City Council to Vote on Westchester Square BID

There is a vote tomorrow related to a new BID. If interested in casting a vote please see below.

Gregory

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Vacca Spearheads Formation of BID

Tomorrow at the City Council Stated Meeting, the Council will be voting on the formation of a new Business Improvement District (BID) in the Westchester Square section of the Bronx. With the Council’s approval, it will become the Bronx’s ninth BID.

Support for the Westchester Square BID began nearly four years ago under the guidance of Councilman James Vacca and members of the Westchester Square Merchants Association. The approval of the BID continues the turnaround of Westchester Square, along with the renovation of Owen Dolen Park and the donation of the former Washington Mutual Bank by J.P. Morgan Chase to the Bronx Council of the Arts.

WHO: New York City Council Members

John Bonizio, Chair of the Westchester Square BID Steering Committee

Joe Regina, Member, Westchester Square BID Steering Committee

Greg Perry, President, Westchester Square Merchants Association

WHERE: Council Chambers, City Hall

WHEN: Wednesday, February 29 at 1:30 p.m.

BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS Talent Quest 2012

The tradition continues! If you’re an artist looking to take the world by storm, please read on.

Good luck

Gregory

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BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS
Talent Quest 2012
In The Greene Space from WNYC and WQXR

GOT TALENT?
The Greene Space is looking for the best undiscovered performers—bands and ensembles of all genres, instrumentalists, vocalists, DJs and spoken word artists—to take part in our third annual celebration of New York City’s up-and-comers.

BE HEARD!
Selected talent will perform in The Greene Space. The winner of the final battle gets a featured concert, a professional photo and video shoot and an iPad package from Tekserve!

SIGN UP!
Rules and more info at thegreenespace.org/battle.

http://www.wnyc.org/thegreenespace/articles/2011/jun/30/battle-boroughs-talent-quest-2012/

Signature Sponsor: NYC & Company
Powered by Tekserve

Last years Bronx representatives:

Behind the Music: Finotee in The Bronx from The Greene Space @ WNYC & WQXR on Vimeo.

Community Groups Organize Free Intellectual Property Workshops

Here is news on free workshops that should help young artists and entrepreneurs. If you’re an artist or entrepreneur building or maintaining a web site the knowledge provided at the seminars should be extremely helpful.

Gregory

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The Bronx Council on the Arts, The Harlem Arts Alliance, and
The Community Development Project of the Legal Aid Society
present
A Free Two-Part Intellectual Property Workshop
Tuesday, December 6 & 13 / 6:00-8:00pm
at the Dwyer Cultural Center

The Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA), the Community Development Project of the Legal Aid Society and the Harlem Arts Alliance present a FREE two-part Intellectual Property Workshop for artists, arts organizations & small businesses on Tuesday, December 6 & 13, 6:00-8:00pm, at the Dwyer Cultural Center located at 258 Saint Nicholas Avenue #2 at West 123rd Street in NYC. Doors open at 5:45pm. Program begins promptly at 6:00pm. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is free and all are welcome.

December 6th’s session: You Made It Now Protect It: Trademarks and Copyright for Artists, Arts-Related Nonprofits and Small Businesses is geared for artists and cultural organizations, creating or commissioning a work of fine or practical art is just the beginning. To protect the ownership of the finished work, it is essential to learn about trademarks, copyrights, design patents, and work-for-hire agreements. An expert panel of intellectual property attorneys will explain these concepts using examples that will be familiar to artists and arts organizations. The concepts learned in this workshop will also be useful to nonprofits and small businesses that are not arts-related.

December 13th’s session: The Website Audit: Best Legal Practices on the Internet for Artists, Arts-Related Nonprofits and Small Businesses is for any individual, organization or small business that has a website or is thinking about starting one. Learn the essentials of website management, including: Protecting your trademarks and copyrights, terms of use, implementing a privacy policy, linking, and ownership of the website.

Both workshops will be facilitated by attorneys from Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper and Scinto and the Community Development Project of the Legal Aid Society.

RSVP at http://twopartworkshop-eorg.eventbrite.com.

The Dwyer Cultural Center is located at 258 St. Nicholas Avenue. Entrance is on West 123rd Street.Directions by Public Transit: Train: A, B, C or D to West 125th Street; Bus: M3, M10, M101, BX15, M60 to West 125th Street and Frederick Douglas Blvd. For additional directions, call 212-222-3060 or visitwww.dwyercc.org

For additional information on this workshop or other events presented by the Bronx Council on the Arts, call 718-931-9500, e-mail info@bronxarts.org, or visit BCA’s web pages at www.bronxarts.org.

