‘MUSIC’ IS THE THEME FOR HARLEM’S 125TH STREET BANNERS
Artists & Banners Presented at News Conference on Thursday, June 10 at Hip Hop Culture Center in Harlem

(New York, NY, June 14, 2010) The BID ON CULTURE Project, a partnership of the 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID) and the HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA), announced at a news conference on Thursday June 10, 2010 the winners of the 2010 Banner Design Competition for 125th Street, and showcased their award-winning designs.  The street banner design competition is intended to advance the branding of 125th Street as a premier cultural corridor.  The competition theme for 2010 was Music, and beginning in late June 2010, as part of the annual Black Music Month observance, 19 banners will be hung from street light poles along 125th Street from Morningside Avenue to 5th Avenue.  The 3 selected artists whose street banner designs will be displayed along 125th Street are Nicole Brown (Harlem), Laura Gadson (Hip Hop) and Beatrice Lebreton (who will have two banners on display, In The Rapture and Solo).  Voza Rivers (Chair, HARLEM Arts Alliance) and Vincent Morgan (Chair, 125th Street BID) presented the artists while Barbara Askins (President and CEO of the 125th Street BID) gave an overview of the BID on Culture Project and solicited ideas for themes of future street banner designs. Present at the unveiling were representatives of the banner sponsors, Curtis Archer (Harlem Community Development Corporation), Stephanie Kinlock (Con Edison), Vincent Morgan, TD Bank, Herb Boyd representing the Amsterdam News.  Also attending were several of the 2010 BID on Culture review panelists: Wayne Benjamin, AIA (Harlem Community Development Corporation) and art historian and curator, Debra Vanderberg-Spencer. Also in attendance were Shelly Williams representing City Councilman Robert Jackson, Dani Tyson of Community Board 10 and Jeffrey Hamer of  NYC Business Solutions. The unveiling news conference, at the Hip Hop Culture Center in Harlem, preceded the 125th Street Business Improvement District’s 17th Annual Meeting. Barbara Askins, President and CEO of the 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID) said that “125th Street is the perfect canvas to showcase arts and culture through streetscape elements. This is our second year offering pole banners to artists as an avenue for their artwork to be seen.  We look forward to continuing our work with the HARLEM Arts Alliance and identifying other opportunities for artists.”BID ON CULTURE, which began in 2009, is a campaign to help build a community-based vision of Harlem’s heritage, its role as a vibrant cultural center, and to promote the continued revitalization of 125th Street as the commercial and artistic heart of Harlem.  In 2009, the first BID ON CULTURE banners were displayed as a Women’s History Month tribute and featured the artists Andrea Arroyo, Laura Gadson, Wilhelmina Obatola Grant, Sharon Lewis, and Shimoda. The important role played by arts and culture in urban revitalization is well established, and is documented in the study, Creating a Cultural Destination, commissioned by the 125th Street BID in 2007, and available online at www.125thstreetbid.com
 
These are the 3 selected artists:

NICOLE BROWN – Banner Title: “Harlem”
Nicole Brown is a freelance illustrator/graphic artist; she graduated from the Edna Manley School of Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston, Jamaica.  She further went on to Miami International University where she is yet to complete her Masters in Graphic Design.  Nicole Brown is a true artist at heart and loves her talent.  Her well-rounded ability includes sculpting and painting, which she tries to perfect through constant practice.  She continues to educate herself by pursuing a diploma in digital media arts at TCI in Manhattan NYC.

LAURA GADSON – Banner Title: “Hip Hop”
She is a quilt and fiber artist who has explored various art mediums including slip casting, stained glass and artistic fabric dying.  Quilting has been her primary medium of artistic expression since 2001.  Her work has been exhibited in the New York State Museum in Albany, The Cork Gallery at Lincoln Center, Columbia University and in national group exhibitions.  Her quilt portrait of Hazel Scott was selected as one of five works displayed as banners on West 125th Street in the inaugural BID on Culture Project in 2009. Ms. Gadson’s craftwork is in the private collections of Susan Taylor, Iyanla Vanzant and other collectors.  In 2009 she coordinated Uptown Squared, a mixed media group exhibition at Harlem’s Gallery M and was curator of the opening exhibition of the Dwyer Cultural Center, Harlem Sewn Up 2009: Quilted Reflections of a Community, which has since moved to The Interchurch Center.  A Harlem brownstone has been her home, studio and personal gallery since 1993.  She is a founder of the Striver’s Art Circuit Tour, a promotional sidebar for artists participating in the Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour (HOAST) who live or work in Harlem’s famed Striver’s Row corridor. www.thegadsongallery.com.

