schools, facilitate pedestrian and bike mobility, and provide new ways for New Yorkers to enjoy cultural programming and build community.
The Creative Center: Hospital Artist-in-Residence Program
Hospital Artist-In-Residence Carmen Rios at BronxCare Health System, Family Medicine, and her art cart.
Deadline: Rolling
The Creative Center's Hospital Artist-In-Residence (AIR) Program serves patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare staff in the New York City Area and beyond. The 10 current Hospital AIRs serve over 3,000 patients each year at multiple hospital sites and develop supportive relationships with countless staff and caregivers. AIRs are professional artists trained by The Creative Center to work in a multitude of healthcare settings.
Resources
We Are Bound 2.0: Equitable Artists' Contracts Survey
This project asks artists to complete a 10-minute survey to surface contract clauses that have the greatest impact on artists’ current and future earnings, ownership rights, and protections.
Yancey Consulting, a consulting firm led by a fierce strategist, artist, and lawyer Lisa Yancey, is stewarding a comprehensive, cross-industry review of artists' contract clauses that impact their pay, rights, and protections. They have engaged lawyers to review the clauses artists nationwide uplift and offer equitable guidelines and principles.
The Entertainment Community Fund: The Artists Health Insurance Resource Center
Are you an entertainment professional in search of or confused by health insurance? The Entertainment Community Fund dedicated to keeping our community healthy and capable of pursuing their chosen careers—through personalized health insurance counseling provided nationally, guidance and enrollment support; referrals to health care resources; as well as primary and specialty care at The Friedman Health Center in New York City.
What We're Reading
“Never-before-seen photos of James Baldwin surface at new BPL exhibit, ‘Turkey Saved My Life’”
by Kirstyn Brendlen | Brooklyn Paper
“Four Artists Dismantle the Boundaries of ‘Immigrant’”
by Petala Ironcloud | Hyperallergic
“The Tug-of-War Over Art Museum Ticket Prices Continues into 2025”
by Daniel Grant | Observer
“Brooklyn Artist Channels Abuela’s Spirit in BAM Exhibit”
by Richard Burroughs | BK Reader
Cover Image: NOoSPHERE Arts/Sol Kjøk, 2024 BAC Grantee. Site-Specific Dance Performances by Hivewild, Echos at Sundown, 2024. Photo: Effy Grey.
Empowering Artists. Empowering Communities.
The arts are a lifeline to sustain wonder, inspiration, healing, and a sense of community in our lives. Please join Brooklyn Arts Council in our mission to empower Brooklyn artists and arts organizations that bring life and joy into our home borough.