Brooklyn Arts Council Distributes $1.82 Million to 378 Brooklyn-based Artists & Cultural Organizations
Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) is thrilled to announce our 2025 Creative Cohort. This year, $1.82 million will be given to 378 Brooklyn-based artists, creatives, and cultural organizations. Of this, $1.17 million will be distributed to 299 Grantees and $653,000 will be allocated to 79 Teaching Artists for 104 older adult center and in-school residencies. This year marks the largest number of grants distributed by BAC—a 7.2% increase from 2024—with 29% of funding recipients being first-time BAC Grantees. We thank the 87 panelists for joining us in reviewing applications and participating in the selection processes for these programs.
BAC supports community and economic development, by investing in neighborhoods that lack traditional arts infrastructure and those most heavily impacted by systemic barriers such as Brownsville, Crown Heights, East New York, and Sunset Park. This year, 49% of projects receiving funding from BAC will impact these communities.
Supported by our partners at the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), BAC’s Community Arts Grants program consists of three funding streams: Brooklyn Arts Fund, Local Arts Support, and the Charlene Victor and Ella J. Weiss Cultural Entrepreneur Fund. In 2025, Community Arts Grants will provide $916,000 in funding to 274 Brooklyn artists, collectives, and cultural organizations.
Driven by values of justice, equity, and sustainability, and with support from the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, BAC’s Creative Equations Fund is an initiative dedicated to arts for social justice. This program supports community-engaged artists, creative organizations, and cultural entrepreneurs who have dedicated their creativity to solving social problems. There are two categories including Justice, Equity, Sustainability + Performing Arts and Cultural Heritage, Diversity + Dance. This year, BAC’s Creative Equations Fund will provide $250,000 in funding support to 25 Grantees.
For nearly 30 years, BAC Arts in Education (AIE) has been a leading source for creative learning in schools, older adult centers, and community venues across Brooklyn. Encompassing both in-school residences as well as our Creative Aging: SU-CASA program, BAC AIE fosters creativity and artistic expression through a broad range of disciplines that represent Brooklyn's diversity and excellence. This year, BAC will pay a total of $269,000 to 31 Teaching Artists for 56 in-school AIE residencies through CASA, Department of Education (DOE), Catalyst, and Global Rhythms programs. Each in-school program gives students vital opportunities to both build artistic skills and gain essential tools to boost academic achievement.
BAC’s Creative Aging: SU-CASA program, funded by the New York City Council and administered by the DCLA and the NYC Department for the Aging, provides opportunities for seniors to actively express themselves creatively, socialize with a culturally engaged collective of senior citizens, participate in cultural performances, and learn techniques in a variety of arts disciplines. A city-wide initiative, SU-CASA is the largest Creative Aging program in the country. This year, BAC will award $384,000 to 48 Teaching Artists for 48 residencies at older adult centers throughout Brooklyn. Partnering senior centers also receive a subsidy to support their participation.
Rasu Jilani, Executive Director of Brooklyn Arts Council shared, “We are proud to announce our support for an outstanding group of artists, creative entrepreneurs, and cultural organizations. The role of arts and culture in enhancing the vibrancy and richness of Brooklyn cannot be overstated. At BAC, we firmly believe in the vital role the arts play in shaping the social and cultural contours of our community. Despite ongoing budget cuts and significant reductions in arts funding, BAC remains committed to supporting and nurturing Brooklyn’s creative ecosystem. Our dedication to a thriving creative environment is unwavering, but we can’t do it alone. We invite more investment from local stakeholders to ensure artists and cultural workers are adequately supported and resourced. We are distributing more awards than ever before—not because we have more money to give, but because even in times of uncertainty, like 2025, we remain committed to modeling the kind of investment our community needs and deserves. Since the pandemic, we have steadily increased the number of grants and opportunities each year, reinforcing our mission to support Brooklyn artists regardless of culture, creed, or gender. By intentionally investing in local artists and cultural institutions that elevate diverse voices, we affirm our values and deepen our commitment to the cultural vitality that defines Brooklyn. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to this year’s Grantees and Teaching Artists.”
"The artists who live and work in New York City contribute so much to our communities: they inspire our young people, bring energy and vibrancy to our open spaces, engage older New Yorkers, and help make our city the cultural capital of the world," said Laurie Cumbo, Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for the City of New York. "Through DCLA, we're so proud to invest in Brooklyn's incredible artist community in partnership with the Brooklyn Arts Council. In this year's budget, we provided BAC and arts councils across the city a 15% increase in funding, a recognition of the incredible work that artists do to provide affordable, accessible, uplifting programming for our residents. Congratulations to the artists receiving these grants in BAC's latest cycle - we're proud to support your work!"
Erika Mallin, Executive Director of the New York State Council on the Arts expressed, “As a proud supporter of the Brooklyn Arts Council since 1972, we are so proud of BAC’s vital work across the borough. And, to this year’s BAC grantees: your creativity and innovation fuels all of us—from building community, to engaging learners of all ages, to making New York the global epicenter of arts and culture. Congratulations to you all on this achievement.”
Kristal Pacific, Program Officer at The Howard Gilman Foundation shared, “The Howard Gilman Foundation is a proud and long-standing supporter of BAC's Creative Equations Fund. We recognize the significant impact that performing artists and cultural organizations have in creating a joyful present and a vibrant future through essential, community-centered work. BAC's commitment, along with the crucial support of this fund, strengthens the vital role that the arts play in Brooklyn and beyond. We look forward to seeing the inspiring visions and creative contributions from this year's grantees.”
Leah Krauss, Senior Program Officer for Dance & Special Projects at the Mertz Gilmore Foundation commented, “The Mertz Gilmore Foundation is honored to support BAC’s program centering the experiences, aspirations, and artistry of local dancers. By developing values-driven structures, BAC nurtures creative risk-taking, honors creative expression and diversity, and anchors and expands Brooklyn’s sense of place.”
Brooklyn Arts Fund is supported by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), the New York City Council, and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President.
CASA is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) in partnership with the New York City Council.
The Charlene Victor & Ella J. Weiss Cultural Entrepreneur Fund is supported by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), the New York City Council, and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President.
Creative Equations Fund is supported by the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation.
Local Arts Support is supported by the Statewide Community Regrants (SCR) Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of the Office of the New York State Governor and the New York State Legislature.
SU-CASA is funded by the New York City Council and administered by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA) in partnership with four of the City's local arts councils – Bronx Council on the Arts, Brooklyn Arts Council, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and Staten Island Arts.
Cover Image: Rueda de Oro led by Juan S. Ospina, 2025 Brooklyn Arts Fund Grantee. Photo by Juan S. Ospina.