Brooklyn artists have a brand new benefactor.
Husband and wife team Jamie and Sara Anthony recently founded Building On Brooklyn, a not-for-profit organization providing venues for area artisans to create, exhibit and engage with the community.
As well as admirably reflecting their shared interest in the arts, the institution also represents a resourceful merger of their backgrounds—Sara is a former trusts and estates lawyer, who helped form arts-centered foundations for client, while Jamie is a principle at local real estate company Lonicera Partners, with over 350,000 square feet worth of property, currently under development in Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Gowanus, Red Hook, Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill.
In order to tap into a steady stream of talent in need of a stage, they’ve connected with Local Art Cooperatives, a NYC Department of Cultural Affairs division, devoted to finding studio and exhibition arenas for artists. And successful collaborations already include a Go Skateboard Day event produced by Invisible Dog artist Mac Premo (a collagist, animator and carpenter, who designs and builds skateboards from recycled construction materials), a F.A.D Weekend makers market hosted at 181 Pacific Street, and Local Fare BKLYN—a multi-course dinner and culinary coalition—which took place in the same space last week.
Representing Building on Brooklyn’s desire to champion artists of all sorts—not just painters and sculptors, but roof-top growers, brewers, distillers and chefs—the event featured a menu prepared by Daniel Burns of Luksus, Gabe McMackin from The Finch, Mike Poiarkoff of Vinegar Hill House, Chris Pizzuli of Runner & Stone and Patrick Miller from Rucola, who used ingredients exclusively sourced from the borough (gathered from suppliers like Brooklyn Grange, The Meat Hook and Chef Collective), and paired their dishes with beer, wine and spirits from Other Half Brewing, Greenhook Ginsmiths, The Red Hook Winery and more (a mural reveal from LoveBerto rounded out the all-BK evening, as did a performance from the local hip-hop band, Poetic Thrust).
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Building on Brooklyn: they’re currently in discussions with Brooklyn Youth Chorus, regarding a concert previewing their new fall repertoire, and intend to regularly produce cultural events for the public, which aim to bring people together across all creative disciplines.
“We’re expanding our relationships all the time,” Sara said, “so that we can serve as a much-needed resource for as many artists as possible, and continue to support the artistic fabric of Brooklyn’s diverse neighborhoods.”
For more information, visit http://buildingonbrooklyn.org
Photos by Roey Yohai
