FY12 Proposal

ARTS EAST NEW YORK INC.

….. inspiring our community

FISCAL YEAR 2011-2012

A PROPOSAL TO:

NY State Senator John Sampson

409 Legislative Office Building

Albany, NY 12247

January 10, 2011

The Honorable Senator John Sampson

ATTN: Ms. Celeste Knight

409 Legislative Office Building

Albany, NY 12247

ARTs East New York is pleased to submit this request for your review. We look forward to your partnership and support in our efforts to improve the quality of life in East New York through the arts. We are requested the amount of $50,000 in funding to support our general operating expenses so that we can effectively run our youth program initiatives, neighborhood beautification projects and community events series. We are seeking your partnership in our general operating expenses so that our administrative branch can excel operationally in order for our community initiatives to experience a continuous pattern of growth. With your support our youth program the “Young ARTist Institute” can continue to offer our local youth a curriculum in the arts that is geared towards, building a strong skill set, positive self image, and community involvement during non-school hours. This program is free of charge and is located at the New Lots public library so that it is easily accessible to parents and students. Your support will also help us to execute our “Mural Mile” community beautification initiative that is designed as a call to end the violence hindering our community by displaying this message in public art along the stretch of Livonia Ave where gangs have destroyed with tags. Here our community members are able to participate in murals that will boost the vitality of the neighborhood. Our two community events programs feature unique performance and visual artists to the audience. The first presentation titled "Summer Saturdaze" is an eight-week event series takes place every Saturday from 12p-2p in July and August at the East New York Farmers Market. The latter is an event titled "ARTsPLOTION" a holiday tree lighting ceremony in December at the New Lots Triangle, here members of the community unite to view local artists perform and experience a display of neighborhood unity. The arts play a vital role within a community and we want to provide an outlet for the East New York community to appreciate and participate in it. These events and programs will set the standard of cultural excellence and create a legacy of multi-cultural and intergenerational participation in the arts for our neighborhood. Your ongoing investment in our community programs and projects will enable us to continue to effectively serve our community, and its residents. Thank you for your interest in ARTs East New York. We envision building upon our collaborative success by developing our cultural enrichment programs with you. Sincerely, Catherine A. Green Executive Director/Founder ARTs East New York Inc.

568 Jerome St.

Brooklyn, NY 11207

[email protected]

www.artseastny.com

917.756.0133

MISSION, PURPOSE & HISTORY

ARTs East New York is committed to presenting, promoting and preserving multi

cultural arts to encourage the artistic development of our community. We believe

that arts and culture are an essential component of community life. Our belief is that

showcasing the arts is absolutely essential – they are community assets that offer

hope and encouragement to its residents. Our purpose is to provide an enriching

environment in which our audiences may experience and become inspired by a

broad array of distinctive aesthetic and cultural programs.

We exist in order to provide comprehensive community programs, a centralized

network of artistic and cultural resources to the residents of East New York. Our

programs and events serve as a conduit to cultural enrichment, community pride and

progressive thinking via comprehensive exposure of artistic ingenuity at no to low

cost.

In August 2009 five community members decided to take a stand for the East New

York neighborhood and the cultural premise that enlightening a community changes

and sets a sustainable pattern of growth and development for all who reside there.

They understood that artistic and cultural influence serves as a catalyst for enormous

economic growth, cultural unity and educational improvements in neighborhoods

that participate. ARTs East New York was the product of their determination and

foresight.

Arts East New York Inc. runs three programs, community events, community

beautification projects and arts instructions for the youth. These programs are all

designed to improve the quality of life in the East New York community by using the

arts as a cultural tool for change. Our goals include : 1. On-Going Arts Instruction-

Providing and advocating for quality and diversified arts instruction to the youth of

the East New York community. 2. Community Vitality- Increase accessibility and

affordability to the arts for East New York residents. Revitalizing Economic prosperity

by creating jobs for community residents and promoting local business. 3. Bridge

Building - Offering our programs as a link to various resources to all community

residents.

ARTS EAST NEW YORK INC.

