LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending BRIC Arts/Media/Bklyn for 30 years of
contemporary art in Brooklyn to be celebrated October 25, 2011

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that organizations
that give positive definition to the profile and disposition of the
communities of the State of New York profoundly strengthen our society
with their commitment; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
BRIC Arts/Media/Bklyn for 30 years of contemporary art in Brooklyn to be
celebrated with the Brooklyn Art: Work 2011 Gala on Tuesday, October 25,
2011, at The Liberty Warehouse Pier 41, Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York;
and
WHEREAS, This year's Gala will be a lively art-focused event that will
honor many Brooklyn artists, including: Melissa Dubbin and Aaron S.
Davidson, Yvonne Estrada, Eve Andree Laramee, Miguel Luciano, Lori Nix,
Alex O'Neal, Carolanna Parlato, Anne Percoco, E.E. Smith, Lynne Yamamo-
to, and Pinar Yolacan; and
WHEREAS, From its inception in 1979, BRIC has enriched the cultural
landscape of Brooklyn by presenting, producing and enabling a wide array
of quality visual, performing and media arts programs; and
WHEREAS, As a non-profit arts organization, it has been a leader in
innovation in the arts and media, a proud participant in the revitaliza-
tion of Prospect Park and a champion of arts education through its
programs: in media, Brooklyn Community Access Television; in the
performing arts, BRICstudio and Celebrate Brooklyn!; and in visual arts,
BRIC Rotunda Gallery; and
WHEREAS, Combined, BRIC's programs reach upwards of a million Brooklyn
residents each year with compelling and engaging visual arts, performing
arts and media; individuals, non-profits, community groups, school chil-
dren, educators and artists borough-wide all benefit from its highly
accessible exhibitions, performances, television programs, and education
programs as well as the subsidized platforms offered for artists and
community members to develop and present works; and
WHEREAS, BRIC Media programs include: Brooklyn Community Access Tele-
vision (BCAT) the main source of television of and for Brooklyn; BCAT
offers low cost high quality classes such as Video Blogging 101 and
Television Studio Production and free access to a state-of-the-art tele-
vision production facility; it also cablecasts a 24/7 community calendar
on Brooklyn Bulletin Board TV (actively used by over 800 non-profits);
and
WHEREAS, In addition, each week BCAT airs over 650 hours of communi-
ty-produced and community-selected television, including: The Spew;
Adopting Teens and Tweens; Transit Transit; and Carribean Vibe; The
Brooklyn Independent Television initiative includes in-depth coverage of
all things Brooklyn via shows such as Brooklyn Review, Brooklyn's only
professionally produced television news magazine, In the Zone, shining
the spotlight on Brooklyn sports and athletes, and Neighborhood Beat,
which introduces viewers to neighborhoods throughout the Borough; and
WHEREAS, Brooklyn Free Speech and Brooklyn Independent Television
programs are cablecast into the homes of over 500,000 Time Warner Cable
and Cablevision subscribers throughout Brooklyn, and, streaming online,
reach viewers all over the world; and
WHEREAS, BRICstudio opens the door to the exciting worlds of theatre,
dance, music and multidisciplinary performance in an intimate and engag-
ing space located in the heart of the BAM Cultural District; BRICstudio
offers subsidized rehearsal and performance space and is home to

BRIClab, a commissioning and residency program for the development of
new works in the performing arts; and
WHEREAS, For an electrifying nine seasons, BRICstudio has presented a
dynamic blend of workshops, premieres and collaborations, including the
Brooklyn debut of the critically-acclaimed company SaBooge Theatre, the
annual audience favorite Danspace Out of Space @ BRICstudio, and the
premiere of Brave New World Repertory Theater's Crossing Brooklyn Ferry,
developed at BRIClab and commissioned by the Celebrate Brooklyn!
Performing Arts Festival; and
WHEREAS, In November 2007, BRICstudio together with Dance Theater
Workshop and MAPP International Productions brought Congolese dancer and
choreographer Faustin Linyekula to New York City for the first time; and
WHEREAS, Celebrate Brooklyn! is an eclectic mix of music, dance, thea-
ter and film; its performances are commissioned, produced and presented
each summer at the Prospect Park Bandshell, a dynamic venue in
Brooklyn's backyard; and
WHEREAS, Celebrate Brooklyn! past productions have included local
indie heroes TV on the Radio, Grammy Award winner Philip Glass perform-
ing his gripping score to Dracula, the incomparable Burning Spear, and
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company; one of the world's great modern
dance companies; and
WHEREAS, BRIC Rotunda Gallery presents contemporary art exhibitions,
free public programs, and performances, and educational initiatives to
excite and challenge visitors; and
WHEREAS, Recent exhibition highlights include MAS': From Process to
Procession, guest curated by Claire Tancons, examined the creation proc-
ess of the contemporary Caribbean Carnival, and Spectral Evidence,
organized by Lori Ledis Memorial Award winner Steven Lam, featured
artists who utilize history as material; and
WHEREAS, Rotunda's Education Program introduces 9,000 Brooklyn
students annually to contemporary art through in-school art residencies;
the Education Program offers professional development opportunities for
parents, teachers, and administrators, and culminates each year with an
annual KidsArt exhibition and KidsDay festivities; and
WHEREAS, It is most fitting that we take time to celebrate the arts of
our Nation, to honor our artists, and to express our appreciation to
everyone who patronizes the arts; and as we celebrate the arts, we cele-
brate and give thanks to our American freedom, the only atmosphere in
which artists can truly create and in which art is truly the expression
of the soul; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend BRIC Arts/Media/Bklyn for 30 years of contemporary art in Brook-
lyn to be celebrated October 25, 2011; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to BRIC Arts/Media/Bklyn.