BAC Grantee & Partner Events
"Absence/Presence" PRIEMERE on pbs
Yasmin Mistry is a 2023 BAC Grantee.
Now - November 30
“ABSENCE / PRESENCE” is a half-hour documentary film which celebrates foster youth, showing how school, extended-family and the kindness of strangers can help a child find their path in life. This film highlights the stories of two young women, Charell and Camilla, who end up in the NYC foster care system as youth but refuse to let their situation define them. ABSENCE / PRESENCE provides an inside look into the impact of the foster care system through the eyes of those who have experienced it first-hand.
Broadcast Schedule | Streaming: Watch Now
The film is available to stream for free on the PBS website and app from now through 11/30/23. It will be available to PBS Passport subscribers thereafter.
Bop Kabbalah+Voices with Shayna Dunkelman premiere:
“Yiddish Climate Justice Songs”
Ty Citerman is a 2023 BAC Grantee. Photo by María Kim Grand, 2019.
November 12 | 7pm | Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
Following their 2020 and 2021 albums of original Yiddish labor songs, Ty Citerman’s Bop Kabbalah+Voices premieres a new Yiddish song cycle about climate justice. Featuring the dynamic and wildly inventive vocalists Sara Serpa and Judith Berkson, this concert will also include guest percussionist Shayna Dunkelman alongside Citerman’s guitar and electronics work.
NYC “seek” Book Launch with Author Scott Shigeoka
in conversation with Kristina Newman-Scott
Kristina Newman-Scott is a BAC Board Member.
November 13 | 6:30-8:30pm | 20 Jay Street, #1120
Scott Shigeoka and Kristina Newman-Scott will be in conversation to celebrate the New York City book launch of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World, co-hosted by Brooklyn Arts Council, Grand Central Publishing Balance, and Kamau Studios. This event is FREE and open to the public with RSVP.
Creative Study presentS: “Live Q&A Solidarity Economy:
Can Loans be Ethical? with Boston Ujima Project”
Creative Study is a 2022 BAC Grantee.
November 14 | 6-7pm | Virtual
It’s hard to believe that teenagers are allowed (even encouraged!) to take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in student debt, but it’s nearly impossible for creatives to get ethical loans for their small businesses. In response, there are many working-class, queer, and BIPOC creatives following culturally-rooted economic practices to remake the ways we access money. What happens when this scales up beyond a neighborhood or a close group of friends? During this Q&A, Boston Ujima Project’s team will present a vivid description of Ujima and its Good Business Alliance, connection to creatives, and underlying motivation.
Stoop Stories Film Screening:
“Intergenerational Stoop Chats”
Film Stills by Marj Kleinman, 2023 BAC Grantee.
November 15 | 6-7:30pm | Park Slope Center for Successful Aging
Please join Stoop Stories and Heights & Hills for their first community film screening! They will premiere two short pieces from their intergenerational film series, along with a community discussion. There will be a surprise performance by some of the film participants! Refreshments will be served. This is a FREE event.
Lampblack Reading Series
Lampblack is a 2023 BAC Grantee.
November 17 | 6pm | Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA)
Launched in 2020, Lampblack is a nonprofit organization created by Black writers to support Black writers. This November, The Lampblack Reading Series features the vital work of acclaimed writers Rio Cortez, Kristen Gentry, and Taylor Johnson. Join us November 17, 6pm at The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) located at 80 Hanson Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11217. This event is free and open to the public.
Dancers Unlimited presents: “EDIBLE TALES: HOʻOKUPU (THE OFFERING)”
Dancers Unlimited is a 2023 BAC Grantee.
November 18 | 8pm | Peridance Center
November 19 | 3pm | Peridance Center
“Edible Tales: Hoʻokupu” explores cultural heritage, social justice and sustainability through food related topics. What began in the thick of the Pandemic as a virtual community program to stay connected and gain nourishment, the program has developed into a bi-coastal community movement for land stewardship that centers Native Hawaiian and Indigenous practices, food tours that explore the challenges and triumphs of the African American experience, and rituals that strengthen our connections with our ancestors.
The Neurodivergent New Play Series presents:
“Impossible Theories of Us”
The Neurodivergent New Play Series is a 2023 BAC Grantee
November 19 | 2pm | Spit&Vigor Theater
Two people unite against a crisis and divide on how to break through. But sometimes fantasy is the perfect reality for impossible futures. Gina, a transgender woman, and Keith, a cisgender man, navigate the complexities of life and death over the course of their relationship. But as emerging technologies offer the chance to connect with those who’ve passed away, both must decide what being alive truly means.
Hard2Earn Live: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Enter The Wu-tang (36 Chambers)
Supported by Brooklyn Arts Council, The Billie Holiday Theater, Jack Daniels, and Czen Restaurant.
