Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Veterans Day Luncheon, 11/10/2022

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Join the Board of Directors and the leadership team of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce as we celebrate the service of 50 veterans during our annual luncheon and recognition ceremony at Pasquale Rigoletto's, 2311 Arthur Avenue on Thursday, November 10, 2022. Under the Board leadership of Anthony Mormile and John Bonizio the Chamber salutes those who sacrificed so much for our communities and our country. This year we honor five veterans from each branch of the Armed Services. We celebrate these individuals for their dedication to protecting our nation's freedoms and ideals:   Sgt. 1st Class Ricardo Garcia, U.S Army   Master Sgt. Chris Devoy, U.S Marine Corps   Seaman Michael Ramirez, U.S Navy   Senior Airman Chris Kocovic, U.S Airforce   Petty Officer 2nd Class David Leich, U.S Coast Guard Veterans are encouraged to attend and receive complementary admission to this annual Bronx Chamber signature event. If you are a Veteran that would like to attend, please email: events@bronxchamber.org. If you or your firm would like to sponsor the event and sustained programming for veterans please email, admin@bronxchamber.org.

Sgt. 1st Class Ricardo Garcia enlisted in the army in 1990 and followed the tradition of his grandfather who served in WWII and his father who served during the Korean War. Ricardo’s first assignment was with the 94th ARCOM Reserve Unit in Massachusetts. He then moved to Pennsylvania and joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard’s 28thInfantry Division. After a year, he eventually and permanently moved to New York and started his NYARNG career with the 42nd Infantry Division.

While serving with NYARNG, he participated in a number of active duty operations and deployments including Counter Drug Command, 9/11 World Trade Center-Operation Task Force, Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Empire Shield and DHS/FEMA CERFP Operation. Additionally his military experience includes working with the Drug Enforcement Agency, U. S. Customs, U.S. Marshalls and the New York City Police Department on counter narcotics and counter terrorism operations. While deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom SFC Garcia trained the Iraqi Army in motorized operations and tactics. He also provided ground surface maintenance and was a recovery operator for downed or damaged military equipment and vehicles. He was in direct support of the US Army Special Forces 7th Group.

After his military service, he worked with various Veteran Service Organizations as a Career Coach. Ricardo continues to support Veterans at Hostos Community College where he runs the Office of Veterans Affairs. Additionally, he is the Commander of American Legion Post 1065.

Ricardo is currently enrolled in CUNY’s Graduate School of Public Health, where he is working towards a Master’s Degree in Public Health Policy, Management and Administration. 

Master Sgt Christopher Devoy was born in North Dublin, Ireland. He immigrated to the US in 1952 and six months later enlisted in the US Marine Corps. During a 20 year career as a Communications Chief, he rose to the rank of Master Sergeant before retiring in 1973. His tours of duty included support to all three Marine Divisions, Air Wings and Fleet Marine Forces. He deployed aboard the USS Cambria to the Mediterranean and participated in amphibious landings as a Quick Reaction Force during the Cold War. He deployed to Okinawa serving as a Wire Chief supporting 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines in their Infantry mission. Selected for special assignment, he supported Marine Airbase Squadron-31 and led a detachment of Marine providing Humanitarian Relief to Cuban Refugees. He was a Marine Security Guard at the American Embassy in Morocco. He served as the Construction Crew Chief and Wire Supervisor for 8th Communications Battalion, and H&S Battalion, Camp Lejeune, NC. 

He served as a Career Planner with the Marine Air Base in Beaufort, SC. He was the Communications Chief for H&S Battalion, FMF Atlantic. In 1968 at the height of the Vietnam War, he was assigned to the 1st Marine Air Wing as a Communications Chief in Vietnam and supported Counter Insurgency Operations in Khe Sanh, Chu Lai, Da Nang and Hue City. He participated in Operations SCOTLAND II; LANCASTER II; OWEN MESA; TALLADEGA CANYON; POCHAHONTAS FOREST; MAUI PEAK; WHEELER WALLOWA; BURLINGTON TRAIL and TASK FORCE GALLOWAY.  Upon return from Vietnam, he was assigned to the 2nd Marine Air Wing as the Communications Chief. MSgt Devoy’s final assignment was with the Inspector Instructor Staff, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines in Garden City, NY.

Chris is a member of the Marine Corps League and the Throggs Neck American Legion Post 1456. MSgt Devoy was honored as the 2017 Veterans Parade in Throggs Neck.

