Help Establish Black Village Arts
Donation protected
The African Proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” resonates especially true for black and brown bodies during these challenging times. As we continue to fight for black liberation, learn and unlearn, heal, and share, it is essential that our voices are heard and that our stories are shared through visual, literary, performing, and multidisciplinary forms of art.
Owned by a black woman and based in NYC, Black Village Arts is an emerging, independent multi-purpose art store. Catering especially to aspiring black creatives, Black Village Arts will serve two purposes: providing quality tools, supplies, and resources in all things art at affordable prices and hosting weekly events, activities, workshops and demonstrations of numerous art disciplines in order to educate and encourage black youth by people who look like them.
Because of covid-19, Black Village Arts believes it is more than likely plans to reopen schools will include the removal of all non-essential subjects meaning major cuts for the arts and art-driven programs. Being that black youth makes up the majority of at-risk youth, and are disproportionately affected by lack of exposure to arts education, this feels particularly damaging. Art is used as an outlet for expressing thoughts in a calming and therapeutic way and highly successful in combatting behavioral and emotional issues. If the youth, without art programs to guide them, are left to their own devices in search of comfort through creativity, they deserve to have a local and affordable solution.
Black Village Arts aims to be that solution, where the curious, the dreamers, the artists, the entrepreneurs, and all creatives alike can come together and express themselves. A community space where the youth can have fun, learn and develop new interests, be inspired, or simply just shop affordable art supplies for school and at home projects and DIYs. A home for creatives to host their next art exhibit, fashion show, photography class, open mic, dance recital, listening party, and other visions. If the mind can dream it, Black Village Arts will make it a reality. A resting ground and birthing base for all things art.
I need your help to make this vision become a reality!
According to an article from CBS news, around 40% of black owned businesses will not be able to weather this pandemic. The Wisconsin Public Radio reported that a measly 2% of venture capital funding is allocated to companies founded by women, with women of color receiving even less than that. Banks remain unenthusiastic to loan black woman money for their companies making it cumbersome to stay afloat let alone grow.
In efforts to preserve Black Village Arts, establish its longevity for the community, and give it the greatest chance to succeed during these tough times, I am crowd-funding $100,000 in start-up costs that breakdowns as follows:
*Lease: $2500 x 12 months = $30,000
Advertising (web design, business cards, etc) promotions & taxes = $12,500
Inventory, furniture, equipment & supplies = $20,000
Utilities, insurance, & legal services = $7,500
Renovations/build-out costs: $30,000
FOLLOW @blackvillagearts on Instagram where I will be practicing complete transparency with your donations and actively posting all my updates, every step in this journey, asking for help in other areas, etc etc.
Thank You in advance for any and all efforts to support me!
———————————————-
About the Organizer,
My name is Brandi Jones, I’m an NYC native, and the arts has always held a prominent place in my life. I’m an alumni of the prestigious LaGuardia Arts Performing Arts High School and a recent graduate of SUNY Purchase with my BFA in dance. As a creative who has personally benefited physically, mentally and emotionally from being able to express myself through the arts, I have always strongly advocated for the necessity of arts education and the growth in development it provides the youth.
As a young Black girl the arts enabled me and accepted me exactly as I was, which instilled in me an open-mindedness that I had the power to become anyone I wanted to be. As a black woman, I understand how society continues to attempt to shrink my voice to fit in certain spaces. But art reminds me, I do not have to be silent and my thoughts and feelings are always valid.
In the nine years of experience I have with working with kids of all different ages, and socio-economic backgrounds, I have witnessed the power of arts education many times. The arts, who consistently take a backseat to academics, play just as much of a role in a child’s development.
In regards to black and brown bodies specifically, the arts started as a way for us to connect in our communities and became the forefront of political activism. Given current times, art remains esssential in the way we address our fight for black lives. Yet, minority students suffer the most in the rapid decline of the arts in their education. According to a study by the National Endowment for the Arts, over 50 percent of young black adults acknowledged receiving an arts education as opposed to the 26 percent surveyed in 2008, a 49 percent decline, the largest within all racial groups. This situation continues to worsen.
For this, among many reasons, I have been working hard to develop this initiative for the community. I believe it is intrinsic to provide an accessible, affordable, collective space for the youth (prioritizing black youth) to have access to resources and supplies that can encourage and support their creativity in various capacities. If they can envision it, Black Village Arts can bring it to fruition.