BEATRICE LEBRETON – Banner Titles “In The Rapture” and “Solo”
She was born and raised in France. She attended La Sorbonne University in Paris, France where she received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Art and Ethno-Esthetics, specializing in African Art (an influence that can be seen in many of her works).  She received her Master of Fine Arts (Drawing) from the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts. Ms. Lebreton came to the US in 1986, by way of San Antonio Texas and moved to Dallas in 1993. In 2004 she was commissioned to create a design for a floor medallion that is now a permanent fixture at the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Airport, International Terminal E.  She moved to New York City in March 2008.

The 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID) A non-profit organization funded primarily from an additional tax assessment collected from the property owners within the defined boundaries.  Organized in compliance with state and city laws; the property and business owners determine the services and programs needed for the district.  The BID will utilize the competition to bring visibility to its streetscape improvement efforts and to enliven the community’s central business district.

The HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA) A not-for-profit service organization committed to nurturing the artistic growth and organizational development of artists and arts organizations based in Harlem and surrounding communities. Over 700 members strong, the HARLEM Arts Alliance provides a critical set of programs and services for its constituents and serves as a strong voice for the artistic and cultural life of Harlem.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:   CONTACT: Flo Wiley
June 2, 2010       (347) 735 4475           press@harlemaa.org

STREET BANNER DESIGNS UNVEILED FOR HARLEM’S 125TH STREET

Thursday, June 10 at Hip Hop Culture Center in Harlem

(New York, NY, June 2, 2010) BID ON CULTURE Project, a partnership of the 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID) and the HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA), announced today the names of the three winning artists whose designs were selected for street banners to be displayed along 125th Street. Beginning June 2010, as part of the annual Black Music Month observance, 19 banners will be hung from street light poles along 125th Street from Morningside Avenue to 5th Avenue.  The 3 selected artists are Nicole Brown (Harlem), Laura Gadson (Hip Hop) and Beatrice Lebetron (In The Rapture and Solo). 

The artwork for the four selected banners will be unveiled, and the artists introduced, at a news conference on Thursday, June 10, 2020, at 10:00am at the Hip Hop Culture Center in Harlem, preceding the 125th Street Business Improvement District’s Annual Meeting.

Barbara Askins, President and CEO of the 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID) says that “125th Street is the perfect canvas to showcase arts and culture through streetscape elements. This is our second year offering pole banners to artists as an avenue for their artwork to be seen.  We look forward to continuing our work with the HARLEM Arts Alliance and identifying other opportunities for artists.”

BID ON CULTURE, which began in 2009, is a campaign to help build a community-based vision of Harlem’s heritage, its role as a vibrant cultural center, and to promote the continued revitalization of 125th Street as the commercial and artistic heart of Harlem.  In 2009, the first BID ON CULTURE banners were displayed as a Women’s History Month tribute and featured the artists Andrea Arroyo, Laura Gadson, Wilhelmina Obatola Grant, Sharon Lewis, and Shimoda.

The important role played by arts and culture in urban revitalization is well established, and is documented in the study, Creating a Cultural Destination, commissioned by the 125th Street BID in 2007, and available online at www.125thstreetbid.com
 

These are the 3 selected artists:

NICOLE BROWN – Banner Title: “Harlem”

LAURA GADSON – Banner Title: “Hip Hop”
She is a quilt and fiber artist who has explored various art mediums including slip casting, stained glass and artistic fabric dying.  Quilting has been her primary medium of artistic expression since 2001.  Her work has been exhibited in the New York State Museum in Albany, The Cork Gallery at Lincoln Center, Columbia University and in national group exhibitions.  Her quilt portrait of Hazel Scott was selected as one of five works displayed as banners on West 125th Street in the inaugural BID on Culture Project in 2009. Ms. Gadson’s craftwork is in the private collections of Susan Taylor, Iyanla Vanzant and other collectors.  In 2009 she coordinated Uptown Squared, a mixed media group exhibition at Harlem’s Gallery M and was curator of the  opening exhibition of the Dwyer Cultural Center, Harlem Sewn Up 2009: Quilted Reflections of a Community, which has since moved to The Interchurch Center.  A Harlem brownstone has been her home, studio and personal gallery since 1993.  She is a founder of the Striver’s Art Circuit Tour, a promotional sidebar for artists participating in the Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour (HOAST) who live or work in Harlem’s famed Striver’s Row corridor. www.thegadsongallery.com

BEATRICE LEBRETON – Banner Titles “In The Rapture” and “Solo”
She was born and raised in France. She attended La Sorbonne University in Paris, France where she received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Art and Ethno-Esthetics, specializing in African Art (an influence that can be seen in many of her works).  She received her Master of Fine Arts (Drawing) from the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts. Ms. Lebetron came to the US in 1986, by way of San Antonio Texas and moved to Dallas in 1993. In 2004 she was commissioned to create a design for a floor medallion that is now a permanent fixture at the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Airport, International Terminal E.  She moved to New York City in March 2008. MORE  here.