November 24 | 7pm | The Billie Holiday Theatre
As part of its final Hip Hop 50 event of the year, the Hard2Earn Podcast has joined forces with Brooklyn’s Billie Holiday Theatre (The Billie) and Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) to present a special edition of its conversation and playback series with Hard2Earn Live: Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Enter The Wu-tang (36 Chambers).
With November marking the milestone anniversary of the Wu-Tang Clan's transformative debut album, the event will be held live on The Billie’s iconic stage on Friday, November 24 beginning with a cocktail reception at 7pm followed by Playback + Conversation at 8pm. The post-event reception at 10pm will be hosted by Brooklyn Arts Council, Jack Daniels and Brooklyn's own Czen Restaurant.
“Dear John”
Rachel Lin is a 2023 BAC Grantee. Poster by Rich Soto.
November 30 & December 1 | 7:30pm | Brick Aux
December 2 | 3pm & 7:30pm | Brick Aux
“Dear John” is a solo show inspired by real life events. In 2011, an estranged father, “John,” reaches out to a long lost daughter for the first time… on Facebook. When he begins writing her letters, she begins a journey of reckoning with a previously unknown past. “Dear John” is the story of what it means to be a father or daughter, our expectations on one another, and the ways we fall short. Spanning three continents and four decades, “Dear John” weaves together excerpts from John's letters, a recorded interview with a woman who left a changing China in the 80s, and stories of growing up undocumented in New York City.
Job Openings
Bronx Council on the Arts
Director of Programs: Responsible for the oversight of the public programs, regrants, and visual arts departments.
Director of Development and External Affairs: Responsible for outward-facing communications and works with the Executive Director to set strategy and execute membership and fundraising programs.
Regrants Program Associate: Provides administrative support for BCA’s regranting programs.This is an excellent position for someone who is looking to expand their career experience by joining a small, dynamic, and growing arts organization.
Cumbe: Center for African and Diaspora Dance
Director of Programs: Responsible for the strategic direction, design, and implementation of all programs at Cumbe, which include ongoing weekly classes; special workshops; cultural events; a summer camp; community engagements, and special programming.
Events, Workshops, & Professional Development
2023 AIA CIvic Leadership Program: “Storytelling in Architecture: Stories & Places”
November 9 | 6pm | Center for Architecture
This event provides a platform for everyday New Yorkers to share untold stories about how their lives are impacted by the built environment. The majority of the event will be structured like The Moth, an Open Mic with members of the public sharing stories. Afterwards, invited guests Cassim Shepard, Immanuel Oni, and Sabina Sethi Unni will convene a town hall-style panel to reflect on the stories, speak about incorporating underrepresented voices into their practice, how to be a better listener, and discuss the power and peril of assigning value to one voice over another.
The Other Art Fair Brooklyn
November 9-12 | ZeroSpace
The Other Art Fair is a leading artist fair to discover and buy art directly from the very best emerging artistic talent. The fair is a gathering of creative thinkers, game changers and pleasure seekers sharing emerging talent and unforgettable experiences. Set against the backdrop of the world’s biggest cities, each fair is different, combining boundary-pushing yet always affordable works with immersive installations and performances.
“Meet the Moment” Summit
Meet the Moment, 2022. Photo by Redens Desrosiers.
November 11 | 12-6pm | Brooklyn Museum
Join The Meteor for Meet the Moment—a powerful summit featuring ideas, inspiration, and conversation with some of today’s most influential women and nonbinary leaders. The day brings together artists, journalists, athletes, activists, and other voices across generations to discuss 2023’s important issues, from AI to our bodily rights to our planet.
Randy Cohen live show: “Person Place Thing with Kelley Girod”
November 13 | 6-7:30pm | Ford Foundation
This installment of “Person Place Thing” hosted by Randy Cohen, will be a conversation with Playwright and Director of New Works at the Apollo Theater, Kelley Girod. Join us in-person at the Ford Foundation for this live podcast recording. “Person Place Thing” is an interview show based on the idea that people are particularly engaging when they speak, not directly about themselves, but about one person, one place, and one thing with particular meaning to them. The result: surprising stories from great talkers and thinkers.
“Marketing for Artists and Creatives”
November 14 | 12-1:30pm | Virtual
Whether you’re an artist, writer, performer, musician, or creative, marketing is an essential part of your work. Yet the process is often difficult: what is the best use of your limited time and resources, and can you make sure that you’re using your channels effectively? To help you answer these questions, marketing expert Molaundo Jones, Senior Director of Communications and Partnerships at Art21, will advise how to effectively utilize marketing tools in accordance with your career goals. The session will cover a host of strategies and techniques, focusing on digital marketing.
