Welcome to part three of our series about how our green partners have fared during the pandemic. Our spotlight focuses on NOoSPHERE Arts, a non-profit “…dedicated to bringing artists from elsewhere to New York.” They create public arts programming offering a platform to artists and bringing joy to audiences. This 501(c)3 organization is a partner in the coalition behind Kingsland Wildflowers at Broadway Stages (KWBS), serving as KWBS’ Arts Producer and Presenter. NOoSPHERE Arts is run by Founding Artistic Director Sol Kjøk, a painter who is Broadway Stages’ artist-in-residence at Last Frontier NYC at 520 Kingsland Ave, and Daniela Holban, a curator, cultural producer and community builder with over 11 years of professional experience in art institutions, museums, nonprofits and startups.

NOoSPHERE Arts has been diligent in adhering to all required COVID-19 protocols, while at the same time remaining focused on their mission to create opportunities for artistic cross-pollination and transnational collaborations. They had to postpone programming during the height of the pandemic but came up with innovative ways to bring the arts to our community.  They were able to produce two virtual salons, and in September they presented the Climate Week official rooftop series WE ARE NATURE: Dance, Art and a Call for Action, a two part dance performance on Broadway Stages’ rooftops in Greenpoint. Due to COVID-19 restrictions the program was scaled back, with limited, socially distanced audience in attendance. They are working on a virtual broadcast with footage from both events and a live conversation with Fritjof Capra, a well-known scientist, author, educator and activist. Broadway Stages arranged for an outdoor film screen to be painted on 520 Kingsland Avenue that allowed NOoSPHERE Arts to feature WE ARE NATURE that allowed the audience to see moving images against the spectacular backdrop of the Manhattan skyline at night. We are told that proposals for more outdoor screenings in the spring have already started pouring in!

We remain grateful to the team at NOoSPHERE Arts for their continued commitment to public arts programming and we applaud their innovation in bringing the arts to our community during these challenging times. Please be sure to follow them on Instagram and sign up for their newsletter to learn about their special programming. If you are interested in collaborating or supporting NOoSPHERE Arts please contact them.