The 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID) A non-profit organization funded primarily from an additional tax assessment collected from the property owners within the defined boundaries.  Organized in compliance with state and city laws; the property and business owners determine the services and programs needed for the district.  The BID will utilize the competition to bring visibility to its streetscape improvement efforts and to enliven the community’s central business district.
The HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA) A not-for-profit service organization committed to nurturing the artistic growth and organizational development of artists and arts organizations based in Harlem and surrounding communities. Over 700 members strong, the HARLEM Arts Alliance provides a critical set of programs and services for its constituents and serves as a strong voice for the artistic and cultural life of Harlem.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                    PRESS CONTACT:   Flo Wiley

June 2, 2010                                                                                        (347) 735 4475

                                                                                                            press@harlemaa.org

CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH with

Artz Rootz & Rhythm @

Jackie Robinson Park

Saturday June 19, 11am until 3pm

(New York NY; June 2, 2010) The HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA) monthly outdoor music & arts series, Artz Rootz & Rhythm, observes the historic Juneteenth holiday live onstage at the Jackie Robinson Park Bandshell with a lineup of singers, musicians, thespians, dancers and bands on Saturday June 19, 2010 starting at 11am and continuing until 3pm. The featured entertainers, all HARLEM Arts Alliance members, are spoken word artist David Roberts aka D-Black, jazz group The Tevin Thomas Group, a play excerpt (Nikki Giovanni: In Her Own Words) from Darryl Lacy Productions; a musical theatre excerpt from the upcoming North American premiere of BINTOU from Movement Theatre Company, R&B singer Karen Bernod, and bluesman Keith “The Captain Gamble.” Actress/comedienne Phyllis Yvonne Stickney is the series host/emcee. Admission is free.

Artz Rootz & Rhythm @ Jackie Robinson Park is presented at the newly renovated Jackie Robinson Park Bandshell in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks.  It is produced for the HARLEM Arts Alliance by Flo Wiley. Support for the series is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation.

The next dates for the Artz Rootz & Rhythm @ Jackie Robinson Park music & arts series are: July 17; September 11 -- Patriot’s Day; and October 6 (celebrating Arts Advocacy Week). All concerts take place on Saturdays; from 11am until 3pm. Admission is Free.

Jackie Robinson Park is located on Bradhurst Avenue at 145th Street and accessible by the A/B/C/D trains to 145th & St. Nicholas, or the 3 train to 145th Street & Lenox Avenue.  The Bandshell entrance is on Bradhurst & 148th Street. For more information visit the HARLEM Arts Alliance website site at www.harlemaa.org.

Artz, Rootz & Rhythm, a program of the HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA), is intended to showcase the diverse creative offerings of its member artists and organizations, and to build awareness of Harlem’s cultural vitality.

The HARLEM Arts Alliance is a not-for-profit service organization committed to nurturing the artistic growth and organizational development of artists and arts organizations based in Harlem and surrounding communities.  Over 700 members strong, the HARLEM Arts Alliance provides a critical set of programs and services for its constituents and serves as a strong voice for the artistic and cultural life of Harlem.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                    CONTACT:    Flo Wiley
April 27, 2010                                                                         (347) 735 4475
                                                                                                press@harlemaa.org
HCAF Grants to 17 Harlem Artists
$30,500 Awarded to Harlem-based Artists & Organizations

(New York NY; April 27, 2010) The HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA) today announced the recipients of the Harlem Community Arts Fund (HCAF) Winter/Spring 2010 grant awards cycle. For Individual Artist Support for Creative Development, the eight recipients are Sonia Barnett, Petrushka Bazin, Lenore Browne, Kristin Carpenter, James Gillard, Teresa Michelle Lasley, Tara Parsons and Celia Peters.  The nine recipients of grants for Organizational Support for Capacity Building or Arts in the Community are Crucial Arts Production, Inc., Dances for a Variable Population, Harlem Opera Theater, Historic Harlem Parks Coalition, Making Music Matter, Movement Theatre Company, NY African Chorus Ensemble Inc., Ordeo Duo, and Take Wing & Soar Productions, Inc.  Major support for the Harlem Community Arts Fund is provided by the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation (UMEZ). An HCAF Grantee Showcase Weekend, April 30 & May 1, will introduce the new grant recipients and recognize the work of previous visual arts and filmmaker grantees at the Dwyer Cultural Center (258 St. Nicholas Avenue @ W. 123 Street) in Harlem. For more information visit www.harlemaa.org

The Harlem Community Arts Fund (HCAF) Grantee Showcase Weekend begins with a reception from 6pm to 8pm on Friday, April 30, to introduce the Winter 2010 HCAF recipients,  followed by a panel discussion and presentation of the work of past visual artist awardees Roy Secord, Misha McGlown and Sandra Bell, moderated by art curator, Debra Vanderburg Spencer. On Saturday, May 1, from Noon until 4:00pm, there will be a film showcase & panel discussion, featuring past HCAF-awarded filmmakers Joanes Prosper, James Gillard and Michelle Garcia, moderated by Moikgantsi Kgama, founder and executive director of ImageNation Cinema Foundation.  All of these activities take place at the Dwyer Cultural Center, 258 St. Nicholas Avenue (entrance on W. 123rd Street). The HCAF Grantee Showcase weekend is co-presented by the HARLEM Arts Alliance, the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance and the Shared Space Initiative.