Seaman Miguel Ramirez served his country in the US Navy since enlisting in April 1972 until his discharge in June 1974. He was last assigned to the 129^th and 196^th Attack Squadron as an Assistant Jet Mechanic in Seattle Washington.

Seaman Ramirez attended Roosevelt HS until the 11^th grade. He left school to join the Navy but did receive his HS Diploma through classes in the military. After the Navy, Miguel worked with the Policia De Puerto Rico as a patrol officer and also worked in Local 272 as an Armored Car Supervisor.

Airman Ramirez is extremely active supporting both Veterans Organizations and the community. He is a member of the American Legion and is currently the Bronx County Commander. He is a graduate of the American Legion College, Department of NY.

Miguel and his wife Stella, their two sons Joseph and Anthony, and their two daughters Mary Elizabeth and Angelica all live in the Throggs Neck Community. 

Senior Airman Christopher Kocovic was born and raised in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx. Born, July 18 1994 the Airman was raised by loving immigrant parents from Montenegro; Ljubo and Anna Kocovic. Chris graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx in 2012.

He joined the Air Force in 2014 and was stationed at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Assigned as an Aerospace Ground Equipment Technician, he worked on many different types of equipment. Chris earned his Associates of science in Aerospace Ground Equipment from the Community College of the Air Force in 2017. He was honorably discharged in 2018.

In between shifts at Ljubo's Pizza at Westchester Square in the Bronx he studied at Manhattan College and received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership in 2021. Shortly after Chris joined and completed the Fire Academy in 2021 and is now a proud active firefighter stationed at Engine 48 in the Bronx.  

Petty Officer 2nd Class David Leich is the first born of three sons of German immigrant parents, Juergen and Erika Leich, and raised in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx, where I attended St. Frances de Chantal Elementary School, Stevenson and Lehman High Schools.

I signed my enlistment papers to the United States Coast Guard on March 16, 1978, under the delayed enlistment program and entered Basic Training on June 12, 1978, holding the position of Recruit Company Commander and graduated with the rank of full Seaman. My duty stations included Governors Island aboard the CGC “MAHONING” (WYTM-91), a 110’ sea going tug as well as Fort Totten in Queens at a small boat station where I earned my rate of BM 2 and my Coxswain certification. Upon my separation from active duty, I transferred to the Coast Guard Reserve and stationed back at Governors Island at Station NY doing search and rescue where I retired on November 11, 2003.

Upon my enlistment in 1978, I met my wife to be, Ruth Evers, whom I have been married to for 42 years. We have three beautiful daughters, Erika (son-in-law Tony), Katie and Laura. Also, one beautiful granddaughter, Kasie.

Being involved in the community has and is a very important aspect of my life and I have

volunteered in a multitude of organizations. From a Cadet to the Commanding Officer of the St. Frances Sea Cadets, Chief of the Throggs Neck Volunteer Ambulance Corp where I earned my EMT certification. Medical Officer for Boy Scout Troop 182 and Warriors Football. Set builder for Preston Players and all-around handyman for Preston Center of Compassion.

My career other than the Coast Guard was a family business in architectural woodworker,

building custom made furniture; currently I work for Ethical Culture Fieldston School in Riverdale.

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Bronx Chamber of Commerce | 1200 Waters Place, Suite 106, Bronx, NY 10461

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli - New York Drug Overdose Deaths Surged During Pandemic

 

Drug overdose fatalities surged during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York State, with opioid-related deaths increasing by 68% to nearly 5,000 individuals from 2019 to 2021, according to an analysis released by State Comptroller DiNapoli. The surge was largely due to a sharp increase in deaths from opioids related to illicit fentanyl and similar synthetic opioids. Overdose deaths statewide from opioids and all drugs (5,841) in 2021 surpassed the previous 2017 peak by more than 1,700 fatalities.

According to State Comptroller DiNapoli, “The data shows our battle against drug overdose deaths is far from over. State leaders must ensure an ongoing commitment of public resources and strategies, including new funding from legal settlements, and innovative, evidence-based solutions for the fight against this deadly epidemic to be effective.”

Among the guests joining the State Comptroller was Dr. Jeff Reynolds, President and CEO of Family and Children’s Association, THRIVE East End Program Manager Samantha Morales, State Senator Anna Kaplan, Senator John Brooks and Assemblywoman Judy Griffin. Watch the video to hear Samantha’s powerful testimonial of her recovery from a near-fatal overdose, how she “slowly got her life back together” and how her employment at THRIVE has been a “life-changing experience.”