PROJECT REQUEST

The Funding Request ARTs East New York Inc. respectfully requests $50,000.00 from The Honorable New York State Senator John Sampson toward general operating support for Fiscal Year 2012. This funding will significantly expand our community outreach and maintain the high quality of our successful programs. Purpose of Grant ARTs East New York Inc. provides access and affordability the residents of East New York, while addressing socio-economic issues that hinder our community's growth. East New York is 80% African American, 10% Hispanic, 2% White, 8% mixed/other. Over half the population of nearly 90,000 individuals lives below the poverty line and receives public assistance. We seek to address this area's lack of access and exposure to the arts through a broad array of distinctive aesthetic and cultural programs at free to low cost. In turn, these programs will inspire others to create positive change for the community. Our vision is to make East New York known as "The Community of Creativity," where the arts are a fixture that make this the very best place in East Brooklyn to live, learn, work, and play. This funding assistance will assist our organizations efforts by providing much needed support in the following areas: We currently serve 500 community members, with this funding we can increase organizational visibility for families,

children, merchants etc. participation in our programs.

Aquire office space to offer business hour access to our staff and resourses that we can provide to our direct population.

Build organizational capacity to meet our mission We believe that arts and culture are an essential component of community life. Our belief is that showcasing the arts is absolutely essential – they are community assets that offer hope and encouragement to its residents. Our purpose is to provide an enriching environment in which our audiences may experience and become inspired by a broad array of distinctive aesthetic and cultural programs. Anticipated Outcomes

Funding for ARTs East New York under this proposal will facilitate significant growth in the number of at-risk parents, children and underserved community members participating in our programs. This funding will have the following important impacts:

help alleviate poverty, crime and pollution by providing resources such as NYC Office of Economic Development etc., to our direct population during programming and in office location.

Provide access to high quality arts education in order to develop the full creative potential of all East New York residents.

provide an alternative to negative activities for our youth during out of school time.

increase community participation in improvement activities

Share industry developments, research and publications with community leaders and residents that reinforce the benefits of bringing the arts into community conversations.

Provide and/or link local artists to the skills, funding and training needed to make them stable, innovative and active community participants and partners.

Anticipate new directions and challenges that will be important to the lives of East New Yorkers and their community, including the need for affordable housing, poverty, violence, healthy living using the arts as a tool for education and change in these subjects.

ARTS EAST NEW YORK INC.

REQUEST TO

THE HONORABLE NYS SENATOR JOHN

SAMPSON

For support of general operating funding

Amount: $50,000.00

FY 2012

ORGANIZATION LEADERSHIP

Catherine A. Green Executive Director/Founder ARTs East New York Inc.

Catherine A. Green is the founder and Executive Director of ARTs East New York a non-profit organization dedicated to developing a

deeper appreciation for the arts, community pride and artistic programming for disadvantaged youth in the community. She was

raised in Rosedale, NY and moved to East New York in 1992. She attended Richmond Hill HS where she developed a love for the arts

and spent her senior year interning for world reknown Ethiopian wedding dress designer Manale’. She moved on to higher education

and studied Fashion Design at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC and began her own clothing label at 23 years old “She’ She’ La

Phounque” where she traveled nationally participating in shows and building a large client base. She then went on to begin an

illustrious career in leadership positions for Federated Department Stores and Gap Inc.. As her family grew, now being a wife and

mother of three, her priorities began to shift. After moving back into East New York with her family, she began to notice that gun

violence, neighborhood cleanliness and overall community pride was still an issue more than a decade later. She then took a deeper

look at the resources available for cultural events and artistic classes in the neighborhood only to find that families that reside here

would have to travel outside of the community for this sort of lifestyle. With these community necessities missing from East New

York she developed her mission for the organization. Catherine is committed to exposing the community to cultural and artistic

activities that are coupled with the socio-economic issues facing the neighborhood. These progressive projects are intended to

provoke forward thinking, political activism, an overall sense of neighborhood pride and a deeper appreciation for the arts. She

created ARTs East New York to effect real change in this community and a dedication towards progression.

Professional Achievements

Conceptualized, coordinated and executed in-store client events, presentations, fashion shows, trunk shows, arts events, product/corporate meetings and training classes.

Extensive background in personnel operations, including experience in employee recruitment and retention, hiring, budget management, staff development, mediation, conflict resolution, benefits and compensation, HR records management and operational compliance audits.

Demonstrated success in negotiating win-win compromises, developing teambuilding programs and training staff on personnel manuals, corporate policies, job descriptions and management reports.