The Harlem Community Arts Fund was established by the HARLEM Arts Alliance in 2008 to support the needs and aspirations of Harlem’s creative community and further the organizational and artistic development of both artists and arts organizations based in and providing service within the Harlem community bounded by 110th Streets, from the Hudson River to Fifth Avenue (Community Districts 9 & 10 only), and is not restricted on the basis of race, sexual preference, ethnicity or religious affiliation.

The HARLEM Arts Alliance is a not-for-profit service organization committed to nurturing the artistic growth and organizational development of artists and arts organizations based in Harlem and surrounding communities.  Over 700 members strong, the HARLEM Arts Alliance provides a critical set of programs and services for its constituents and serves as a strong voice for the artistic and cultural life of Harlem.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                  CONTACT:    Flo Wiley
March 31, 2010                                                    (347) 735-4475
                                                                          press@harlemaa.org

DESIGN PROPOSALS REQUESTED FOR 125th STREET BANNERS
Deadline: Friday, April 30, 2010, 5:00pm

(New York, NY, March 31, 2010) The BID ON CULTURE Project, a partnership of the 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID) and the HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA), is requesting design proposals for street banners which will be displayed along 125th Street beginning June 2010 as part of Black Music Month, in celebration of Harlem’s contribution to the history and development of music in America.  The Request for Design Proposal is open to professional visual artists at least 21 years of age, not matriculated in an educational institution, with an interest in Harlem. Special consideration will be given to artists currently living and working in Harlem.  The complete RFP can be downloaded from www.harlemaa.org and www.125thstreetbid.com.  The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 30, 2010 at 5:00pm via email to applications@harlemaa.org. For more information contact Michael Unthank, Executive Director, HAA, at (347) 735 4280.

Enhancing the streetscape of 125th Street through the BID ON CULTURE project involves 19 banners to be hung from street light poles along 125th Street from Morningside Avenue to 5th Avenue.  A total of 5 designs will be selected. Artist design submissions should effectively reflect Harlem as a center for musical expression and innovation. Submissions can depict well known individuals, venues and/or significant events or issues that reflect this general theme.  Designs may reflect varied musical genres, and can be cast in a historical or contemporary context.

Barbara Askins, CEO, 125th Street BID states, “Harlem’s cultural and economic landscape continues to be re-shaped by new investments, new residents, new businesses, new creative initiatives by performing and visual artists, and a dramatic increase in the number of visitors to this historic community.  At the BID we recognize the importance of arts and culture to Harlem’s continued economic vitality.  In Harlem supporting the arts is just good business.” 

Voza Rivers, HAA’s chairman, agrees, “Harlem’s reputation as a world-renowned cultural center is unparalleled and its mystique has been a magnet for both artists and audiences for decades.  125th Street has long been known as the social, cultural, and economic backbone of Harlem. Our new partnership will help to solidify 125th Street as Harlem’s primary cultural district.”

BID ON CULTURE, which began in 2009, is a campaign to help build a community-based vision of Harlem’s heritage, its role as a vibrant cultural center, and to promote the continued revitalization of 125th Street as the commercial and artistic heart of Harlem.  In 2009, the first BID ON CULTURE banners were displayed as a Women’s History Month tribute and featured the artists Andrea Arroyo, Laura Gadson, Wilhelmina Obatola Grant, Sharon Lewis, and Shimoda.

The important role played by arts and culture in urban revitalization is well established, and is documented in the study, Creating a Cultural Destination, commissioned by the 125th Street BID in 2007, and available online at www.125thstreetbid.com.

The 125th Street Business Improvement District (BID) A non-profit organization funded primarily from an additional tax assessment collected from the property owners within the defined boundaries.  Organized in compliance with state and city laws; the property and business owners determine the services and programs needed for the district.  The BID will utilize the competition to bring visibility to its streetscape improvement efforts and to enliven the community’s central business district.

The HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA) A not-for-profit service organization committed to nurturing the artistic growth and organizational development of artists and arts organizations based in Harlem and surrounding communities. Over 700 members strong, the HARLEM Arts Alliance provides a critical set of programs and services for its constituents and serves as a strong voice for the artistic and cultural life of Harlem. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                     Contact:               Flo Wiley
March 22, 2010                                                                                       (347) 735 4475
                                                                                                               press@harlemaa.org

1ST INTERNATIONAL ARTS EVENT A SUCCESS!
Audiences wowed by World Class Entertainers
(New York, New York March 22, 2010) Exclusive to Harlem News Group The crowd came into the Hip Hop Culture Center on Friday March 19th with high anticipation for the HARLEM Arts Alliance’s 1st International Arts Event and Dance Party.  And they were not disappointed.  From the opening act of Haitian American jazz vocalist Ms. Pauline Jean and her trio to the closing, “tear the roof off” performance by Harlem’s own Keith ‘The Captain’ Gamble and his group, it was a great evening of global cultural sharing.  By all accounts, a highlight of the evening was the gospel performance by Tokyo-based Taeko & the 31-member Gaika Mass Choir who traveled to Harlem on their own dime, most of whom spoke little English, but all of whom were fluent in Gospel.  Other performers included Carlos Norales and Bodoma  Garifuna, Joyce Adewumi’s New York African Chorus Ensemble, Oscar © and Grammy © nominated IMPACT Repertory Theater, Samurai Boot Camp, and host emcee’s Victor Burt and Yoshi Amao, who was recently named by TV Tokyo as one of “100 Japanese Who Could Change the World.” Vendors providing their own brand of excitement included Claude Jay’s Harlem My Love, Willie Mitchell Designs, Ron Seaborn and the restaurants Keur Sokhna, Amor Cubano, and Mischelle’s Catering.
The 1st International Arts Event also featured a DVD displaying the work of visual artists: Ademola Olugebefola, Arthur Harrison (Heru), Barbara Bullard (Leacock), Barbara Russell, Bayo Iribhogbe, Beatrice Lebreton, Bilal Salaam, Byron McCray, Carlos Martinez, Dan Snow, Dato Mio, David Silva, Enrico Miguel Thomas, Jae Kyung Kim, John Brathwaite, Joyce Stroman, Kalimah Iman, Kenneth Nelson, Laura R. Gadson, Lenore Browne, Leo Witlarge, Lynn Lieberman, Meri Leon Hernandez, Minerva Diaz, Risa Hirsch Ehrlich, Saami Blaze, Seahawk Wang-Radojcic, Shimoda, Sonia Barnett, Tony Serio, Trish Mayo and Willie Mitchell.
   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:             PRESS CONTACT:   Flo Wiley
March 1, 2010                                                    (347) 735 4475
                                                                                press@harlemaa.org
1st International Arts Event
Harlem: Our Shared Global Culture
Friday, March 19, 7pm
Hip Hop Culture Center in Harlem

(New York NY; March 1, 2010) The HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA) today announced that it will present a new annual showcase, the 1st International Arts Event, Harlem: Our Shared Culture, an evening of performance and fine arts showcasing the world cultures that are participants in and influenced by this iconic community.  The featured performing artists include Bodoma Garifuna (Honduras), the New York African Chorus (Continental Africa, Asia, USA), The Pauline Jean Trio (Haitian American), Taeko & Gaika Mass Choir (from Tokyo, Japan), and Keith “The Captain” Gamble (Harlem/USA). Yoshi Amao and Victor Burt are the masters of ceremony for the evening.  Selected Harlem-based fine artists, including Bayo Iribhogbe, Haiying ‘Seahawk’ Wang and Byron McCray, are also scheduled to participate. Tickets are priced at $25, $20 for HAA members, and are on sale at the HARLEM Arts Alliance website www.harlemaa.org, Advance purchase is recommended.

Michael Unthank, HAA executive director, states, “we want to establish this as an annual event that specifically recognizes the coming together of cultures into the dramatic mix that contributes to the Harlem brand worldwide. We tend to see cultural expression as inclusive and look forward to exploring the way that Harlem’s culture has been shared throughout the world in food, dance and fashion as well as through the more traditionally perceived visual and performing arts.”

The 1st International Arts Festival is produced by the HARLEM Arts Alliance in association with Joyce Adewumi and Kyoko Uchiki with support from the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corp., JP Morgan Chase, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts and the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce. 

The HARLEM Arts Alliance is a not-for-profit service organization committed to nurturing the artistic growth and organizational development of artists and arts organizations based in Harlem and surrounding communities.  Over 700 members strong, the HARLEM Arts Alliance provides a critical set of programs and services for its constituents and serves as a strong voice for the artistic and cultural life of Harlem.
PRESS: For on-site interviews, photo ops, and event admission, an RSVP is requested by Monday, March 15, 12:00pm Noon to Flo Wiley, by email to press@harlemaa.org or phone to (347) 735-4475. All press requests are subject to review and will be confirmed in writing by Wednesday March 17, 2010.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                    PRESS CONTACT:   Flo Wiley
February 17, 2010                                                            (347) 735 4475
                                                                             press@harlemaa.org

