Wellness Flier Design Competition: Open Call
BAC Wellness Studio is going to be popping up all over Brooklyn! We'll be installing QR codes at partner sites to bring BAC Wellness Studio programs off the screen and into Brooklyn neighborhoods. We invite visual artists to submit images of how Brooklynites are embodying, nurturing, and fighting for wellness.
Three winners will receive $500 each and their images will be incorporated on QR code posters that will make up BAC Wellness Studio QR Code Healing Installations.
Submissions will be accepted until 11:59 PM on March 13.
The Incubator 2022: Fiscal Sponsorship Applications Now Open!
Brooklyn Arts Council's Incubator is a fiscal sponsorship program for New York City based individual artists and emerging organizations for cultural work that has strong artistic merit and aligns with BAC’s mission to enrich the borough's creative vitality. Ideal candidates have the ability to articulate a feasible need for fiscal sponsorship and how it will benefit their fundraising and organizational capacity.
Applications will be accepted until June 17 at 11:59 PM EST.
The Six Foot Platform: Open Call
In partnership with DUMBO Improvement District, we are excited to announce we are now accepting proposals for The Six Foot Platform! The Six Foot Platform is an experimental art & performance program, inviting Brooklyn-based artists in all mediums to activate a 6x6 platform at the intersection of Washington and Water Streets, Dumbo’s most iconic block on summer Saturdays from 1 PM - 8 PM.
Submissions will be accepted until April 1.
A Message from Our Programs Team
2022 Community Arts Grants and Creative Equations Fund notifications have gone out. Congratulations to all artists and organizations who have received funding. We can’t wait to see your projects come to fruition and the energy you bring to Brooklyn this year! Keep an eye out for the announcement of our grantees coming later this month.
If you would like to sign up for a feedback call, you can do so by using the link in your Submittable Notification message. If you do not see this email in your inbox, be sure to check your spam folder or Submittable account.
Our Grantees' Events
Upcoming in-person & virtual events hosted by our board members, grantees, fiscal sponsees, and partner organizations. Keep scrolling for a full, comprehensive list of what's top-of-mind this March.
The Rāginī Festival
March 12 - 31
Various Times & Locations
The Rāginī Festival, formerly known as the Women's Raga Massive Festival, is a month-long virtual and in-person festival that explores the work of artists challenging systemic patriarchy in the South Asian creative ecosystem. This year’s edition is a meditation on the concept of Reclamation and features artists working across Indian classical music, experimental performance, dance, folk arts, poetry, and visual arts.
Learn More
Ghislaine Sabiti is a multidisciplinary artist and BAC grant panelist. Stay connected via Instagram.
Black Resilience and Sustainability
Now through March 18
5 PM – 7 PM
Calabar Gallery
2504 Frederick Douglass Boulevard
New York, NY 10030
The impact of Covid-19 brought an awareness of the fragility of Black life and the urgent call for an examination through art of state of the black community globally. This exhibition of Black artists captures work that exposes Black Resilience and Sustainability from the framework of the fragility of life and time, nature and the environment, rural and urban to basic human rights and the demands for change, joy, and freedom.
Bushwick Starr’s A SONG OF SONGS
March 10 - 27
Previews: March 10 & 11
Official Opening: March 12
Thursdays - Sundays at 7 PM
El Puente’s Williamsburg Leadership Center
211 South 4th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
A Song of Songs unpacks and remixes the Biblical poem, treating it as a jumping off place for thinking about love, erotics, collectivity, and justice. A Song of Songs is being created at and in community with El Puente. For a play about love, power, care, and justice, process and product are inextricably linked. Performances will be part performance, part ritual, featuring song, refreshments, and visual art.
The Women of April by Lourdes Bernard
On view March 14 – April 10
10 AM - 6 PM
The New York Studio School Gallery
8 W 8th St.
New York, NY 10011
The New York Studio School presents The Women of April, a research-based group of works on paper by Lourdes Bernard that commemorate the 57th anniversary of the April 1965 revolution and US invasion of the Dominican Republic. The narrative images celebrate the role of The Women of April, untrained civilian resistance fighters who fought against the 42,000 US Marines ordered by LBJ to invade the small Caribbean nation. In 2017, Bernard began to research her family’s migration journey from the Dominican Republic in 1965 and learned of the US invasion that displaced thousands of Dominicans, including her family.
Herkimer Street Stoop Interviews by Hidemi Takagi
Now through April 3
Potomac Playground
446 Tompkins Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11216
Outdoor Temporary Public Art exhibition collaborate with NYC Parks on Herkimer Street Stoop Interviews by Hidemi Takagi. Herkimer Street Stoop Interviews is an ongoing community arts project with long-term Bed-Stuy residents. Takagi has been working on social-engagement projects since 2015 but had to pause once Covid-19 hit. During summer 2020, she got the idea for this project and interviewed longtime residents while taking their portraits on her stoop. Viewers can also hear the interviews by scanning the QR codes next to the images.
