November 28, 2023

To whom it may concern:

We, the undersigned residents of East Brooklyn and the members of New York’s creative community, join forces with a shared objective — to wholeheartedly endorse and express our enthusiastic support for the Brownsville Arts Center [BAC]. 

As residents, business owners, artists, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, nonprofit organizations supporting the arts, and more, we have witnessed first-hand the integral role arts and cultural play in shaping the fabric of a community.  Increasing access to affordable arts education, cultural programming, and studio space, dance studios, media labs, performance space, and exhibition space, like those at the BAC, will provide a vital place for creative expression and community empowerment.

Our collective voice serves as a testament to our shared values and commitment to advocating for the establishment of new cultural facilities like the Brownsville Arts Center, that will ensure quality cultural programming and creative opportunities are accessible and affordable to all, regardless of zip code, age, race, color, national origin, or income.

Unfortunately, despite New York State’s extraordinary cultural assets and significant public and private investments, not all New Yorkers have equal access to the transformative benefits of arts and culture. Certain communities continue to receive more cultural funding and public resources than others and these inequities often skew along the lines of race and income.  Nowhere is this more apparent than here in Brownsville and the surrounding East Brooklyn communities. The Brownsville Arts Center represents a pivotal step towards rectifying this imbalance and improving access for the long under-resourced and under-represented residents, students, artists, audiences, and cultural workers of East Brooklyn.

 We, as a group, represent a broad spectrum of interests and disciplines ranging from visual arts to performing arts, literary pursuits to heritage preservation, and much more.  Our diversity mirrors the rich mosaic of New York’s cultural identity, and our unity underscores the significance of the cause we are advocating for.

 We strongly support the creation of the Brownsville Arts Center and its mission to help foster a thriving cultural sector that is affordable and accessible to all.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Brian Adamczyk, Brooklyn Music School

Godwin Adams

Beth Allen, Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance

La'Shawn Allen-Muhammad, Central Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation

Gerard Allison, Youth Design Center

Jaala Alston

Alexis Aquino, Brownsville Community Culinary Center

Ragnhild Ragz Bruland, Flex Dance Program Inc.

Natalie Capers, Central Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation

Emma Cookson, Brooklyn Arts Council

Jonathan Delva, Brownsville Community Justice Center

Essie Duggan

Angus Fischer, Innovative Resilience East Brooklyn Village Inc.

Ana Frink, Youth Design Center

Wilfredo Florentino, Rooted Theater Company

Peta-Gaye Keane, Brownsville Community Justice Center

Jilian Gersten, Brooklyn Org.

Felice Graham

Catherine Green-Johnson, ARTs East New York

Rasu Jilani, Brooklyn Arts Council

Alex Johnson

Javon Johnson, Empowering Youth Towards Excellence Inc

Kwesi Johnson, Brownsville Community Justice Center

Kevin Joseph, Purelements An Evolution in Dance

Manuel Larino, Brownsville Community Justice Center

Ivi Lewis, Youth Design Center, Inc.

Quardean Lewis-Allen, Youth Design Center, Inc.

Tyrone Love

Jabari Nedd

Camille Newman, Womens Business Center LDCENY

Sainabou Njai, African Peach Arts Coalition Inc.

Anita Pierce, Eleven3seven5

Shawnese Powdar

Raynah Robinson

Lucy Sexton, New Yorkers for Culture & Arts

Adrianna Sweeney

Alexis Takahashi, Brownsville Community Justice Center

Cheryl Todmann, The Stars of New York Dance

Mallory Thatch, Brownsville Community Justice Center

Larry Weekes, Fulton Art Fair, Inc.

Shawn Wharton-Scott

Shaneka Willimas