UPTOWN ARTS COLLABORATION RECEIVES
NY COMMUNITY TRUST GRANT
$50,000 to establish Enhanced Technical Assistance Services Network

(New York NY, February 17, 2010) The HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA) and the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) today announced that they have been awarded a $50,000 grant from The New York Community Trust to launch the Enhanced Technical Assistance Services Network, to provide technical and resource building services to underserved small arts groups, artists and musicians in Upper Manhattan. These funds will provide panels and workshops on topics such as arts marketing fundamentals, fundraising,  audience development, and strategic planning; the creation of collaborative cross-marketing strategies; and the formation of a voluntary Advisory Council drawn from the arts, business and education sectors in upper Manhattan.

Sandra A. Garcia Betancourt, NoMAA Executive Director, says “the services that HAA and NoMAA will provide through this collaboration, respond to the developmental needs of the artistic and cultural community in upper Manhattan, including the needs of new immigrants, Latino/Spanish speaking artists and arts groups that face enormous challenges due to language barriers which impede their ability to navigate institutions and systems through which they could access resources and opportunities. The New York Community Trust Grant will allow us to strengthen the uptown arts and culture community through a technical assistance program that is accessible to all, and made available in English and Spanish.”

Michael Unthank, HAA Executive Director, says “the communities that comprise Northern Manhattan are among the most diverse and vibrant that can be found anywhere and the arts are the engine that fuels their excitement and vitality. This is an important collaboration between the area’s two service agencies that will support better coordination of the services that we provide, help us broaden our reach and strengthen the capacity of our artists and arts organizations to make an even greater contribution to our communities in the future.”

Other collaborations between HAA and NoMAA include Havana to Harlem, a program featuring an exhibition and community dialogue with renowned Cuban printmaker, Eduardo Roca Salazar (Chocó); Cultivating and Engaging Audiences in Northern Manhattan, an audience development symposium presented in conjunction with the Wallace Foundation in December 2009 and Arts for All, an advocacy-training seminar presented with other arts organizations of color and with American for the Arts in November 2009.

The HARLEM Arts Alliance (HAA) was founded in 2001 by a group of artists and community activists and has since grown from an informal network of members and volunteers to a non-profit, professionally staffed and wide-ranging arts service organization with a mission to nurture the artistic growth and organizational development of artists and arts organizations based in Harlem and surrounding communities and a membership of over 700.  As the only arts service organization of its kind in Harlem, HAA serves as a strong voice for the artistic community and plays a key role in the health of the community’s cultural ecosystem as it provides a critical set of programs and services to some of the community’s most valuable assets – artists and arts organizations. For more information visit www.harlemaa.org

The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) is a non-profit arts service organization launched in 2007 under the incubation of the Hispanic Federation and with the financial support of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone.  NoMAA’s mission is to cultivate, support and promote the works of artists and arts organizations in Northern Manhattan. Since 2007, NoMAA has been serving and promoting the works the Washington Heights/Inwood artists and arts organizations, as well as developing partnerships with businesses and other institutions to increase the visibility of this area of Manhattan. For more information visit www.nomaanyc.org

About The New York Community Trust
Since 1924, the New York Community Trust has been the community foundation of New York City, helping charitable individuals, families and businesses to improve the quality of life for all the area’s residents through an aggregate of 2,000 funds. The Trust is dedicated to meeting the changing needs of children, youth and families; aid in community development; improve the environment; promote health; assist people with special needs; and support education, arts and human justice.  The Trust is governed by a 12-member Distribution Committee composed of community leaders appointed by a variety of civic institutions.  Its staff is recognized for its experience in grantmaking, financial administration, and donor service.  Divisions are located on Long Island and in Westchester.  In 2009, The Trust made grants of $127 million from assets of $1.8 billion (unaudited).  For more information visit www.nycommunitytrust.org

(New York, New York October 26, 2009) Exclusive to Harlem News Group Sunday October 25 was one of those very special Harlem cultural afternoons as the HARLEM Arts Alliance welcomed Eduardo Roca Salazar (Choco) in a Havana to Harlem afternoon of celebration at the Dwyer Cultural Center on St. Nicholas Avenue.

Over 300 people attended throughout the afternoon celebration which lasted from 1 o'clock until 6:00pm. Among those attending were Voza Rivers and Michael Unthank of the HARLEM Arts Alliance, Marta Moreno Vega, of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, Deborah Spencer of the New York State Council on the Arts, Sandra Garcia Betancourt of the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, Steven Fullwood of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and artist Ademola Olugebefola,  of the International Communications Association.

The celebration's keynote was a lively mid-afternoon conversation between Eduardo Roca Salazar (Choco) and Dr. Marta Moreno Vega. They talked about art and cultural development and the continuing influence of African art on his work since his travels throughout Africa in the 1980s. He is one of the leading printmakers in the world and is in New York rarely.  He is in the U.S. now as an artist-in-residence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Choco's artwork was available for sale during the Sunday afternoon event and sold briskly.