Events & Programs
Additional happenings hosted by outside organizations, collectives, and institutions.
Considering Brains, Learning, and Art-Making Through a Trauma-Informed Lens
March 17
4 PM - 5:30 PM
Zoom
Please join the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable and the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation for Considering Brains, Learning, and Art-Making Through a Trauma-Informed Lens. This workshop will provide a brief foundation on why teaching artists need to consider the brain, stress, and trauma when fostering learning spaces. We will investigate how new experiences operate in brains and bodies as well as how our art form either challenges or bolsters our participants’ 5 basic needs.
Our Shared Future: Imagining a New Landscape for Teaching Artists
April 5 - 7
10 AM - 3:30 PM MST Daily
This free virtual event has been carefully designed by teaching artists for teaching artists and other arts education stakeholders. It will be co-hosted by the Teaching Artists Guild, Arts Education Partnership, National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Education and Hewlett Foundation. Connect with other teaching artists and arts education stakeholders through art-making, panel discussions, roundtables and small-group conversations.
creative capital Webinars
A Sustainable Creative Life: Relationships and Ecosystems
March 7 & 14
7 PM- 8:30 PM
Zoom
In this two-part workshop, Sharon Louden offers visual artists strategies for strengthening professional networks and growing relationships into communities.
Learn More
A Sustainable Creative Life: Community and Opportunities
April 4 & 11
7 PM- 8:30 PM
Zoom
In this two-part workshop, Sharon Louden offers visual artists strategies to engage their communities and demonstrate pragmatic approaches to sustaining a creative life.
Learn More
Social Media for Social Practice Artists
May 4
7 PM- 8:30 PM
Zoom
This workshop delves into ways socially-engaged artists can increase their impact on social media. Robin Cembalest offers tactics for using organic content to convey messages, build awareness, connect with allies and partners, and track trends and coverage.
Learn More
Artist Opportunities
Reliable workshops and funding opportunities from outside collectives and institutions. Keep scrolling for a list of what’s top-of-mind this March.
Jobs & Professional Development
ARTSPOOL: Now hiring
ArtsPool, an administrative cooperative providing affordable nonprofit financial management, workforce administration, and compliance support, seeks qualified individuals to support a growing membership of nonprofit organizations.
UrbanGlass: Now Hiring
UrbanGlass seeks a creative communicator with a passion for art and design, a love of story-telling, and a meticulous eye for detail. The Communications Manager is responsible for developing and implementing an overall communication and outreach strategy that raises awareness of the organization, its projects, programs, and events.
The Incubator for Executive Leaders of Color
Image Detail: Paolo Arao (Fellow in Painting '21); "Back and Forth Forever;" 2020; sewn canvas, dyed cotton, denim, felt, nylon, wool; Photo Credit: Colin Conces
Deadline: March 14
Program Dates: April – September
Through the generous support of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, NYFA is pleased to announce the second edition of The Incubator for Executive Leaders of Color, a free program that will provide leadership training and community support for up to 16 arts administrators. NYFA will work with facilitators from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The curriculum will be designed through the lens of inclusion and racial equity, and we will work diligently with partner organizations and external consultants to ensure that we meet the needs of our participants.
Residencies
BRIClab
Deadline: March 10
BRIClab is a multi-disciplinary residency program created to advance opportunities for visual artists, performers, and media makers. BRIClab offers emerging and mid-career artists essential resources, mentorships, and opportunities to share their work. The residency aims to build a stronger and more diverse artistic community in Brooklyn by supporting long term growth and fostering relationships across disciplines.
Bindlestiff First of May Award and Creation Residency
$500 - $2,000
Deadline: April 1
Now in its 11th year overall, the First of May Award is a $500 to $2,000 development grant for full-length variety arts productions. This year’s Residency will be offered in collaboration with Circus Culture in Ithaca, NY, and will take place from September 6 - 18, 2022, for an ensemble of two to eight people working together on a common project.
Kunstraum Curator-in-Residence
“New York Meets Tbilisi” at Kunstraum, 2020.
$1,000/month
Deadline: March 15
Kunstraum is a community for artists by artists, aiming to redefine the way artists and curators collaborate. For the Curator-in-Residence, we seek a self-starter with an innovative and ambitious mind who thrives from creative freedom, will assume a leadership role, and has an interest in working within an established artist-run gallery. The CIR’s mission is to bring a unique curatorial vision to the program - designed to spotlight their curatorial practice within New York’s art world by facilitating engaging exhibitions and events.