Key Skills

HR Department Startup

Employment Law

FMLA/ADA/EEO/WC

Mediation & Advocacy

Career Fair Presentation

Staff Recruitment & Retention

Employee Relations

Benefits Administration

Teambuilding

Event Production

Orientation & On-Boarding

Training & Development

Performance Management

Organizational Development

HR Policies & Procedures

Education B.A. Fashion Design – Meredith College - Raleigh, NC; Fashion Events Planning Cert. – Fashion Inst. of Technology - NY,NY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS E. Cameron Foster

President

75th

Precinct Clergy Representative

Cypress Hills Local Development - Program Director

Eleanor Picnkney

Vice President

Nehemiah Homeowners Association - President

Nadine Cummings

Treasurer

Computer Architect – Arrow Inc.

Marissa Fierz

Secretary

Law Fellow – Center for NYC Law

Cary Barnes

Board Member

Community Activist

VOLUNTEERS/INTERNS

Abdul Badi – Teaching Artist Allen Abelson – Teaching Artist Ola Ogunkoya – Teaching Artist Bryant Torres – Teaching artist Waylen Parker – Teaching Artist Jonathan Browne – Teaching Artist Cruz Fuksman – Social Worker Ashley Bostick – Marketing/PR Coordinator Lina Elder – Finance Assistant Erica Townsend – Events Coordinator Raj Richardson – Fundraising Coordinator

Programs

&

Activities

YOUTH PROGRAM

“THE YOUNG ARTIST INSTITUTE”

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The” Young Artist Institute” enriches the lives of East New York youth through ongoing developmental instruction in the arts. It is an outside-of-school experience that offers quality arts instruction, community involvement, social and internship experiences that prepare them for a variety of workplace settings, encourages students to pursue opportunities in the arts and face the challenges of their community in innovative ways. The program embodies our mission to use the arts as a tool for change. Students will also take positivity workshops and are offered professional development courses. Our positivity workshop series offers students a unique opportunity to explore topics that affect their lives such as self-esteem, gang-violence, bullying, peer-pressure etc. The professional development component to this program includes an event planning course for all students, here they design, plan, budget and implement presentations for public display. They collaborate and create themed events that combine their artistic training and topics addressed during positivity workshops as a tool to combat the social ills that cripple the community. For our students ages 13 and over who are interested in pursuing any of the artistic disciplines professionally, YAI offers an internship program. Here they receive leadership training in which we place our best students as assistants to their instructors or with partnering arts organizations in Brooklyn during the summer.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

This ongoing program offers the youth who live in this community the opportunity to attain quality arts instruction during after-school hours that are not offered elsewhere in the community. Through these arts courses they will address issues that affect the community that they live in and explore ways to improve the quality of life by using the arts as a tool for change. There are two projects that the students will complete that will serve as community events that they plan themselves. The first project will entail the dedication of the African Burial Ground located under the New Lots Library where our courses are held. The library site is thought to be a Revolutionary-era burial ground, containing the remains of soldiers, slaves, and English officers. This historical information will be included in the student curriculum, students will design an event that will educate the community about this rich piece of history. Their second project will serve as an event to speak out against the violence that destroys this community. Here again the students will work together to plan events using their creative abilities to bring about positive

change within the neighborhood.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

“SUMMER SATURDAZE”

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The “Summer Saturdaze” event series are designed to establish a love for the arts by providing accessibility and affordability to rich cultural and high-quality artistic entertainment for the East New York community. This inter-generational ongoing program takes place every Saturday in July and August from 12p-2p, each event will vary in content and artistic discipline. East New York community members will be able to gain access to high quality artistic programs and entertainment within their very own community free of charge. Our audience will enjoy 8 themed, family friendly multicultural performances from genres such as Jazz, Folk, Classical etc.. Our audience will also have an opportunity to meet one local visual artist each week who will speak about their work and display it for purchase and encourage discussion. Here we are instilling a deeper connection with the arts by inspiring our audience to pursue, support and advocate for the arts in this community. Participants will not only experience art forms that have rarely been showcased in this community they will join together as one voice to create the change they would like to see in their very own streets. This program also serves as a bridge building effort by introducing a “community talk” time slot during each event lead by residents, community leaders and special guest speakers that share experiences, resources and information with the audience surrounding targeted socio-economic issues our event seeks to dissolve. This is an opportunity to connect with community residents about what they can do collectively to promote change and improve their own quality of life w/o waiting on any governmental reaction to their demands. Our audience will learn to take the steps towards an improved quality of life with the power of arts and culture as a source of inspiration.