The celebration also included a reception with Cuban cuisine from Amore Cubano on East 11th & Third Avenue and music by Son x Tres.

PHOTOS W/CAPTIONS TO COME

10/05/09 - 10/07/09 Harlem Arts Advocacy Week "Culture Is Harlem's Business"

04/22/09 - StyleWhipped co-hosts the HARLEM Arts Alliance Fundraiser
 

03/26/09 - BID On Culture Street Banners Unveiled for Harlem's 125th Street

ARTS DAY IN ALBANY

By HAA member, Yvette Heyliger

June 14, 2007

The mission of the HARLEM Arts Alliance is to nurture the artistic growth and organizational development of artists and arts organizations. This mission is served by the ongoing implementation of three program strands: Artists and Arts Organizations Advancement, Special Projects and Advocacy and Education.

Under the banner of Advocacy and Education, HAA “seeks to elevate arts and culture, specifically in Harlem, and on a national level in general; to build support for the arts on city, state and federal levels and include strategic alliances with other similar organizations engaged in advocacy efforts.”

To this end, this past Spring, on a brisk March morning at 7:00 am, members of the HARLEM Arts Alliance representing visual, performing, literary and craft artists, as well as arts organizations, boarded a bus departing from the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building to attend Arts Day in Albany. Held on Tuesday, March 6, 2007, Arts Day in Albany, a day especially set aside to lobby for the arts in our State Capitol, was hosted by the Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations. One of the primary purposes of the day was to ask Governor Eliot Spitzer for an increase in New York State Council on the Arts funding to $54 million, or just $2.80 per New York State resident.

About the significance of this day, Linda Walton, HAA Executive Director said, “The arts are an essential ingredient in our lives and to the quality of life in Harlem and its surrounding communities. Artists, arts organizations, arts enthusiasts and advocates have been invited to join in this effort which will present a unified voice for the arts in Albany. The presence of HAA members will raise the visibility of the HARLEM Arts Alliance, ensuring that our unique voice is heard by our legislators, as well as show enthusiastic support for arts funding for Harlem and for New York State Council on the Arts.”

It was a great day for the Arts, graciously lead by Senator Serphin Maltese and attended by Senators who endorse an increase in funding to NYCSA, including Senator Thomas Duane and Senator William Stachowski, as well as Harlem’s own Senator Bill Perkins. Senator Maletese presided over the testimonies delivered in the Hearing Room by a panel of selected members of the NY State arts community. This diverse panel included Voza Rivers, Chairman of the HARLEM Arts Alliance and Executive Producer of New Heritage Theatre Group.

Mr. Rivers delivered a compelling plea to increase NYSCA funding, saying in part:

“We believe that the NYSCA budget should be significantly increased by the state legislators to $54 million dollars. Our state legislators should explore long-term funding strategies for NYSCA rather than concentrate on short-term solutions.

Significant changes are occurring in arts funding. Changes signaled in part by recent large reductions in government funding. Also philanthropic support for the arts is more restrictive than it was a decade ago. Such changes have had the predictable result which is that art organizations are increasingly hard pressed to find additional support for their programming.

One of our greatest challenges is how to exist in the next decade. Even with a reliable staff, effective partnerships with other presenting partners, quality performances that encourage and support new works while preserving classic works; it is not enough without increased support. In a very short time institutions like ours will become extinct. However something can be done to prevent this from occurring.

Increased support to NYSCA will help support the essential work of arts organizations with a dual objective of enhancing the quality of work and the capacity of organizations to present to the public, in such a way, that both the integrity of the art presenters and the viability of the institutions are sustained. Please support this initiative for increased funding for NYSCA and keep arts and culture alive and flourishing in New York.”

Mr. Rivers’ remarks were enthusiastically supported, especially by HARLEM Arts Alliance members, and this was noted by our legislators. HARLEM Arts Alliancewas in the house!

After testimonies were heard, Senator Maltese announced a resolution proclaiming March 6, 2007 as “Arts Day” in the State of New York. This resolution was presented to Judith Weiner, the Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations (AONYSAO) and Veronica Claypool, AONYSAO board member, managing director, Theater Development Fund, and member of HAA.

Senator Maltese was clearly pleased with the enthusiastic turn out and dubbed us “citizen advocacy lobbyists.” He explained that as citizens, we have a great deal of power and he supported us in the use of that power by visiting the offices of our legislators and assemblymen throughout the day to lobby for increased funding for NYSCA. At the very least, he said, we should be sure to sign the Visitor’s Log in each office and to include a note asking each legislator to increase NYSCA’s funding or thanking them for their continued support of the arts. HAA members followed through with this charge and also left calling cards which said, “400+ Strong.” These calling cards described the size of HAA, included our mission and programs and invited the recipient of the card to become a member.

