It’s always rewarding for us to see how the arts and the environment come together.  Our investments in environmentally sustainable initiatives, like Kingsland Wildflowers and Eagle Street Rooftop Farms, have also served as the backdrop for the arts.  From Vogue and National Geographic, to being part of the official Climate Week Programming – two years running, they are mutually celebrated and serve to build stronger connections and communities.  The inherent link between the environment and the arts is indisputable and we are proud to see the association continue to thrive. 

We recently reported that the Newtown Creek Alliance, a community-based organization dedicated to restoring, revealing and revitalizing Newtown Creek, and steward of educational programming at Kingsland Wildflowers, recently engaged with an arts group called AnkhLave Arts Alliance (pronounced Enclave).  This non-profit arts organization focuses on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists, promoting their work both outside of and inside the traditional gallery space. Seeking to advance equality in the arts, Founder and Executive Director, Dario Mohr, an accomplished artist in his own right, established AnkhLave in 2015. A volunteer run movement, it has grown over the years with over 100 artists registered, creating work in over 15 countries, from the U.S., Ghana, South and East Asia, to Australia and Latin America. 

Based in New York City, AnkhLave produces annual programming including their Garden Project and Curatorial  Fellowship Programs, and most recently the Artist in Residence Program.  The first recipient of the Artist in Residence Program is Yvonne Shortt, a sculptor who will be using the Kingsland Wildflowers rooftop in conjunction with Newtown Creek Alliance and NOoSPHERE Arts as a studio space and inspiration for a sculpture that will be presented later this summer on the garden rooftop.  Broadway Stages is thrilled to be a part of this program, and proud to support diversity in the arts, and the inherent connection between nature and art.  Join us as we celebrate our community, our environment, and the arts – all born right here in Greenpoint! If you are able, we encourage you to consider a donation to AnkhLave Arts Alliance and their mission to provide a platform BIPOC artists.