Events

From Baca to Rodriguez, from Satrapi to Mártir, physical place serves as a kind of jumping off point for the writers of memoir and the readers that journey with them. In this workshop, we will explore the places that move stories forward and the histories we as writers carry from them. We will read…

Set yourself up with the knowledge to make good financial decisions in 2019! Designed and led by Creative Capital Awardee Amy Smith, a working artist with expertise in bookkeeping, budgeting, tax preparation, and financial management, this workshop is designed to better your financial management skills…

These meetings will provide an opportunity for Bronx residents to hear about BCA’s new cultural assets mapping initiative, as well as an opportunity for BCA to learn from community members about your needs and priorities around arts and culture. We look to you – our Bronx community members – to…

Writing our lives often means writing about our families. Family is our first mirror and how we first define ourselves, and that’s why writing about them is one of the trickiest aspects of memoir writing. We can’t get away from these people and how they’ve shaped us, but how fair is it to put them…

From noted artists Pope. L to CTRL+SHFT to the Royal Academy of Arts, artists, collectives, and institutions crowdfund to galvanize their community and get their next project funded. Led by Kickstarter's Arts Outreach Specialist Daniel Sharp, discuss the tips, tricks, and lessons learned when framing…

Set yourself up with the knowledge to make good financial decisions in 2019! Designed and led by Creative Capital Awardee Amy Smith, a working artist with expertise in bookkeeping, budgeting, tax preparation, and financial management, this workshop is designed to better your financial management skills…

These meetings will provide an opportunity for Bronx residents to hear about BCA’s new cultural assets mapping initiative, as well as an opportunity for BCA to learn from community members about your needs and priorities around arts and culture. We look to you – our Bronx community members – to…

Language is always shifting, mutating, and expanding, and the way we all talk depends on influences from languages other than English--this is especially true for those of us who are bilingual or multilingual. Incorporating bilingual elements is more than just a flourish. In this workshop, we will explore…

History and expression are experienced through movement, textiles, clothing, and other modes of representation that intersect with day-to-day experience. Feelings of Home explores this idea, centering local dancers, textile artists, and game-makers, among others, who work to preserve collective memory…

History and expression are experienced through movement, textiles, clothing, and other modes of representation that intersect with day-to-day experience. Feelings of Home explores this idea, centering local dancers, textile artists, and game-makers, among others, who work to preserve collective memory…

One of the best ways to bring a reader into the world of your writing is to create an immersive setting. In this workshop, we will look at different techniques for establishing a sense of place, both by capturing concrete details of an environment and by focusing on the ways that place influences voice,…

Our eyes whisper truths, our lungs scream sorrows and our feet straddle and strut between the past and the present. Our bodies are vessels for storytelling. This generative writing workshop led by Peggy Robles-Alvarado, open to all genres and all writing levels, pulls at memories we carry within our…

Memoir can be the ultimate storytelling tool for speaking truth to power and using our voice. So how do we intentionally use our voices to feel heard and have an effective impact both for our own healing and the world at large?In this writing workshop, we will use memoir and other storytelling and writing…

Learn how to maneuver through the proposal process, make choices for the subject and pre-execution of the work, learn how to procure materials, obtain work permits, and handle contract negotiations. Learn more about the levels of interaction with public administrators, community organizations, and municipal…

Biographies are composed chronologically, but memoir is a poetic and jazzy literary genre that welcomes a creative approach to structure. In this workshop, we’ll learn how a memoir can be structured around patterns, juxtapositions, and connections. We’ll look at some inspiring models and then create…

When revising a manuscript, writers often feel overwhelmed when confronting the false starts, messy scraps, and weak sentences that seep into an early draft. In this workshop, we’ll discuss a variety of appealing, effective, and creative approaches to revision that can be customized for your project.…

Learn how to tell a story in the traditional Indian way during this free workshop on the art of Abhinayaopen to all ages. In Indian classical dance, Abhinaya is the subtle use of hand gestures, facial expressions and body language. Abhinaya, movements can be used as a device to metaphorically narrate…

Inspired by April’s Poetry Month, this week’s workshop will be led by BostonPoet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola: Often times, a poem is built around the information the writer has provided. More times than not, transcendent poems leave a reader with a sense of wonder and mystery, by sometimes, not providing…

Learn how to create an effective portfolio or enhance your current one to gain entrance into the gallery or museum of your dreams. It is important that your portfolio catches the eye of curators before your work is installed. This session will offer the necessary tools to a successful portfolio. Open…

Most of us New Yorkers are transplants from other cities or immigrants from other countries. We're united by both MTA problems and the crushing feeling of loss. We love this city of dreams deeply, yet miss the lives we once had. For native New Yorkers, loss of home could include gentrification. Nostalgia…

Art is frequently used to amplify social justice causes and bring traditionally marginalized voices to the forefront. Especially in a changing metropolis like New York, the visual arts play a crucial role in raising awareness and advocating for community change. By examining global protest art through…

Our body is a memoir and museum of those who have loved us. In our private rooms, in our work place or even when we walk on the streets, we carry other people, invisibly, with us. I carry my mother with me on my face. I carry my father’s laughter. Who are the people you carry with you? A person’s…

Mexico’s greatest female artist, if not most well-known, Frida Kahlo painted brutally honest self- portraits that reveal her psychological and emotional response to adversity and trauma. She was alone often, and, in turn, worked obsessively with self-portraiture. Her reflection fueled an unflinching…

For writers, pairing with a literary agent can be a daunting task. Your best bet at finding a literary agent begins way before you actually set out to find an agent. There are many factors to consider before seeking professional representation of your work. In this session, there will be tips and advice…

The Bronx Council on the Arts’ is excited to announce the return of our FREE Summer Concert Series! Join us on May 11th for at Poe Park for the Latin Jazz musical stylings of Grammy Award-winning artist John Benitez. About John Benitez Bronxite John Benitez is a 2012 BRIO winner who also won a Grammy…

Get an introduction on the basics of website building, online banding, marketing presence, and logo creation. Maximize social media platforms to inform the world about you and your work. Also, explore digital networking strategies to enhance your marketing and selling skills to appeal to new audiences…

One of the biggest differences between a first and final draft of a memoir or fictional piece is the center of gravity. The center of gravity is the point around which your memoir revolves, the glue that holds it together, the thing without which there would be no memoir or fiction. The problem with…

On Monday, May 20th, the Bronx Council on the Arts is pleased to host CreateNYC: Office Hours with the Commissioner “Voices (Un)Heard,” a part of an ongoing series by CreateNYC inviting the public to join open-ended conversations on topics relevant to arts and culture. CreateNYC and BCA invite LGBTQ-identifying…

Bronx Council on the Arts and The Actors Fund are pleased to present this affordable housing seminar that aims to help participants navigate the process, and get organized so they can be prepared to apply. The application process is explained in simple steps and helps applicants avoid common mistakes.…

Author, publisher, visual artist, and BRIO winner Orlando Ferrand will share the process for transforming a completed manuscript into a book that can be enjoyed by readers as both a repository of content and a work of art. He’ll discuss the steps that writers should consider and research before embarking…