Brooklyn COOP’s “Tax Tips for Freelancers”
November 15 | 4-5pm | Virtual
Get ready for the upcoming tax season with Brooklyn COOP. In this workshop you will:
- Understand how freelancers can prepare for the upcoming tax season
- Learn how to report your income & expenses so that you can get the best possible outcome
- Meet our tax expert Joey & ask questions specific to your business & tax situation
“All Things Immigration for Creative Workers: Options for Immigrant Artists and CreativeS”
November 15 | 6-7:30pm | Virtual
Are you an immigrant artist, creative, entertainer, and/or entrepreneur who wants to pursue an artistic career and remain in the United States, and are eager to understand what your legal options are? Want to explore strategies for your visa applications? In this pay-what-you-wish virtual program, immigration attorney Michael Cataliotti will facilitate a town-hall style conversation and explain legal options for creative workers. No matter what type of artist/creative you are, if you are currently in the U.S. or are looking to enter the country, you’ll walk away with a practical knowledge of the immigration process. You will also gain a clear sense on what you can, or cannot, should, or should not do when pursuing a visa.
Brooklyn Talks: “The Risk It Takes to Bloom with Raquel Willis and Elliot Page”
Cover, Raquel Willis, The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation (2023). Photo courtesy of St. Martin’s Press via Brooklyn Museum.
November 16 | 7-9pm | Brooklyn Museum
Join trailblazing Black transgender activist Raquel Willis and award-winning actor and author Elliot Page in celebrating the release of Willis’s debut book, The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation. In this memoir, Willis draws on years of community organizing in Atlanta, Oakland, and New York to show how loss and hardship can lead to transformation and liberation. Beginning with Willis’s childhood in Augusta, Georgia, The Risk It Takes to Bloom traces the author’s journey to her current activism—including a history-making speech on the Brooklyn Museum’s plaza during the 2020 March for Black Trans Lives.
Established Gallery presents: “making meaning mine”
Now - December 10 | Established Gallery
Established Gallery presents “making meaning mine", a solo exhibition by artist Beverly Crilly. The exhibit is inspired by Crilly’s time spent in and around mines in southwest Colorado. A lifelong collector of rocks, Crilly recently visited a decommissioned limestone mine and was deeply moved by the experience. Her works, made using cold wax, oil, and pastels on paper or boards, emulate the colors and textures of natural rocks and stones.
Artist Opportunities
Artspace Pathways: A Native Space Initiative
Deadline: November 10
Artspace's Pathways: A Native Space Initiative is a 12-month, capacity-building, virtual, cohort-based program that assists Native American arts and cultural organizations that are looking to leverage existing cultural and creative assets and/or support the development and sustainability of new arts and cultural spaces. The program is offered free of cost and runs from January 2024 through November 2024. Participation includes attendance at monthly workshops, panel discussions, and coaching sessions, as well as completion of independent assignments between sessions.
The David Prize
$200,000 (distributed over two years)
Deadline: November 13
The David Prize is a celebration of New Yorkers with ideas for extraordinary change. The Prize believes that New York City’s best and biggest resource is its people and that New Yorkers who are proximate to the City's greatest challenges will build the best solutions. Open to any individual working in the five boroughs, the Prize welcomes those with the vision and conviction to change our communities, our culture, and our future for good.
2024 GALLIM Moving Artist Residencies
Deadline: November 15
The 2024 GALLIM Moving Artist Residency supports seven early career Black, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latina/e, and people of global majority who are women, non-binary, or transgender movement artists in NYC. This process-based residency offers fully-funded studio space, artist stipends, mentorship, and promotion via GALLIM's channels.
Data Through Design 2024 Exhibition
Deadline: November 15
Projects in the annual DxD exhibition creatively analyze, interpret and interrogate data made available in NYC’s Open Data Portal. With art's capacity to capture the human experience, DxD surfaces hidden stories, disrupts widely accepted patterns, and questions claims to objectivity of data-driven narratives. DxD exhibits works in a wide range of media and formats such as digital, analog, physical, performance, sound works, walks, installations, creative coding, participatory mapping, drawings, etc.
NYSCA Stabilization Program for Small Arts Organizations
Deadline (Round 1): November 16
Deadline (Round 2): February 1
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON) have launched a new pilot NYSCA Stabilization Program for Small Arts Organizations that is designed to help participants to identify and solve a significant concern that is impeding their growth or development. It aims to help address operational issues that often stifle organizations’ long-term planning and sustainability. The program, supported by New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).