Here is news on free workshops that should help young artists and entreprenuers. If your an artist or web developer the knowledge provided at the seminars should be extremly helopfull.

Gregory

Community Leaders, Launch Blight-Fighting 'Best Of Morris Park' Mural Contest

Here is another small effort made by local community leaders that will make a large impact on our community. The Bronx Council on the Arts, State Senator Klein and Amtrack have joined forces to transform a graffiti riddles overpass into a canvas for emerging artists. If interested in submitting your idea for the overpass please do read on. Please note there is a January 6th deadline.

Gregory

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MORRIS PARK, BRONX, N.Y. – State Senator Jeffrey D. Klein, (D-Bronx/ Westchester), was joined by community leaders and educators in the Morris Park community today to announce an exciting new beautification initiative that will transform blighted railroad bridge abutments into an entryway into the community.

The initiative will launch as a call for students to submit artwork through local schools before January 6^th 2011. Students will be asked to submit their artwork with a short paragraph describing their vision for the bridge abutments at the intersection of Bronxdale and East Tremont Avenues. Senator Klein and a panel of distinguished community, educational and artistic leaders will select four winning entries that will be recreated on the overpass walls during the spring.

“Together, we're going to replace this eyesore with a source of community pride,” Senator Klein said. “I can't think of a better way to show the creativity and vibrancy of the Morris Park community than to have this entryway decorated by our youth.”

For years, this area has at has been a hotspot for graffiti vandalism, sending a poor message to those entering the Morris Park community.

Recently, Senator Klein's office contacted Amtrak, which owns the overpass. The rail line agreed to allow the wall abutments to be cleaned by Senator Klein's graffiti removal program and decorated with the winning murals.

"Amtrak is happy to assist local communities remove the blight of graffiti from their neighborhoods and is pleased to cooperate with this effort to paint over our bridge abutments." said Peter Cohen of Amtrak Government Affairs, New York

“I think it will bring tremendous pride to Morris Park residents to have this visual welcoming them into our community.” said Al D’Angelo of the Morris Park Community Association

“It will be a great project to get children involved in, it will also provide an opportunity for them to learn more about the community.” said Robert Ruggiero of the Morris Park Merchant Alliance

"The Bronx Council on the Arts is proud to help Senator Klein's office with this beautification project. As the arts and culture agency of the Bronx we value his partnership in engaging artists and the public to improve the quality of life for the borough. The arts are a major tool and resource that helps to make that happen." Said Deirdre Scott, Executive Director of the Bronx Council of the Arts.”

Posters can be submitted to participating schools or to Senator Jeff Klein’s District Office at 1250 Waters Place, Suite 1202, Bronx, NY, 10461.

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Announces Call for Artists for SPARC: Seniors Partnering with Artists Citywide

Here is information on a program run by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs encouraging seniors to get involved in the arts. It's enjoyable to see programs like this one for seniors to create and express themselves. Please do forward to any seniors who you believe might have intere4st.

Gregory
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Photo Caption: Off The Wall, Arnold Wechsler (age 82). Image courtesy of gallery 307, Carter Burden Center for the Aging, Photo Credit: Sonia J. Lessuck

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Announces
Call for Artists for SPARC: Seniors Partnering with Artists Citywide

Competitive Residency Program will place up to 50 Artists in Senior Centers across the Five Boroughs

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs today announced a Call for Artists for SPARC: Seniors Partnering with Artists Citywide, a community arts engagement program that places artists-in-residence at senior centers across the five boroughs of New York City. The competitive program will provide selected artists with access to workspace in senior centers and a stipend in exchange for the creation and delivery of arts programming for seniors. Participating seniors will be engaged in an art project or series of cultural programs over the course of the residency, which will also include a public program component - a series of exhibits, open houses and other cultural interactions open to the surrounding community. This initiative seeks to connect artists with seniors in senior centers and positively impact the well-being of seniors through arts-based activities.

Artists will be selected for SPARC residencies through a competitive application process managed by the local arts councils in each borough– Brooklyn Arts Council, Bronx Council on the Arts, Council on the Arts and Humanities of Staten Island, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and Queens Council on the Arts. Starting today, application materials and guidelines are available on the local arts council websites. The deadline for submissions is September 30th, 2011.