”You can’t be what you can’t see.” -Marian W. Edelman
Owned by a black woman and based in NYC, Black Village Arts is an emerging, independent multi-purpose art store. Catering especially to aspiring black creatives, Black Village Arts will serve two purposes: providing quality tools, supplies, and resources in all things art at affordable prices and hosting weekly events, activities, workshops and demonstrations of numerous art disciplines in order to educate and encourage black youth by people who look like them.
Because of covid-19, Black Village Arts believes it is more than likely plans to reopen schools will include the removal of all non-essential subjects meaning major cuts for the arts and art-driven programs. Being that black youth makes up the majority of at-risk youth, and are disproportionately affected by lack of exposure to arts education, this feels particularly damaging. Art is used as an outlet for expressing thoughts in a calming and therapeutic way and highly successful in combatting behavioral and emotional issues. If the youth, without art programs to guide them, are left to their own devices in search of comfort through creativity, they deserve to have a local and affordable solution.
Black Village Arts aims to be that solution, where the curious, the dreamers, the artists, the entrepreneurs, and all creatives alike can come together and express themselves. A community space where the youth can have fun, learn and develop new interests, be inspired, or simply just shop affordable art supplies for school and at home projects and DIYs. A home for creatives to host their next art exhibit, fashion show, photography class, open mic, dance recital, listening party, and other visions. If the mind can dream it, Black Village Arts will make it a reality. A resting ground and birthing base for all things art.
I need your help to make this vision become a reality!
According to an article from CBS news, around 40% of black owned businesses will not be able to weather this pandemic. The Wisconsin Public Radio reported that a measly 2% of venture capital funding is allocated to companies founded by women, with women of color receiving even less than that. Banks remain unenthusiastic to loan black woman money for their companies making it cumbersome to stay afloat let alone grow.
In efforts to preserve Black Village Arts, establish its longevity for the community, and give it the greatest chance to succeed during these tough times, I am crowd-funding $100,000 in start-up costs that breakdowns as follows:
*Lease: $2500 x 12 months = $30,000
Advertising (web design, business cards, etc) promotions & taxes = $12,500
Inventory, furniture, equipment & supplies = $20,000
Utilities, insurance, & legal services = $7,500
Renovations/build-out costs: $30,000
FOLLOW @blackvillagearts on Instagram where I will be practicing complete transparency with your donations and actively posting all my updates, every step in this journey, asking for help in other areas, etc etc.
Thank You in advance for any and all efforts to support me!
———————————————-
About the Organizer,
My name is Brandi Jones, I’m an NYC native, and the arts has always held a prominent place in my life. I’m an alumni of the prestigious LaGuardia Arts Performing Arts High School and a recent graduate of SUNY Purchase with my BFA in dance. As a creative who has personally benefited physically, mentally and emotionally from being able to express myself through the arts, I have always strongly advocated for the necessity of arts education and the growth in development it provides the youth.
As a young Black girl the arts enabled me and accepted me exactly as I was, which instilled in me an open-mindedness that I had the power to become anyone I wanted to be. As a black woman, I understand how society continues to attempt to shrink my voice to fit in certain spaces. But art reminds me, I do not have to be silent and my thoughts and feelings are always valid.
In the nine years of experience I have with working with kids of all different ages, and socio-economic backgrounds, I have witnessed the power of arts education many times. The arts, who consistently take a backseat to academics, play just as much of a role in a child’s development.
In regards to black and brown bodies specifically, the arts started as a way for us to connect in our communities and became the forefront of political activism. Given current times, art remains esssential in the way we address our fight for black lives. Yet, minority students suffer the most in the rapid decline of the arts in their education. According to a study by the National Endowment for the Arts, over 50 percent of young black adults acknowledged receiving an arts education as opposed to the 26 percent surveyed in 2008, a 49 percent decline, the largest within all racial groups. This situation continues to worsen.
For this, among many reasons, I have been working hard to develop this initiative for the community. I believe it is intrinsic to provide an accessible, affordable, collective space for the youth (prioritizing black youth) to have access to resources and supplies that can encourage and support their creativity in various capacities. If they can envision it, Black Village Arts can bring it to fruition.
”You can’t be what you can’t see.” -Marian W. Edelman
Organizer
Brandi Jones
Organizer
Queens Village, NY
