The Pratt Center for Community Development; Pratt's Initiative for Arts, Community, and Social Change (IACSC); and Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (BSRC) will present “Amplify Action: Sustainability through the Arts,” an exhibition of work by local and international artists that will demonstrate how arts, culture, and media can be powerful catalysts for social change at BSRC's Skylight Gallery from April 22, 2012, through mid-July 2012. The exhibition will be celebrated with an opening reception on April 21, 2012, from 4-6 PM at BSRC's Skylight Gallery at 1368 Fulton Street, Third Floor, Brooklyn. Those interested in attending may RSVP here.
The exhibition will enable the Central Brooklyn community to engage with themes of sustainable living, healthy consumer choices, and environmental action. Featured works examine topics relating to sustainability including ecology, economy, equity, environmental consciousness, resource conservation and efficiency, agriculture, architecture, infrastructure, environmental health, and justice.
Participating artists include:
Elaine Angelopoulos
Artcodex
Jean Brennan
Adam Brent
Roberto deJesus
Wolfgang Ryan
Barbara Ekström
Carrie Grubb
Michael “TTK” Harris
Christopher Ho
YK Hong
Bernard Klevickas
Michael Konrad
Mary Mattingly
Kristyna and Marek Milde
Michael Millspaugh
Simonetta Moro, Tattfoo Tan, and Students of Eugene Lang College and New School for Liberal Arts
Antonia Perez
Kevin William Reed
Aya Rodriguez-Izumi
Vincent Romaniello
Andrew Scott
Robert Stephenson
Means & Ways: Radek Szczesny and Jenny Way
Kioka Williams, Bed-Stuy Community Quilt Project
“We are elated to partner with Pratt Center for Community Development and the Pratt Initiative for Arts, Community, and Social Change (IACSC),” said Tracey Capers, vice president of programs and development, Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. “Like Pratt Center and the Pratt IACSC, we support long term sustainability that is largely dependent on the ability to engage local residents and institutions. We each view the arts as a powerful agent for that change,” she added.
Rasu Jilani of the Pratt Center for Community Development stated: “This exhibition and public programming demonstrate that the arts are an imperative tool for engaging communities toward long-term local sustainability.”
A panel discussion moderated by Ann Holder, associate professor, Social Science and Cultural Studies, Pratt Institute, will be held on March 29, 2012, from 6-8 PM at Pratt Institute's Myrtle Hall, second floor auditorium, in Brooklyn. The entrance to Myrtle Hall is located at 215 Willoughby Avenue. The panel will introduce “Amplify Action” artists Mary Mattingly, Simonetta Moro, and Kristyna Milde, who will discuss their work as it is applied to sustainability and explain how their perception has been affected by sustainable practices. Those interested in attending may RSVP here.
A series of workshops for educators will be held in conjunction with the “Amplify Action” exhibition that will engage local educators in a dialogue on sustainable practices and provide tools to make meaningful curriculum connections to the exhibition. The workshops will be held on April 26, 2012, from 5-8 PM at the BSRC gallery. Those interested in attending may RSVP here. Space is limited.
The Pratt Center for Community Development works for a more just, equitable, and sustainable city for all New Yorkers by empowering communities to plan for and realize their futures. The Center was founded at the birth of the community development movement as the first university-based advocacy planning and design organization in the country. For over 45 years, the Pratt Center has helped community groups revitalize their neighborhoods, create and preserve affordable housing, build childcare and community centers, and improve their environment. The Pratt Center has trained hundreds of community leaders and organizations to implement effective community development strategies, and supported a wide array of successful public policy and community planning efforts.
The Pratt Initiative for Arts, Community, and Social Change (IACSC) encourages and supports students, faculty, and staff to cultivate awareness, discourse, and action to use the power of the arts as a catalyst for social change. This is approached through fostering structures that stimulate cross-disciplinary collaboration among various communities at Pratt, academic and programmatic departments, student organizations, and artistic disciplines, as well as through building external partnerships with community organizations and individual artists.
Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (BSRC) is the nation's first community development corporation. The organization partners with residents and businesses to improve the quality of life for residents of Central Brooklyn. By fostering economic self-sufficiency, enhancing family stability and growth, and promoting the arts and culture, BSRC transforms the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood into a safe and vibrant place to live, work, and visit.
This exhibition is a collaborative effort of the Pratt Center for Community Development, the Pratt IACSC, and BSRC and is made possible through the generous support of The Rockefeller Foundation's Cultural Innovation Fund.
CONTACT:
Rasu Jilani
Art, Culture, and Sustainability Project Manager, Pratt Center for Community Development
718-687-5671 or rjilani@prattcenter.net
www.amplifyaction.org