SPARC is a collaboration among the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Department for the Aging and the City's five local arts councils, and previously ran as a successful pilot called Space for Art. This initiative was developed as part of Age friendly NYC, a citywide effort to make the City more livable for seniors. The program is supported, in part, by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town grant program.

For more information visit www.nyc.gov/culture.

Bronx Council of the Arts Sponsors "Bronx Write Bus" Program for Bronx Youth

Here is a summer youth program for young writers. Please do forward to youth that you believe would be interested. The program starts tomorrow.

Gregory
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The Bronx Write Bus
A Free Summer Program for Bronx Youth
July 12 - August 11, 2011

The Bronx Write Bus (BWB) is a free summer program for Bronx Youth ages 12-18. It is presented by the Bronx Council on the Arts’ Bronx Writers Center and meets on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from July 12 through August 11, 2011. The bus rides through New York City this summer, exploring arts and culture and giving voice to a new generation of writers.

On Tuesdays, the bus picks up thirty Bronx students, ages 12-18, from the Bronx Museum of the Arts (1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street), giving them the opportunity to meet a writer or performer who introduces them to humor, memoir, travel writing, playwriting and poetry on the ride to the event. The BWB takes the group to art and cultural events in one of the four other boroughs, including a comedy improv class, a museum tour, a play, a walking tour of architecture and a poetry performance. On the BWB ride back to the Bronx, the group works on a creative response that that is published on CrossBRONX.org and will be shared in an anthology.

The BWB is intended for Bronx youth interested in writing and performance arts. All skill levels are welcome. Students who commit to the Bronx Write Bus must attend that week’s Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday sessions. They must reserve each week separately, but are welcome to attend one or all of the weekly sessions.

Students must pre-register for each week’s events at www.bronxarts.org/bronxwritebus.asp.

On Tuesdays, from 11:00am to 4:00pm, the BWB takes students to and from cultural sites in NYC.

On Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 11:00am to 2:00pm, students take part in instructive, collaborative writing activities at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street.

The Bronx Write Bus is sure to be a productive way for a young person to spend the summer. Participants acquire public speaking and performance skills; improve their communication skills; and build their confidence and self-esteem. The program fosters an increase in motivation and creativity. Finally, participants suffer less from the summer learning gap that often causes sub-par levels of achievement in the fall. The program promises to be a unique experience for all involved. Many spots are yet to be filled, so sign up while you still can! Visit www.bronxarts.org/bronxwritebus.asp to register.

Information: bronxwriters@bronxarts.org 718-931-9500 x21

The Bronx Write Bus, a FREE program for Bronx youth ages 12-18, is run by the Bronx Writers Center, a program of the Bronx Council on the Arts and is made possible with funding from the US Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Simon Bolivar Foundation Inc, The NYS Council on the Arts, The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

9th Bronx International Film Festival Scheduled for June 16th - 19th at Lehman Stages

Here is information on the 9th annual Bronx International Film Festival. The event is organized by The Bronx Stage & Film Company. It takes place from June 16th through June 19th at Lehman Stages. The post below and their web site should be more than helpful in finding great films to view. I hope everyone finds time to enjoy the festival.

Gregory
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Save the Date for the Bronx International Film Festival June 16 - 19

(Bronx, NY) The Bronx Stage & Film Company presents the 9th Bronx International Film Festival (BXFF) on June 16 - 19 at Lehman Stages (Lovinger Theatre)/Lehman College showcasing new narrative and documentary films and filmmakers from around the world. Visit http://bronxfilmfestival.com for developing festival information. The reservation and information line is 718.907.0079. You can also find the Bronx International Film Festival on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BronxFilm and follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bronxfilm.

Lehman Stages is conveniently located on the CUNY campus of Lehman College at 250 Bedford Park Blvd West, Bronx, NY 10468 near the #4 and D lines and just minutes away from Westchester and the GW Bridge.

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Background on the Bronx International Film Festival

A century ago The Bronx was home to two well-known silent film studios, The Edison Studios on Decatur Avenue & Oliver Place (a few blocks from the location of the Film Festival) and Biograph Studios a.k.a. The Gold Medal Studios at 807 E. 175th Street.