Students from the Program in Arts Administration at Columbia University's Teachers College attended Arts Day in Albany, as well. These students were part of a new course entitled "ADVOCATES FOR THE ARTS FOR THE FUTURE" which is designed to give students a hands-on experience advocating for the arts in New York through practical projects with HARLEM Arts Allianceand the New York City arts and political community. The course was taught by Joan Jeffri, Director of the Research Center for Arts and Culture with Linda Walton and Voza Rivers (HAA), Sherre Wesley and Judith Weiner (AONYSAO) serving as advisors/mentors. The students undertook a series of efforts, investigating and assessing the Harlem cultural landscape through artist focus groups and interviews with local arts organizations and elected officials. Their findings were presented in December at HAA's monthly meeting and at a meeting convened at HAA office for funders, arts organizations, and elected officials. The course, which began in the Fall of 2006, culminated with the student's traveling to Albany, a fitting conclusion to the 'in-depth experience in the research and practice of advocacy" that the students gained as a result of taking this innovative course

Aleathia Brown, HAA member and curator for several of HAA events, organized a meeting between the visual artists present and Black Dimensions in Art, Black Dimensions in Art is an organization whose purpose is to stimulate interest in the creative expressions of Black artists through educating the public about the contributions of past and present Black artists; provide exposure, exhibitions and sales opportunities for Black artists; and encourage black youth in the practice and appreciation of the arts. The purpose of the meeting was to connect the “upstate” artists (ex. Troy, Schenectady, and Albany) with the “downstate” artists (the five boroughs of Manhattan and Westchester). This networking forum (particularly focused on artists of color) was the first step in building an alliance between HARLEM Arts Allianceand Black Dimensions in Art. We look forward to this partnership bearing fruit in the near future.

“The Well,” an open pavilion in the Legislative Office Building, was the center of activity throughout the day with exhibits, booths and performances. HARLEM Arts Alliancehad an exhibition booth and in addition to other NY state arts groups, yours truly, HAA member Yvette Heyliger, had the opportunity to perform a monologue from my play, What Would Jesus Do?

What Would Jesus Do? was written as a result of a grant from New York State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Program, so I know first hand the importance of this funding and its impact on my work as an artist. Receiving an individual artist grant made it possible for this one artist to contribute one play about HIV/AIDS to NY State residents in my community of Harlem (and beyond) where a difference could be made in HIV education and prevention through theatre. Reading a monologue from the play was very meaningful for me, as I appreciated the "full-circle" moment that was represented by my having this opportunity on Arts Day.

Increasing arts funding for NYSCA is very important to sustaining the arts. Being awarded a NYSCA grant says that you, as an artist or arts organization, have something of value to offer to the residents of the great state of New York and especially to your very own community, in this case, Harlem. Art is far reaching in its effect and in its ability to be of service to the citizens of our state (and ultimately our nation). As a "citizen advocacy lobbyists,” HARLEM Arts Alliancemembers are doing their part to insure that more artists and arts organizations, have that opportunity.

Arts Day in Albany has prompted HAA Chair and Executive Director to create a "Harlem Arts Advocacy Day" to occur on an annual basis, with the first event taking place in the Fall of 2007. Keep an eye (and ear!) out for future announcements.

See you on the bus next year!

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We were all treated to live music from the Tevin Thomas Trio and enjoyed delicious food from Michelle's Catering & Bistro. Our very special celebrity host of the evening, Law & Order: SVU's Tamara Tunie (and a great friend to both Michael and me), also spoke to the crowd, explaining her own dedication to Harlem and all the artistry it has inspired. Of course, the purpose of the event was to raise money for HAA, so to help that cause, we held an incredible raffle...the four prizes included a gift certificate to N, a bracelet by jewelry designer Shimoda (one of HAA's featured  artists), a necklace from jewelry designer Nerissa Rivers-Lawrence (another of HAA's talented featured artists), and two tickets to Cirque du Soleil (the winner of which actually jumped up and down in excitement!). I have to reiterate the talent of both Shimoda and Nerissa...both of their designs are original and statement-making...definitely watch out for editorial coverage of their collections right here on StyleWhipped!

Our guests included uptown and downtown residents...lovers of the  arts, supporters of HARLEM Arts Alliance, those who will now be future supporters of HAA, and everyone in-between. A few extra-special guests who need to be mentioned include Voza Rivers, the Chairman of HAA, Brad Learmonth, the Director of Programming from The Harlem Stage, and Linda Walton, the VP of Programming at JazzMobile. We would also love to thank Lenn Shebar, Nikoa Evans and Larry Ortiz, the three fabulous owners of N Boutique for letting us use their gorgeous space.