Postcards from the Edge
Deadline: November 17
Postcards From the Edge is an annual exhibition and benefit sale to support artists living with HIV and those lost to AIDS. Submit an original 4"x6" artwork (of any medium and subject matter; artists from anywhere are welcome) to benefit 35 years of Visual AIDS for this beloved in-person exhibition in NYC and online sale.
SmackMellon 2024-25 Artist Studio Program
Deadline: November 20
The Artist Studio Program was launched in 2000 in response to the crisis of available affordable space for artists living and working in New York City. The program provides six eligible artists working in all visual arts media a free private studio space accessible 24/7 and a fellowship (dependent on funding). The 2024-2025 program begins September 5, 2024 and ends August 5, 2025. The studios are located on the lower level of our building at 92 Plymouth Street in Dumbo, Brooklyn and range in size from 250 to 300 square feet.
Queens Arts Fund
Deadline: November 21
Queens Arts Fund (QAF) offers project-based grants to Queens-based artists, artist collectives, and small non-profit organizations to support the local production of artwork and cultural programs that highlight, engage, and bolster the diverse communities of the Queens borough.
2024 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship
Deadline: December 13
NYSCA is now accepting applications for 2024 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships in Fiction, Folk/Traditional Arts, Interdisciplinary Work, Painting, and Video/Film. This unrestricted cash grant available to artists living in New York State and/or one of the Tribal Nations located therein who are 25 years of age or older.
call for arts writers: Woman. Life. Freedom.
Honorarium: $1,000
Deadline: November 20
Moziak Philanthropy’s “Woman. Life. Freedom.” began as a response to the death of Mahsa Jina Amini, the young Kurdish woman who was killed at the hands of Iran’s so-called morality police. Hundreds of women, men, youth, and students, continue to risk their lives to demand freedom and a change to Iran’s leadership. This opportunity is for emerging and established art writers, whose work engages the art on view in the current “Woman. Life. Freedom. & Woman. Life. Freedom.: Year of Hope” virtual exhibitions, or alternatively, any proposed written work that takes art as its focus in the struggle for freedom in Iran.
The Puffin Foundation 2024 Annual Artist Grant Program
Deadline: December 1
The Puffin Foundation is accepting new proposals in fine arts, photography, music, and projects in any artistic genre focused on environmental activism for their Annual Artist Grant Program. The Puffin Foundation Ltd. seeks to open the doors of artistic expression by providing grants to artists and art organizations who are often excluded from mainstream opportunities due to their race, gender, or social philosophy.
MIXMASTER 2024
Deadline: December 15
MIXMASTER 2024 is an exhibition that seeks to support the Mattatuck Museum's artist members living in New England, New York, and New Jersey. The Mattatuck Museum is a center for art and history located in Waterbury, CT. Each year, our juror chooses a range of submissions to be exhibited in the Mattatuck Museum's galleries. Prize winners are then selected to receive cash prizes and elevated memberships, while the first prize winner will receive a solo exhibition at the Mattatuck Museum in Fall 2024. This year, our juror is Susan Eley, owner and director of Susan Eley Fine Art in New York City.
MAP Fund 2024 Grant Cycle
Deadline: December 19
The MAP Fund invests in artistic production as the critical foundation of imagining and co-creating a more equitable and vibrant society. MAP will distribute $2.8M to more than 90 new live performance projects across the United States, including its territories and Indigenous tribal nations. Each selected team will receive a $25,000 grant for the creation of a performance project, a $5,000 unrestricted general operating grant, and a $1,000 micro-grant to redistribute to an artist in their community.
NYSCA FY24 Capital Projects Fund
Deadline: January 11
Up to $37 million in capital funding is available to nonprofit arts and culture organizations through the New York State Council on the Arts' Capital Projects Fund. The Fund has two grant categories: Small and Midsized Capital Improvement Grants and Large Capital Improvement Grants.
What We're Reading
“Arts and Economic Prosperity 6”
by Americans for the Arts | Read
“Arts Participation Patterns in 2022: Highlights from the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts”
by National Endowment for the Arts | Read
“Online Audiences for Arts Programming: A Survey of Virtual Participation Amid COVID-19”
by National Endowment for the Arts | Read
“The Writers’ Strike is Over; Here’s How AI Negotiations Shook Out”
by Amanda Silberling | TechCrunch
“What Happens to Illustrators When Robots Can Draw Robots?”
by Erik Ofgang | New York Times
“Brooklyn Museum Union Plans Strike as Contract Negotiations Stall”
by Elaine Velie | Hyperallergic
“Spike Lee’s Influences Coalesce in His Beloved Brooklyn”
by Ryan Waddoups | Surface
Cover Image: Tecuanes Quetzalcoatl. Dancer Jasmine Espinal is a 2023 Creative Equations Fund grantee. Photo by Destiny Mata.
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.