20
COURIER LIFE, APRIL 15-21, 2022
BY MIKAELA WEGNER
The Bushwick Starr and five
other local arts and culture organizations
are among 116 such
groups across the state to receive
a cut of a $20 million investment
from the New York State
Council on the Arts. More than
100 groups across the state were
chosen for the grant, which will
fund projects ranging from new
construction and renovations to
equipment safety upgrades.
“From our vibrant cultural
anchors, to celebrated historical
sites, our arts and cultural
spaces represent the ingenuity
of New York and preserve our
state’s rich history and character,”
said Governor Kathy Hochul,
in a release.
Engaging in these projects
shows arts in New York and surrounding
area are “both back and
thriving,” according to Hochul.
The Council on the Arts doled
out 70 grants worth $50,0000 to $1
million, plus alloted $10,0000 to
46 organizations in need of new
equipment and improvements to
their facililities. All grants worth
$10,000 went to organizations
with budgets under $1 million.
Along with dozens of organizations
across the city, six
Brooklyn-based arts organizations
were chosen for the grant —
The Bushwick Starr, The Center
for Performance Research, the
Green-Wood Historic Fund, The
Society for the Preservation of
Weeksville and Bedford-Stuyvesant
History, Dancing Crane, Inc.,
and Jack Arts, Inc. The organizations
will use the money for
everything from purchasing audio
visual equipment and HVAC
systems to building a new education
center.
Around this time last year,
The Bushwick Starr, a theatrical
venue, lost their leased space,
The Bushwick Starr, a theater venue who lost their leased performance space last year, are among 116 organizations to
receive funding from the New York State Council on the Arts. File photo by Noel Allain
where they had been since 2001.
After having already closed due
to COVID-19, Development Director
Lauren Miller feared they
wouldn’t open again. The NYSCA
money will allow the Starr to
build their very own venue.
“Today, we not only hold the
deed to 419 Eldert Street, but have
the extraordinary support of both
New York State and New York City
to fund the construction of our
dream venue,” Miller said in an
email. “And in about a year from
now, we will reopen as a permanent
cultural asset in Bushwick,
which will serve hundreds of artists
and thousands of New York audiences
for decades to come.”
The NYSCA’s investment is
“game-changing,” Miller said.
To date, NYSCA has given
$50 million in grants. Out of 88
of these past projects across New
York state, 50 percent are near
completion, according to the governor’s
office.
“New York is a global beacon
for arts and culture, and every
dollar invested in the arts supports
jobs, culture, and economic
growth in every region of New
York State,” Assembly Member
Danny O’Donnell said in a release.
“The work of these Capital
grantees strengthens our economy,
supports the health of all
New Yorkers, and enriches our
lives.”
Shining Starr
Bushwick Starr among six BK arts
orgs to receive state grant funding