Open Calls
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP):
Design, Fabrication & Installation at Marsha P. Johnson State Park
Monument
Registration Deadline for Site Visit: March 15 at 11:59 PM EST
Deadline for Bids: April 20 at 3 PM EST
Commissioned by OPRHP, the selected Project Team will create a monument to be located within Marsha P. Johnson State Park at 90 Kent Avenue in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn that commemorates Marsha P. Johnson, her achievements and her legacy.
Website
Request for Proposals (Monument)
Gateway
Registration Deadline for Site Visit: March 15 at 11:59 PM EST
Deadline for Bids: April 20 at 3PM EST
Commissioned by OPRHP, the selected Project Team will create an ornamental gateway to be located at the Kent Avenue/North Eighth Street entrance to Marsha P. Johnson State Park that communicates Marsha P. Johnson’s spirit and legacy and complements the park and surrounding neighborhood.
Website
Request for Proposals (Gateway)
Open Call: Brooklyn Utopias: Along the Canal!
Deadline: March 9
Exhibition Dates: April 10 - June 30
Arts Gowanus and the Old Stone House & Washington Park (OSH) are currently accepting submissions for Brooklyn Utopias: Along the Canal outdoor banner exhibition! The project will include a gallery exhibition at the Old Stone House, and two public outdoor art exhibitions of printed banners hung on the fences surrounding J.J. Byrne Playground and Coffey Park.
Bridging Communities Projects
Honorarium for top 10 ideas:
Top idea: $1,000
Second & Third: $500 each
Remaining Seven: $250 each
Deadline: March 15
The Center for Inclusion and Belonging at the American Immigration Council is issuing a Call for Bridging Communities Projects to crowdsource the best ideas and activities in use across the United States that bring people together to work toward the common good while building relationships that help bridge group differences. We want to learn about innovative local, regional, and/or national-level projects that strengthen the civic life and social infrastructure.
Art in Odd Places 2022: STORY
Deadline: May 1
Art in Odd Places (AiOP) 2022: STORY scheduled for September 23-25, 2022, curated by Atlanta artist Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn invites proposals for its seventeenth annual public visual and performance art festival taking place along 14th Street in Manhattan, NY – from Avenue C to the Hudson River. AiOP 2022: STORY seeks imaginative proposals by artists from the Disabled, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and Allied communities that tell her, his, their STORY.
Grants & Funding
2022 Media Arts Assistance Fund for Artists
Up to $7,500
Deadline: July 1
For individual artists, MAAF provides support for the completion and/or public presentation of new works in all genres of sound and moving image art, including emergent technology. Grant awards assist artists in completing new work, reaching public audiences, and advance artistic exploration and public engagement in the media arts. Women, gender non-comforming people, and people of color are encouraged to apply. MAAF is presented by NYSCA in partnership with Wave Farm.
Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY)
Guaranteed Income for Artists Program
$1,000 per month for 18 consecutive months
Deadline: March 25
Creatives Rebuild New York is a three-year, $125 million investment in the financial stability of New York State artists and the organizations that employ them. CRNY will provide guaranteed income and employment opportunities for 2,700 artists whose primary residence is in New York State.
Learn More
Information Session
March 8
7 PM - 8 PM
During the information session, CRNY team members will share details about eligibility requirements, selection processes, and deadlines for both programs. Attendees will also have the opportunity to connect with artists and organizations in New York City. Upon request, all events can provide multilingual and ASL support.
The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing
$10,000 & Publication by Restless Books
Deadline: March 31
Immigrants have shown us what resilience and dedication we’re capable of, and have expanded our sense of what it means to be global citizens. The Restless Books Prize for New Immigrant Writing seeks extraordinary unpublished submissions from emerging writers of sharp, culture-straddling writing that addresses identity in a global age.
The Franklin Furnace FUND
$2,000 - $10,000
Deadline: April 1
Initiated in 1985 with the support of Jerome Foundation, Franklin Furnace annually awards grants to early career artists selected by peer panel review to enable them to produce major performance art works in New York City. Franklin Furnace has no curator; each year a new panel of artists reviews all proposals. We believe this peer panel system allows all kinds of artists from all over the world an equal shot at presenting their work. Every year the panel changes, as do the definitions of “early career artist” and “performance art.”
Jorge and Darlene Pérez Prize in Public Art & Civic Design
$30,000
Application Opens: February 7
Application Closes: March 4
he Pérez Prize in Public Art & Civic Design aims to celebrate and highlight the work of the individuals who support, develop, and manage the incorporation of art and artists into the designing and building of places across the United States. The goal of the prize is to celebrate one unique person at the mid-career level for their locally implemented contributions that support community development through the integration of art and artists into the built environment.