Bronx Gang Member Charged With 2021 Murder

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Keechant L. Sewell, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging JALEEL SHAKOOR with racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, murder with a firearm, and illegal possession of ammunition.  The charges relate to SHAKOOR’s murder of Gerry Mazzella on June 3, 2021, in the Bronx, New York.  As alleged in the Indictment, SHAKOOR shot Mazzella in the back of the neck from point-blank range.

SHAKOOR, who was already in federal custody, was presented before Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendant committed a murder as part of his gang membership: he shot Gerry Mazzella from point-blank range, killing him.  With these charges, we continue our daily work of investigating and prosecuting those who perpetrate these senseless acts.  We hope this prosecution brings some measure of comfort to the victim’s loved ones.”

NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “This case is an outstanding example of what the NYPD and our law enforcement partners can accomplish when we strike back at the relatively few people responsible for spreading violence and fear in New York City.  Together, we remain committed to thwarting gang activity in all its forms, and to reinforcing the severe consequences that await anyone who dares to jeopardize safety in our neighborhoods.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court:[1]

From at least 2020 to 2022, JALEEL SHAKOOR, a/k/a “Midnight,” was a member of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation (“Gorilla Stone”), which is a set of the national Bloods gang.  Gorilla Stone operated primarily in the northeast United States, including in the Bronx, and in the jails and prisons of New York City and the State of New York.

Members of Gorilla Stone committed robberies and distributed controlled substances in order to enrich themselves.  They also murdered and assaulted members of rival gangs and members of Gorilla Stone in order to resolve disputes within the gang.  Gorilla Stone members promoted and celebrated the gang’s criminal conduct — including drug distribution, acts of violence, and firearms usage — on social media.

On June 3, 2021, in the vicinity of West 165th Street and Woodycrest Avenue in the Bronx, SHAKOOR shot Mazzella in the back of the neck, causing Mazzella’s death.  SHAKOOR committed this murder to maintain and increase his position in Gorilla Stone.

SHAKOOR, 27, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of death or life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of death or life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of possessing ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison.

The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD.  He also thanked the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.

Comptroller Lander Proposes Procurement Reforms to Fight Corruption, Improve Transparency, and Support MWBEs

 

Letter to Mayor Adams urges convening the Procurement Policy Board to close corruption vulnerabilities in the City’s contracting process, increase transparency about compensation and diversity, and raise the MWBE threshold.

In a letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander requested a convening of the New York City Procurement Policy Board (PPB) to consider changes to the rules of City procurement to fight corruption and enhance fairness. The letter details three areas of suggested reforms:

1. Raising the MWBE small purchase procurement threshold from $500,000 to $1 million, to match new State law, open up new opportunities, and address ongoing disparities.
2. Closing corruption vulnerabilities in the City’s oversight and administration of not-for-profit human service contracts, with stronger rules prohibiting nepotism and related third-party vendors.
3. Increasing compensation and diversity transparency of NYC contractors and subcontractors.

“Procurement policy often falls to the bottom of municipal priority lists, but for so much essential work, from combating homelessness to providing meals to seniors to fixing bridges to responding to disasters, procurement is how city government gets stuff done,” wrote Comptroller Brad Lander to Mayor Adams.

Comptroller Lander continued, “While the vast majority of the City’s nonprofit partners are dedicated public servants who focus on providing high-quality services and make best efforts to administer public funds responsibly, it is critical that the City have robust procedures in place to ensure integrity and safeguard City resources. Bad actors inevitably slip through cracks, mismanaging City funds at the expense of the vulnerable New Yorkers they serve. Those limited, but high-profile scandals erode public trust in City government, its use of tax dollars, and the organizations working hard to serve New Yorkers in need.”

Procurement reform has been a major area of focus and collaboration for the Comptroller and the Mayor since even before taking office. Comptroller Lander and Mayor Adams convened a task force to address longstanding delays in contracting with the city’s nonprofit human service providers starting in December 2021. Their joint “Clear the Backlog” initiative has unlocked over $4 billion of long-overdue payments, and the task force is continuing to aggressively identify ways to reduce the amount of time it takes for the City to contract with and pay its nonprofit partners. Additionally, the Comptroller’s office has been a core participant in the capital projects task force convened by First Deputy Mayor Lorainne Grillo, working to identify ways to address why the City’s infrastructure projects are so often years late and over budget.