“ARTSPLOTION”

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This annual Holiday tree lighting ceremony for the East New York community will showcase high quality artistic performances, provide a platform to speak out against violence and promote local business all free for the residents of East New York. This culturally enriching community gathering is geared to establish a love for the arts as well an opportunity to target specific socio-economic issues that cripple the growth of our neighborhood. Each East New York community member is able to gain access to quality artistic programs and entertainment within their very own community free of charge. Our audience will enjoy interactive, family friendly multicultural programming while collectively working towards community growth. Participants will not only experience art forms that have rarely been showcased in their community they will join together as one voice to create the change they would like to see in their very own streets. This is an opportunity to connect with community residents about what they can do collectively to promote change and improve their neighborhood.

“MURAL MILE”

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Our community beautification initiative "Mural Mile" seeks to transform the visual aspect of Livonia Ave. from its beginning to its end. The Mural Mile project brings together artists, youth, and community organizations to use art as a tool for social change. This project seeks to beautify neighborhood, engage youth in societal and personal transformation, and give expression to ideas and perspectives that are underrepresented in the public dialogue. Here an artist is selected to lead a group of students in our “Young Artist Institute” program who take our weekly visual arts workshop to create the mural as a team. Youth in our “YAI” program develop and hone their skills in four key areas—creativity; collaboration; critical thinking and compassion. In the after-school-year and summer programs, they master skills in art making to: communicate ideas; work effectively with others to accomplish common goals; make informed decisions though researching, analyzing, discussing, and finding solutions to problems; and to build awareness of and empathy for others. The students gather the logistics of the space that they will work on, this shows them how to measure and gather mathematical and scientific data. They then decide on a theme that deals with socio-economic issues that they community faces then research ways to solve these hinderances. After they gather this information they begin to sketch out their ideas as the instructor helps them to artistically communicate their message clearly. Students then reach out to the community for feedback, overall approval and to recruit volunteers for its execution. The

COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION

COMMUNITY IMPACT

The goal is to re-awaken a sense of pride and culture in their surroundings among the

residents of East New York. An integral aspect of Groundswell's mission is to engage

East New York residents, local merchants and community organizations in a process

of learning how public art can inspire change and enhance understanding of valuing

their neighborhood.This initiative is a mechanism to instill a strong cultural identity that

makes all who reside, work and serve this community proud to identify with.

PROJECT REQUEST BUDGET

General operating Support

Actual Expense ProposalRequest

Executive Director $40,000 $24.05/hr @ 40hrs/week (52 weeks) 24,500

Fringe n/a Health, Dental Coverage

Subtotal $40,000

Asst. Director $11,520 Monthly Stipend ($15/hr @ 16hrs/week @ 48 weeks) 0

PR Representative $3,000 $500/campaign @ 6 campaigns 0

Website Designer $200 To design layout for website 0

Attorney $2,000 Retainer Fee 0

CPA $1,000 Annual Tax Preperation, Ongoing advisement 0

Subtotal $17,720

Rent $24,000 Monthly Rental agreement, Deposit/Fees 12000

Utilities $5,000 Lights, Gas, Internet, Phone etc. 5000

Petty Cash $1,000 To be replinished on an ongoing basis 0

Office Supplies $2,000 Paper, Cleaning Products, maintance Supplies etc. 1000

Printing/Copies $2,000 Applications, Marketing materials, Press Kits etc. 2000

Website Maintance $500 Monthly Online Updates, Fees 500

Equipment $10,000 Furniture, CopyMachine, Telephone, Computers 5000

Subtotal $44,500 0

TOTAL Requested 50,000

Personnel

Contract Labor

Operational Expenses

CURRENT FUNDERS, SUPPORTERS AND AFFILIATIONS

*Funders

Citizens Committee for New York City*

Brooklyn Arts Council*

Bank of America*

Meadow Wood at Gateway*

Verizon Wireless*

Municipal Credit Union*

Community Board 5

East New York United Concerned Citizens

St. Paul’s Community Baptist Church

Man Up Inc.

New Lots Merchants Association*

East New York Farmers Market

Brooklyn Community Foundation*

Brooklyn Public Library

Brooklyn Legal Services

Long Island University – Brooklyn Campus

75th Precinct

Lois H. Pink Houses Community Center

Community Action Coalition

George Walker Jr. Community Coalition

Groundwork

East New York Urban Youth Corp.

Lincoln Center

United Community Centers

East New York Farmers Market

Pratt Institute*

Cypress Hills Local Development

Lindenwood Diner*

Supplemental

Materials

568 Jerome St., Brookyn, NY 11207 | Phone: 917.756.0133 | Fax: 347.365.1656

[email protected] | www.artseastny.com