Arts Educator Emergency Relief Fund
$1,000
Deadline: March 21
The Arts in EducationRoundtable is excited to announce that teaching artists and arts education administrators will have the opportunity to apply for a new round of funding from the Arts Educator Emergency Relief Fund. This fund will support professionals in the field who are facing serious financial hardship due to the COVID-19 crisis through a one-time, unrestricted $1,000 grant.
The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise
Up to $50,000
Deadline: June 10
The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise recognize and celebrate the contributions of immigrants to the arts, culture, and society in the United States. The prizes are awarded to foreign-born scientists and artists whose early-career work represents a significant contribution to their field.
Creative Capital
Hewlett 50C for Media Art
$150,000 Commissions
Deadline: March 8
Administered by Creative Capital, the Hewlett 50C for Media Art will award ten $150,000 commissions to support the creation of new projects by extraordinary media artists working in partnership with Bay Area nonprofit organizations. We invite projects that engage and challenge the bounds of performance—such as dance, theater, music, sound, social practice, movement-based, and time-based work.
Wild Futures: Art, Culture, Impact
Up to $50,000
LOI Deadline: April 1
Over a two-year period, the Creative Capital Awards will provide up to $5 million in grants to help realize 100 artists’ projects with awards of varying amounts up to $50,000 with additional advisory services per project. Creative Capital is committed to funding freedom of expression through groundbreaking ideas in art and to helping artists build sustainable careers through our transformative giving model of combining financial and professional support.
Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants
Image Detail: Robert Rauschenberg, "Untitled [Cunningham dancers]," 1961, ©Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.
Up to $5,000
Cycle 2 Opens: March 1
Cycle 2 Deadline: April 1
Cycle 3 Opens: Before June 2022
The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has partnered with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation to administer a new grant program called Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants. The program will initially provide one-time grants of up to $5,000 to professional dancers who have experienced dire financial emergencies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including lack or imminent endangerment of essentials such as housing, medicine/healthcare, utilities, and food. It will award a total of $300,000 over the course of three award cycles that will run through Spring 2022.
Join the info session on Monday, February 28th from 7pm - 8pm EST.
Fellowships
2022 Jadin Wong Fellowship in Dance/Choreopgrahy
$6,000
Deadline: March 20
The 2022 Jadin Wong Fellowship recognizes an emerging NYC-based Asian American dancer/choreographer, age 30 or younger, whose work shows strong potential for greater achievement and who hopes to make a significant impact on the Asian American community. The fellowship aims to recognize exemplary work that will continue to inspire young artists and the Asian American community for years to come.
Resources
SUPPORT ukraine
Brooklyn Arts Council stands in solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine suffering the unfounded brutality imposed by Vladimir Putin. This most recent eruption of violence adds another verse to a freedom song we were already singing for so many parts of our global community. While current events pull attention toward Europe, our hearts simultaneously go out to all countries around the world experiencing the tragedy and ongoing effects of conflict and war.
We stand for freedom, democratic values, and self-determination. Together, we must use our strength and voices to create a more equitable, just, and peaceful world.
Donate to organizations and support the people of Ukraine:
HueArts NYC
HueArts NYC was initiated by three organizations directed by, and dedicated to the work of, People of Color: Museum Hue, The Laundromat Project, and Hester Street. The first initiative of its kind in New York City, it maps a broad view of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and all People of Color arts entities dedicated to sustaining the work, preserving the histories, and guaranteeing the futures of these artists.
The Actors Fund Affordable Housing Opportunities
The Actors Fund is excited to spread the word about new rent-stabilized, upscale apartments for moderate and middle-income households along the waterfront in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Through the lottery, you can apply now for apartments that are affordable for eligible households with a combined annual income between $51,840 - $167,570. With a rent stabilized lease, you’ll see huge savings over time when compared to market rate rentals in the same buildings and also receive lots of perks.
Sign up and the Brookfield team will reach out with details about how to apply to live lotteries or send alerts once more open.
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.
Diana Berg. “Last time I saw Andriy he was in high heels. Now, like many of my friends, he’s taken up arms.” The Guardian, February 2022. Read
Blake Gopnik. "One Year After Beeple, the NFT Has Changed Artists. Has It Changed Art?" The New York Times, March 2022. Read
Miranda Levingston. "This East New York Artist Is Using Diamonds and Jewels to Honor Black Women This Women’s History Month." BK Reader, March 2022. Read
Kyle Lopez. “Conversations | Composer Teodora Stepančić on the Power of Collaboration.” New York Foundation for the Arts Blog, February 2022. Read
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.