The Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA) 30th Annual Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Award application process opened to Bronx residents on Monday, October 8, 2018. BCA Celebrates 30 years of supporting individual Bronx artists working in literary, media, performing and visual arts through awards of $4,000. Click below to learn more about the application process, and how BCA has rearticulated BRIO's core emphasis within its long tradition of recognizing artistic excellence in the Borough.

"The seniors and I became very close. They said I brought them joy and made them feel young again and I made them look forward to getting up in the morning. They did the same for me! My attendance numbers were remarkable. The majority of the time my classes were full with over 15 participants. We even had to get a second attendance sheet to fill. It was incredible! Seniors who were unable to move certain parts of their body with ease became more flexible. Seniors who use to be tired and out of breath had more stamina. Seniors who used to scowl began to smile. They were truly special." -Laci Chisholm Dance Teaching Artist, Cypress Hills- Fulton Street Senior Center. Grace Agard Harewood Senior Center "The final shows were a triumph. Participants felt confident and excited to share. Many were natural storytellers and all possessed extraordinary charm. They often helped each other in the coaching process. Both shows were well attended! The first performance had seven performers and 40 audience members. The second had eight performers and 53 audience members. In addition, one of our storytellers, Ellis the Nazarene, who is a Jazz musician played music as pre-show entertainment and started both shows by singing a song that he had written a number of years ago entitled "The Story's Being Told." It was a perfect start to two stunning presentations." -Cynthia Freeman, Storytelling Teaching Artist, Grace Agard Senior Center. Jay-Harama Senior Center "The primarily Chinese-American seniors very much enjoyed learning about the elements of Jewish and Israeli folk dance embedded in the movement. The singing group learned to sing 'Sunrise, Sunset,' 'Matchmaker,' and 'Tradition,' in a combination of Cantonese and English. I worked with the center's music teacher to convert the musical notation of 'Sunrise, Sunset' into jianpu notation so that she could accompany the seniors on the yueqin, or traditional Chinese lute. I also interviewed a dozen center members about their childhood memories and traditional family roles to create an alternate version of the lyrics to 'Tradition' reflecting the seniors' own experiences. The trilingual nature of the program (Mandarin, Cantonese, and English) was extremely successful and brought together members of the community that had not otherwise had opportunities to connect." -Michael Leibenluft, Theater Teaching Artist, Jay-Harama Senior Center. Diana H. Jones Senior Center "The program featured drumming and rhythm-making on hand drums and percussion, as well as singing and songwriting. At times we did not have space for all of those who wanted to join us. This residency incorporated music in both English and Spanish, by singing some familiar songs relevant to the group's experience, such as a Puerto Rican traditional 'bomba' tune, as well as American songs from the 1950s and 60s. The participants were very enthusiastic about playing percussion instruments. Some of them also really enjoyed the vocal exercises, and many of them remarked to me how much they were learning in the program. Many of them actually came and saw me perform outside of the senior center with my performing group as well." -Dawn Drake, Music Teaching Artist, Ridgewood Bushwick Diana H. Jones Senior Center. Jasa Starrett City Senior Center "The project began as a workshop in portrait painting, in which a different seniors would volunteer to sit for a portrait and I guided other participants in learning how to paint a portrait from life. We started by walking through the center, the director Angela Blyakher and I, and inviting individuals to paint. Once we got rolling, we generated about four portraits per session, one per person. I would rotate the paintings from person to person during the process, removing responsibility and ego attachment from each painting, and liberating the clients to experiment and make mistakes. I participated in the painting process and work on each painting with all the students together. Ruth Horowitz said, 'You've opened up a lot of possibilities for us' which for me, is high praise coming from a 92 year old." -Rusty Zimmerman, Painting Teaching Artist, Jasa Starrett City Senior Center. BAC is proud that participating seniors found our programs to be highly engaging and transformational! Learn more about BAC Arts in Education. Photo: Rhythm and Songwriting at Diana H. Jones Senior Center with Teaching Artist Dawn Drake. Photos appear courtesy of BAC Arts in Education Manager Wéma Harris.

Photo: Quilting at the Park Slope Center for Creative Aging with Teaching Artist Coleen Scott. Photo appears courtesy of BAC Arts in Education.

Calling all artists who love to work with seniors! Applications for SU-CASA are open. SU-CASA is a community arts engagement program that places artists and arts organizations in residence at senior centers across Brooklyn. The program provides selected artists with a stipend in exchange for the creation and production of arts programming for seniors. Artists selected for the SU-CASA program will engage participating seniors in an art project or a series of cultural programs over the course of the residency. Each residency will also include a public program component – exhibits, readings, performances, open houses, or other cultural interactions open to the community. This initiative seeks to connect artists with seniors in senior centers to positively impact the well-being of older adults through direct engagement in arts-based activities. Individual artists-in-residence will receive a stipend in the amount of $4,500, an additional $1,000 materials and supplies budget, and access to materials and supplies from Materials for the Arts. Individual artists can apply directly to participate in the program without a fiscal sponsor. Artists may apply for up to two residencies. More information about the program, including application guidelines, can be found on our website. Art changes lives and artists who participate in SU-CASA make a real difference in Brooklyn's senior communities!  (Photos: 1. Intergenerational thespians present a dramatic work at Jalopy Theater, facilitated by Lauren Jost and Annie Montgomery at CCNS St. Charles Jubilee; 2. Community members from Council Center share autobiographical tales from their life, developed with artists Rachel Cole and Caedra Scott-Flaherty; 3. Seniors from Albany Neighborhood Senior Center portray researched characters at “If We Ruled the World”, facilitated by artist Yana Landowne; 4. Seniors become published authors, thanks to artist Grace Lee’s work at Dorchester Senior Center.)