Each year, New York City contracts with nonprofit organizations to deliver critical social services to over three million New Yorkers. In Fiscal Year 2021, New York City procured $12 billion in human services, which accounted for approximately 40% of the City’s total contracting portfolio. The vast majority of these contracts are implemented responsibly, providing early childhood education, after-school programs, affordable and supportive housing, senior services, arts and cultural programming, and much more.

However, a small handful of bad actors exploit vulnerabilities in the City’s procurement process. In November, 2021 the NYC Department of Investigation (DOI) published its “Report on Corruption Vulnerabilities in the City’s Oversight and Administration of Not-for-Profit Human Service Contracts,” reviewing its investigations over the prior seven years into corruption, waste, and fraud in nonprofit human services contracts. DOI made a series of recommendations to close corruption vulnerabilities. Comptroller Lander’s letter proposes to implement DOI’s key recommendations.

The Procurement Policy Board, made up of three appointees by the Mayor and two by the Comptroller, sets and enforces rules for how the City procures goods and services from vendors. The Board has not convened since November 21, 2019 .

The Comptroller urged the Mayor to convene the Board to consider the following reforms:

Raising the MWBE small purchase procurement threshold

The Comptroller proposed amending the PPB Rules to raise the non-competitive small purchase threshold for MWBEs to $1,000,000. On October 6, 2022 the Governor signed legislation to amend the §311 of the New York City Charter, which currently allows the PPB to adopt rules for City agencies to procure goods, services and construction not exceeding $500,000 from M/WBE firms without a formal competitive process. This amendment will double the M/WBE procurement threshold to $1,000,000. In doing so, the City will be able to significantly broaden its range of contracts with M/WBE firms.

Closing corruption vulnerabilities in the City’s oversight and administration of not-for-profit human service contracts

The Comptroller proposed incorporating into the procurement process restrictions on third-party contractors/subcontractors so they cannot be owned or controlled by related parties or relatives and adding anti-nepotism provisions to the PPB rules.  These may include but not be limited to disclosures of conflicts of interest and certifications pertaining to the competitive bidding process through which third party subcontractors are selected. These changes would help to ensure that subcontracted expenditures are paid responsibly and without potential for conflicts of interest, which can result in corrupt or otherwise suspect activities.

Increasing compensation and diversity transparency of NYC contractors and subcontractors 

The Comptroller proposed that the PPB require all City contractors and subcontractors, including both for-profit and not-for-profit contractors, to disclose key information regarding compensation and staff and board diversity:

• Compensation paid to the Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, and/or functional equivalent of either position along with every contract submitted for registration.

• Maximum, median, and minimum compensation paid to workers employed by that contractor during the previous calendar year.
• Their federal EEO-1 reports, if they are required to file them (i.e., if they have over 100 employees, or are a federal contractor with over 50 employees)
• A board matrix, identifying race/ethnicity, and gender information of their board members

“Together, we can build a stronger post-pandemic New York,” the Comptroller’s letter concludes. “One that provides the best possible use of public resources, provides high quality services, expands opportunities, closes corruption loopholes, and strengthens trust in our City government.

MAYOR ADAMS COMMISSIONS DOROTHY DAY STATEN ISLAND FERRY

 

Ferry Named for Renowned Catholic Activist Who Lived and Worked on Staten Island

 

$85 Million State-of-the-Art Ferry to Set Sail Later This Year

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today officially commissioned the Dorothy Day, the third and final new, 4,500-passenger Ollis-class Staten Island Ferry vessel joining the fleet this year. The $85 million, state-of-the-art ferry is named for Day, the legendary 20^th-century Catholic peace activist. The Dorothy Day has completed harbor trials and passed U.S. Coast Guard inspections — and will serve passengers for the first time later this year.

 

“Dorothy Day represents so much of what is great about New Yorkers and our city, and we are proud to honor her by commissioning this Staten Island Ferry,” said Mayor Adams. “Having her name on this boat will remind New Yorkers and visitors alike of her fight for peace and against hunger, fights that we are continuing every day. Thank you to all of those carrying on her legacy.”

 

“The Staten Island Ferry is a staple of life in New York — shepherding almost 10 million people to and from Staten Island every year. It’s only right that we modernize our fleet to ensure the country’s busiest ferry route operates effectively,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Dorothy Day was an incredible activist and a stalwart New Yorker. I’m glad that we are honoring her memory with our newest ferry. I am grateful to the crews at DOT that tirelessly keep this gateway to our great borough open, and I can’t wait to take a ride on the Dorothy Day.”

 

“We at DOT and the incredible Staten Island Ferry staff are proud to celebrate Dorothy Day today, and we are excited to bring the ferry with her name into service later this year,” said DOT Commissioner Rodriguez. “During her life, Day loved riding this ferry — as she knew how a short ferry ride can serve as a peaceful, even meaningful, escape from the hustle and bustle of the life in our city. Best of all, given her lifetime commitment to equity, Day would be thrilled at how DOT is committed to keeping admission to this ferry free for all.”

 

The newest Staten Island Ferry, the Dorothy Day, is preceded by two new ferries this past year, all constructed by Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, FL. The Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis — named for a war hero from New Dorp killed saving the life of a fellow soldier in Afghanistan — began passenger service in February. The Sandy Ground — the second Ollis-class boat, which honors one of the nation’s first Black settlements that was located on Staten Island’s South Shore and served as a stop on the Underground Railroad — was commissioned by Mayor Adams in February and began regular passenger service in June.

 

The three new Ollis-class ferries commissioned this year come with support from funds provided by a range of federal agencies and elected officials, including U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The new ferries are larger, more modern, and safer in extreme weather than earlier fleets. They feature popular design elements of past Staten Island Ferries, including phone-charging outlets and more comfortable seating, as well as an oval upper-deck promenade that serves, for the first time, as an outdoor “walking track” for riders. 

 

“My grandmother loved the Staten Island Ferry, so what an honor to have one named after her,” said Martha Hennessy, social justice activist and granddaughter of Dorothy Day. “In these days of global instability, let us use this moment to remember her efforts to make peace.”

 

“Dorothy Day is one of the most significant figures in the history of the church in the United States, and we pray she will one day be a saint,” said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York. “She was also a devoted resident of Staten Island and Manhattan. It is fitting that this ferry will keep her name alive, and, please God, help introduce new generations to her radical love of God and neighbor.”

 

Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was a convert to Catholicism who led the Catholic Worker movement, founded during the Great Depression. As editor of The Catholic Worker newspaper, she maintained the movement’s pacifism even during World War II, while operating soup kitchens, including one on the Lower East Side of Manhattan that remains in operation today. Day was repeatedly arrested for her postwar protests during New York City’s air raid drills, which criticized nuclear war preparation. Hailed by Pope Francis in his speech to the U.S. Congress in 2015, Day has been submitted to the Vatican as a candidate for canonization by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Day regularly rode the Staten Island Ferry to reach her cottage on Staten Island’s South Shore and is buried in Pleasant Plains.

 

BRAC November 2022 Newsletter

BRONX RIVER ART CENTER  Celebrating 35 Years of Bringing Arts & Cultural Programs to the Bronx

NOVEMBER 2022 at BRAC

Education

Image: Kayla Weisdorf instructing teen participants from the local community. Photo: Ukari Bakosi, 2022.

Teen Project Studio, TPS Bio Art & Community Through December 17th

Since mid-October, Teen Project Studio +2.0 has been exploring creatively nature-based solutions to climate change, biodiversity crisis, pollution, environmental shifts. The weekly, hands-on, makers sessions are leading to the production of a collaborative art & science project that addresses and foresees a livable future.  Each week, participants research a range of different solutions, their promises, benefits, and how they have been implemented, developed, and advanced by artists and designers. TPS participants have also been surveying the neighborhood of West Farms and identifying areas that could potentially benefit from a nature-based intervention with the goal of collectively designing and making a bio-artwork piece to contribute to the space. More information, visit TPS Home Page

Exhibitions

Image: Molly Goldfarb, "Santa Hey", 2019. Courtesy of the artist.

KEEP IT IN FICTION A Study of Fictional Narratives and Visual Arts On view from November 3rd to December 10th

Bronx River Art Center is pleased to announce KEEP IT IN FICTION, an exhibition that explores how artists disguise truth with fiction in order to arrive at a number of different conclusions. Through visual explorations artists seek out unlimited possibilities to distort reality in order to cope, reinvent, or escape their daily realities. Through visual arts, featured artists explore to engage in a fictional form of truth. The eleven artists chosen for the exhibition will present narrative inspired work that range in media from paper and book arts, sculpture, prints, paintings and digital media. To expand the exhibition's intent each artist created a narrative excerpt, poem or video to accompany the pieces. Participating artists: Marcy Brafman, Jason Bryant, Jennifer Deppe Parker, Molly Goldfarb, Sally Jerome, Kerry Lessard, Marianne Petit, Zoia Skorodapenko, Mark Torres, Chao Wang, and Natalie Collette Wood. Curated by Stephany Young

BRAC Exhibition Page

Public Programs

Image: Jeanai La Vita, performance of The Séance. Screen Capture. Courtesy of the artist.

THE SÉANCE A Night of Multimedia Theater Performance Friday, November 11th, 2022 at 7pm

Local artist, Jeanai La Vita, brings to BRAC her theatrical concert event The Séance incorporating a hybrid of semi-improvised contemporary classical singing with live music and a film with soundscape created by the artist and Giacomo La Vita. The theatrical concert invites audience members to commune with the performers as they channel stories and messages from beyond. The ensemble of instrumentalists accompanying the performance will create a special live score in reaction to BRAC’s space.

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Image: Marianne Petit, "The Story Of Pauline and the Matches", 2011. Photo: Ukari Bakosi, 2022.

IN CONVERSATION Artists featured in KEEP IT IN FICTION Saturday, November 19th, 2022 at 5:30pm

Bronx River Art Center continues with the presentation of the monthly Artist Talk series IN CONVERSATION. For November, Hector Canonge moderates the artist dialogue with the participation of artists featured in the current exhibition, curated by Stephanie Young. The conversation will outline each artist's creative process and their production process in relation the works exploring language and visual aesthetics. IN CONVERSATION is an artist talk program that fosters dialogue, exchange and reflection about Contemporary Art issues by featuring local, national, and international guest artists working in various disciplines and creative practices. The monthly program consists of the presentation of selected works followed by an open forum with attending audience members.

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Upcoming

Image: Summer 2022 Student Art Show, held on August 12th. Photo: Ukari Bakosi, 2022.

Fall 2022 Student Art Show Saturday, December 17th, 2022

BRAC will close out the Fall 2022 semester of art classes with an art show exhibiting the work of our students working in different media over the past three months. Join our teaching artists, staff members, students and parents in celebrating the creativity and growth of our students.

Opportunities

Image: Off-site mixed-media art workshop at CREO College Prep taught by Jonathan Berry. Photo: Ukari Bakosi, 2022.

For Artists / Curators / Educators

As part of our commitment to further nurture, support, and encourage the development of artists from the Bronx and New York City at large, BRAC will compile a list of opportunities in the arts and related fields. Artists and organizations are welcome to send us and share their listings and future opportunities.

NYC METRO AREA En Foco Open call to BIPOC photographers The 8th Annual En Foco Photography Fellowship is designed to support New York-based photographers of color who demonstrate the highest quality of work as determined by a photography panel of peers and industry professionals. The deadline for applications is November 11, 2022. Apply  NYC ArtWalk Open call to all visual artists NYC ArtWalk seeks to implement a sustainable model of opportunities that can support the work of artists from all corners of the world. Through art shows that support diversity, inclusion and equity. Apply to have your artwork shown on digital screens in the streets of SoHo (as part of a collaboration with the Climate Museum of New York City) or Times Square (as part of the International Street Art Show). The deadline for SoHo applications is October 10, 2022; the deadline for Times Square applications is November 20, 2022. Apply  Smack Mellon Artist Studio Program The Artist Studio Program was launched in 2000 in response to the crisis of available affordable space for artists living and working in New York City. The program provides six eligible artists working in all visual arts media a free private studio space accessible 24/7 and a fellowship (dependent on funding). The 2032-2024 program begins September 1, 2023 and ends August 15, 2024. The studios are located on the lower level of our building at 92 Plymouth Street in Dumbo, Brooklyn and range in size from 250 to 300 square feet. The program does not provide living space. The deadline to apply is November 23, 2022 11:59pm Apply Site:Brooklyn Gallery Open call to artists Landscape makes the strange familiar and the familiar strange. It asks the viewer to think about the fundamental question: what is the world we inhabit like? Often, artist’s answers have drawn attention to not only the space of the earth, but the passage of time, the rhythm of the seasons, nature’s death and birth, the environments both made and lost by humanity’s interventions, both great and small. Site:Brooklyn’s new show, Landscape: Constructed and Wild is looking for artworks focused on the environment in which we live. The deadline for applications is December 5, 2022. Apply

BRAC COVID-19 Protocols

Proof of vaccination will be required upon entering building for all persons over age 6. Use of masks during classes is required. For general questions about classes, please email education@bronxriverart.org.