NYC Arts: The Complete Guide to Art and Culture

Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC), founded in 1966, is the umbrella organization serving Brooklyn artists and arts groups in all disciplines, and providing residents with affordable access to the arts. It is the go-to service group for Brooklyn’s independent dance, music, film and visual artists, and for finding out about the wide array of cultural groups and projects in Brooklyn.

With funds provided by DCA, NYSCA and JPMorgan Chase, BAC gives over 100 grants to artists and small cultural groups for creation, presentation and capacity-building projects every year.

BAC provides artists and arts groups with behind-the-scenes support through free professional development seminars, Artists Opportunities e-blasts, computer and Internet access in its Resource Room, fiscal sponsorship, and ongoing phone, e-mail and in-person consultations.

Brooklyn Artist Registry and Directory of Arts Organizations—BAC's free, online, searchable databases—currently promote over 4,000 artists and over 600 cultural groups and businesses, featuring their background information, visual and audio content, and links to their Web sites.

BAC partners with a range of cultural groups in Brooklyn and beyond to produce free or low-cost presentations of Brooklyn-based artists.

Its programs include Folk Arts (for artists working in traditional forms) and Scene: Brooklyn (which presents independent filmmakers in screenings and discussion programs offers an annual screenwriters' workshop).

The BAC Gallery presents thematic exhibitions of work by Brooklyn artists in shows organized by emerging curators, plus related public programs during DUMBO First Thursdays.

Programs for Seniors
Workshops and performances are offered at senior centers and elsewhere. Most programs are publicly funded and thus free or low-cost. Programming integrates the specific needs of those participating.

Foreign-language Programs
The council integrates language needs as indicated by its target population and centers' requests, and has done programs in Chinese, Italian and Spanish.

• Directions: Subway: F to York Street; A, C to High Street - Brooklyn Bridge

• Disability Access: Wheelchair accessible