Edison Studios’ notable contributions to cinema included one of the first horror films, “Frankenstein,” released in 1910, and the first serial film, "What Happened to Mary" released in 1912. The 14-minute “Frankenstein,” starring Charles Ogle, took an entire week to film. This was a highly unusual schedule for the time. Silent movies were usually filmed in one day. "What Happened to Mary" began a series of 12 episodes starring Mary Fuller. The silent film studio closed in 1918, but the Terry Brothers reopened the space in 1935 to start Terrytoons, employing Bronx artists to hand paint the first animated color cartoon films.

Biograph Studios launched many silent film careers including director, D.W. Griffith; cameraman Billy Bitzer; and actors Mary Pickford, Lillian and Dorothy Gish, Harry Carey, Lionel Barrymore. Some twenty years after the sound stage closed, Martin Poll restored Biograph Studios and reopened it as the Gold Medal Studios (the largest film studio outside of Hollywood) where TV’s “The Naked City,” “Car 54 Where are You?” and movies like “Odds Against Tomorrow,” “A Face in the Crowd,” “The Fugitive Kind,” “Pretty Boy Floyd,” and “Butterfield 8” were filmed. Mr. Poll worked to simplify NYC filming permits and had the distinction of being sworn in as the Commissioner of Motion Picture Arts (precursor to the NYC Film Commissioner) on July 21, 1959 by then Bronx Borough President Lyons.

The Bronx International Film Festival was established to honor and revitalize the history of film in The Bronx and provide a new opportunity for filmmakers to submit work and a hub for audiences to appreciate it. The Festival places special emphasis on film submissions with an urban appeal; however, all filmmakers with a visual story to share are encouraged to participate. BXFF showcases short and feature narrative, documentary, animation and experimental submissions from all over the world.

The Bronx International Film Festival is made possible with public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Bronx Council on the Arts and the support of Lehman Stages.

Bronx Council of the Arts Upcoming Bronx Culture Trolley Tours

Here are some activities planned by the Bronx Council of the Arts. Those interested in exploring Bronx culture should consider going on the following free trolley tours.

Gregory
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UPCOMING TROLLEYS

FIRST WEDNESDAYS
BRONX CULTURE TROLLEY
rolls again on June 1, 2011 / 5:00-9:00pm
Venues include:
BRIO Award Presentation and
Art Exhibitions at Longwood Art
Gallery @ Hostos
Book Signing and Art Exhibitions at the Bronx Museum of the Arts
Chamber Music Concert at Pregones Theater
Art Exhibition at LDR Studio Gallery
Art Exhibition at Bruckner Bar & Grill

"CULTURE TROLLEY SATURDAYS"
returns on June 4, 2011 / 12:00 - 5:00pm
Join us for ¡Viva Cultura!
Celebrating Puerto Rican Heritage in the Bronx.

Venues Include: Art exhibitions, dance performances, story telling, a writing workshop, 152nd Street Cultural Festival, a Cha ChadDance class, and more!

Log onto the following web site for more information:
http://www.bronxarts.org/MonthlyVenuePage.asp

Bronx Council of the Arts "Shout Out" to all Bronx Artists in Mott Haven

If you’re a Bronx artist in the Mott Haven Section this is a great way to show case your art work. If you love the arts and are curious to see what is brewing in the South Bronx please keep the date open. It's a fun event and the trolley tour is free. I went on the art tour last year and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Gregory
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Sign up for the
5th Annual Mott Haven
Open Studio Tour

on Tuesday, March 15th / 6:00-7:00pm
Longwood Art Gallery@ Hostos
Hostos Community College
450 Grand Concourse at 149th Street

Are you a Bronx artist with a studio
in Mott Haven?

Come to the free information session to get the facts
on how you can participate in the 5th Annual Mott Haven Open Studio Tour presented by the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA).

Artists of all disciplines are encouraged to attend!

This year's Artist Studio Tour will take place on Saturday, April 30th, from 12:00-5:00pm. During the afternoon BCA's free Bronx Culture Trolley will start and end at the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos whisking visitors to studios and art spaces

Previous artist studio tours have attracted buyers and collectors, so spread the word to other artists in your neighborhood who might want to show of their work and their studio space.


Please see web address for more inforation.
http://infosessionsaturdaytrolley31511.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn

These events are made possible with funds from NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYS Council on the Arts, Carnegie Corporation, the Bronx Empowerment Zone, and NYC Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo.