BRIC Announces Winter/Spring 2017 Programming at BRIC House

In Its Award-Winning Arts Center in Downtown Brooklyn, BRIC Presents and Incubates Fresh Work by Artists and Media-Makers Reflecting NYC's Diversity.

Performances, Contemporary Art Exhibitions, TV Programs and Artist Residencies to Include:

• The launch of BRIC House Sessions, a weekly concert series that explores a wide array of genres with musicians who are pushing music forward in extraordinary and inventive ways; featuring Roy Ayers (February 16), Dungen (March 16), Patrick Watson (March 23), Becca Stevens (March 30), Vieux Farka Toure (April 6) and more.
  
• Ride or Die: An exhibition of newly commissioned work by Miguel Luciano, featuring sculptures from customized vintage Schwinn bicycles, that question the colonial relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, while also commemorating the traditions of Nuyorican bike clubs in Brooklyn (February 2-March 5).
  
• Public Access/Open Networks, a group exhibition of historic and contemporary video and installation, presenting both key and lesser-known figures who have worked in the public-access arena, as well as contemporary artists experimenting with the democratic potential of new media platforms on the Internet (March 23-May 7).
  
• BRIC TV, a Brooklyn-focused, award-winning cable TV channel and digital network created by BRIC and based at BRIC House. New episodes of their hit shows include: The Show About The Show, Cooklyn, #BHeard Video Series, Straight Up, BK Live, B-Side and more; New series premieres of 195 Lewis and #BHeard Now (March 13).
  
• Work-in-progress presentations by performing artists in BRIClab, an incubator program for new work: Will Rawls' What Remains (February 9-10), Felice Belle / Jennifer Murphy / Monica L. Williams' Other Women (February 23-24), Live Source Theatre Group's As I Lay Dying (March 30-31) and Rob Reddy & Oliver Lake's Interruption! (April 13-14).
  
• A concert by NYC-based pan-American roots band Matuto (April 19), and the return of the Look + Listen Festival (May 19).
  
• Brooklyn-based orchestral collective The Knights continue their 2016-17 Season in residence through the spring (Performances on February 11-12 & April 9 & 13).

BRIC is pleased to announce programming for its spring 2017 season at BRIC Arts | Media House (BRIC House), the organization's 40,000SF home in Downtown Brooklyn.

With offerings ranging from weekend music marathons to daytime family programming, plus rigorously curated exhibitions featuring some of Brooklyn's most exciting artists, BRIC House has quickly become one of New York City's most inviting and accessible spaces to experience the arts. It has been named "Best Neighborhood Catalyst" by the Municipal Arts Society and called "the snazzily re-designed headquarters of BRIC, the venerable Brooklyn arts organization" by The New York Times. BRIC received the 2015 Building Brooklyn Award for Community Development by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, awarded to "renovation projects that improve the borough's diverse neighborhoods and economy."

BRIC has produced a number of Brooklyn's most widely renowned and long-standing cultural programs, including performances, art exhibitions, and public programs; Brooklyn-focused digital and cable TV content; and family, youth and adult education programs. Most BRIC events (including among others the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, gallery exhibitions, The Stoop Series and BRIC Flix) are free; tickets to selected events at BRIC House range from $8-$21.

Leslie G. Schultz, President of BRIC, said, "BRIC's spring 2017 season is the first full season curated under a new strategic plan to advance BRIC House as a leading Brooklyn music, media and contemporary art venue. Our new concert series BRIC House Sessions draws from our nearly four decades of presenting music at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival; the exhibition Public Access/Open Networks spotlights our role as a leading presenter of both contemporary art and community access television, by exploring the synergy between artists and public access; and commissioned works such as Ride or Die and 195 Lewis among others reflect BRIC's singular work in Brooklyn to commission new visual art works, theater, dance and scripted video series by Brooklyn-based artists and filmmakers."

Jack Walsh, BRIC's Vice President of Performing Arts, said, "As we usher in 2017, we couldn't be more excited to once again bring world-class performances to Brooklyn, offer artists an opportunity to develop and showcase their work, and foster creative self-expression through our community programs. One particular piece of the spring season that we are most proud of is the addition of the new BRIC House Sessions series, which will feature a stellar lineup of forward-thinking musicians spanning the dial. From indie to jazz, this series reflects our dedication to reflecting the talent, style and diversity of our borough."

Elizabeth Ferrer, BRIC's Vice President of Contemporary Art, said, "We are presenting two highly distinct exhibitions this winter and spring. The first, a solo exhibition of new work by Miguel Luciano commissioned by BRIC, uses customized vintage Schwinn bicycles to remark on the contentious relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rican, one century after Puerto Ricans were granted citizenship. The second is an ambitious group exhibition that looks on the one hand, on how visual artists used public access television in the 1970s and '80s as a space for experimentation, and on the other, how a new generation of artists are using Internet platforms as new ways of producing work and reaching broad audiences."

Aziz Isham, Executive Producer, BRIC TV, said, "BRIC TV is rapidly becoming the go-to video resource for award-winning stories about and relevant to Brooklyn. This spring we are thrilled to bring back some viewer favorites like 'The Show About The Show' and even more excited to premiere a new dramedy commission, '195 Lewis,' that is sure to have wide appeal."

Tickets to BRIC House events will go on sale to BRIC members on January 9th and open to the general public on January 12th and may be purchased online at BRICartsmedia.org/tickets or via phone at 866.811.4111. The Box Office at BRIC House is open on performance days only, one hour prior to the event. BRIC House is located at 647 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. BRIC House is open weekdays and Saturday at 8am and Sundays at 10am.

BRIC SPRING 2017 PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS

CONTEMPORARY ART

Gallery

Ride or Die: An exhibition of newly commissioned work by Miguel Luciano
On view: February 2 - March 5
Opening reception: February 1, 7 - 9pm
BRIC Gallery
FREE Admission

A prominent mid-career artist based in Brooklyn, Miguel Luciano works in varied media to examine issues of cultural identity, politics, and popular culture. BRIC has commissioned Luciano to create new work - sculptures featuring customized vintage Schwinn bicycles - that commemorate the traditions of Puerto Rican bike clubs in New York. He will exhibit this work along with paintings and historic ephemera that question the colonial relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico, at the centennial mark of U.S. citizenship for Puerto Ricans (1917-2017). This body of work acts as a powerful commentary on the current economic and political crisis in Puerto Rico and examines its impact on the diaspora.

Public Programs:

Island Promesas: A Conversation on the Economic Crisis in Puerto Rico
February 8, 7pm
BRIC Stoop
FREE Admission
A panel discussion about the effects of the current economic crisis.

Brooklyn Schwinn Clubs Meet-Up
February 26, 2-5pm
BRIC Gallery & Stoop
FREE Admission
Members of Brooklyn-based Puerto Rican bike clubs gather together to show off their wheels, along with other festivities.

This exhibition is sponsored in part by City Point, Brooklyn

Public Access/Open Networks
On view: March 23 - May 7
Opening reception: March 22, 7 - 9pm
BRIC Gallery
FREE Admission

In the late 1960s, visual artists experimenting with the New Medium of video saw the potential of public access television to act as an open and uncensored platform for the creation and dissemination of their work. This exhibition will present both key and lesser-known figures who worked in the public-access arena, as well as contemporary artists experimenting with the democratic potential of new media platforms on the Internet. BRIC's own public access channels will be continuously aired in the gallery space, and a stage in the center of the gallery will act as a set for the production of new programming by BRIC's community producers.

Historic and recent programming by Jaime Davidovich, Ralph McDaniels, Jayson Musson, Glenn O'Brien, Nam June Paik, Paper Tiger TV and Tony Ramos. Contemporary artist projects by Natalie Bookchin, E.S.P. TV, Shani Peters and Jon Rubin.

Public Programs:

April 5, 7pm
BRIC Stoop
FREE Admission
A full screening of Natalie Bookchin's 2016 video, Long Story Short, an exploration of poverty comprising hundreds of interviews with men and women in homeless and job-training centers?in California. The screening will be followed by a conversation with the artist.

April 12, 7pm
BRIC Stoop
FREE Admission
E.S.P. TV hybridizes technologies old and new, contemporary and obsolete, to realize the live television studio as a site for performance-based works. Working within galleries, museums, and artist-run and public spaces, E.S.P. TV's television programs are taped before a live audience and place the labor of production in an equal spotlight with the artists and performers with whom they collaborate. Join E.S.P. TV for a live taping on the Stoop -- and expect the unexpected.

Project Room Exhibition:

Surface Matters
Curated by 3walls, Brooklyn
On view: February 2 -February 26
Opening reception: February 1, 7 - 9pm
BRIC Project Room
FREE Admission

Through a highly personal relationship with their chosen materials, artists Veronique Gambier and Sarah Brook create powerful works rich with emotional content. Gambier's acrylic-on-paper paintings seek to express tension rather than harmony, movement rather than stillness. The varied materials in Brook's installation Rise Early, Know This mimic elements and processes of an expansive landscape, while also expressing their intrinsic physical properties.

Public Program:

February 22, 7pm
BRIC Project Room
FREE Admission
A salon-style conversation with artists Veronique Gambier and Sarah Brook.

Student Exhibition:

29th Annual Contemporary Art Education Exhibition
On view: May 18 - June 18
BRIC Gallery
FREE Admission

BRIC is pleased to present the 29th Annual Contemporary Art Education Exhibition, showcasing the creative works of students from over 30 public schools, grades K-12, who participated in BRIC's school-based residency programs that bring contemporary artists and their studio practices into the classroom. Curated by BRIC's Education Team.

Public Program:

Family Day
May 27 & June 10, 12pm - 3pm
BRIC Gallery
FREE Admission
Join some of BRIC's Teaching Artists for an imaginative adventure in art-making.

4th Annual Youth Media Festival: Concrete Stories
May 31, 1:00pm & 6:30pm
BRIC House Ballroom
FREE Admission
This media showcase of work by youth under the age of 20 celebrates talented young media makers who are telling stories through short films, documentaries, and animations. Produced and curated by a group of media-savvy Brooklyn high school students as part of the BRIC Youth Media Fellowship Program.

PERFORMING ARTS

BRIC House Sessions
Discover your new favorite music Thursdays this winter and spring at BRIC House Sessions, a new concert series that explores a wide array of genres - like a playlist come to life - with musicians who are pushing music forward in extraordinary and inventive ways. Spanning two stages, BRIC House Sessions will start with a set by local musicians and DJs on the Stoop overlooking the Gallery, followed by a session with a featured artist inside the state-of-the-art BRIC House Ballroom - one of the best new spaces for live music in Brooklyn.

Roy Ayers | Shareef Keyes
February 16, 8pm (Doors & DJ set 7pm)
BRIC House Ballroom & Stoop
$15 Adv/$18 Door
General Admission (standing)

Legendary vibraphonist Roy Ayers kicks-off BRIC House Sessions with an electrifying jazz-funk set for all ages and Brooklyn's Shareef Keyes jam on the Stoop.

Ayers has been a key figure at the nexus of jazz and R&B throughout his 40-year career, and continues to collaborate with younger artists including Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest and Ice Cube. Lauded as the "godfather of Neo-Soul," his music has inspired generations of musicians and listeners across genres, and he is often cited as the most-sampled jazz artist in hip-hop history; remixes of his hit compositions "Everybody Loves the Sunshine," "Searchin," and "Running Away" are still featured on new releases. The BRIC House Ballroom is perfect for dancing to Ayers' silky grooves for a special performance the week of Valentine's Day.

The funk-hip hop jams from Shareef Keyes will energize BRIC's Stoop for a "get-down and dance" good time. With a magnetic front man and big sound, this band is making a name for itself across New York City, and will set the mood just right for the first BRIC House Session.

Red Baraat: Bhangra Pirates Record Release Party
March 9, 8pm
BRIC House Ballroom
$15 Adv/$18 Door
General Admission (standing)

Famously dubbed "The best party band in years" by NPR, Red Baraat is a pioneering eight-piece band from right here in Brooklyn. Conceived by dhol player Sunny Jain, the group has drawn worldwide praise for its singular sound - a merging of hard driving North Indian Bhangra with elements of go-go, rock and jazz - fueled by 3 master rhythm makers, the muscle of horns, a raucous guitar and a booming sousaphone. Created with no less a purposeful agenda than manifesting joy and unity in all people, Red Baraat's spirit is worn brightly on its sweaty and hard-worked sleeve. Mixing originals and Bollywood favorites, Red Baraat has performed internationally from the Montreal Jazz Festival to our stage at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Their first full performance at BRIC House will be to celebrate their latest album Bhangra Pirates.

Dungen: The Adventures of Prince Achmed
March 16, 7:30pm & 9:30pm (Doors & DJ set 7pm)
BRIC House Ballroom & Stoop
$15 Adv/$18 Door
General Admission (seated)

Swedish psychedelic rock outfit Dungen will perform their dazzling original score to the 1926 silent film The Adventures of Prince Achmed for two shows in BRIC's Ballroom.

Weaving music into the storytelling seamlessly, Dungen grabs at jazz, folk, and classical influences, taking you on journey through what is understood to be the oldest surviving animated film. While the quartet usually features sung lyrics, the Prince Achmed score, entitled Häxan and released in November 2016, was Dungen's first instrumental album, and is sure to provide a rich sonic landscape during this BRIC House Session with the beloved Stockholm band who opened for Tame Impala at the 2016 BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival.

Patrick Watson | The Westerlies
March 23, 8pm (Doors & DJ set 7pm)
BRIC House Ballroom & Stoop
$15 Adv/$18 Door
General Admission (standing)

Montreal-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Watson graces the Ballroom stage with music that is at once subtle and dramatic; full of atmospheric tension and anchored by his stunning and hypnotic falsetto. Winner of the Polaris Prize for his beautiful and fragile debut record, Close to Paradise, Patrick Watson continues to transport listeners with his vast emotional depths and compelling sonic drift on his latest release, Love Songs for Robots. Watson says he wanted it to be a "science fiction R&B meets Vangelis erotica with a zest of folk kind-of-record." The result is layers of instrumentation, sonic baubles, restless percussion, and reverb-heavy guitars.

The Westerlies ("prevailing winds from the West to the East") are a Brooklyn/NYC-based brass quartet comprised of four childhood friends from Seattle that explore jazz, roots, and chamber music influences to create music that is both "folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous" (NPR Music). Equally at home in concert halls and living rooms, The Westerlies deliver the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along.

Becca Stevens: Regina album release featuring special guests
March 30, 8pm (Doors & DJ set 7pm)
BRIC House Ballroom & Stoop
$15 Adv/$18 Door
General Admission (standing)

Always reaching, always expanding, Becca Stevens - whom The New York Times describes as "a best-kept secret" and "impressively absorbing" - reinvents herself once again with her latest album Regina. In the years since the release of her critically acclaimed third album, Perfect Animal, Stevens has undertaken a journey that began with a study of Queen Elizabeth I as inspiration for a commission to write a concert of new music, which expanded into tributes to various queens from history, literature, folklore and her own imagination. The result is a collection of songs inspired by the regal and divine, and finally Regina as a voice, like a trusted friend or an alter ego.

Stevens' style has always evaded categorization, and with Regina, even more so. One hears pop, rock, R&B and funk side-by-side with traditional Appalachian and British folk, classical, world music, and jazz. Intricate instrumentation and rhythms seamlessly intertwine with vocals and melodies that work their way into your brain. Stevens has been compared to Bjork, St Vincent, Tori Amos and Joni Mitchell and is certainly making her mark on the international music scene in a big way, establishing herself as a long term and important artist for the future.

Vieux Farka Toure | Innov Gnawa
April 6, 8pm (Doors & DJ set 7pm)
BRIC House Ballroom & Stoop
$15 Adv/$18 Door
General Admission (standing)

With guitar in hand, celebrated Malian musician Vieux Farka Toure will bring his rocking interpretation of West African desert blues to BRIC's ballroom stage and Innova Gnawa extends the groove to the Stoop.

Toure began studying music in secret until his Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist father Ali Farka Toure gave his blessing for his talented son to deviate from their tribe's lineage of soldiers and become a professional musician. Since then, the younger Toure has collaborated with gifted artists across the world including Israeli star Idan Raichel and more recently, Brooklyn's own Julia Easterlin, who performed with Vieux in an unforgettable show at the 2015 BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. While drawing links between West African music and American blues forms, Toure imbues his music with politics and will ignite this BRIC House Session in a display of stunning dexterity and charisma.

Bringing traditional gnawa music to BRIC's Stoop, Innov Gnawa pays tribute to Morocco's black communities with their own interpretation of this African desert blues. Innov Gnawa is sure to mesmerize audiences with lilting tunes and a dazzling intergenerational band.

BRIC Artists in Residence

The Knights
Spring 2017 Residency

"One of Brooklyn's sterling cultural products... known far beyond the borough for their relaxed virtuosity and expansive repertory." (The New Yorker)

Acclaimed orchestral collective The Knights are dedicated to transforming the concert experience and eliminating barriers between music and audiences. Led by brothers Colin and Eric Jacobsen and evolving from late- night chamber music reading parties among friends, The Knights engage listeners and defy boundaries with programs that showcase the players' roots in the classical tradition and passion for musical discovery. Their partnership with BRIC continues this spring with programs for new and familiar audiences, and community activities that grow orchestral music in Brooklyn.

I ? Steel Pan
Evening Concert
February 11, 8pm
BRIC House Ballroom
$18 Adv/$21 Door

Family Matinee
February 12, 2pm
BRIC House Ballroom
$10 Adv/$12 Door

In February, The Knights present an intimate performance with Rome Prize winner, composer and steel pan performer, Andy Akiho. The program includes the world premiere of his Septet for steel pan, percussion, piano and string quartet, as well as works by Jaco Pastorius, Osvaldo Golijov, and Biagio Marini.

On The Shoulders of Giants
Family Matinee
April 9, 2pm
BRIC House Ballroom
$10 Adv / $12 Door

Evening Concert
April 13th, 8pm (DJ set 7pm)
BRIC House Ballroom
$18 Adv/$21 Door

This spring The Knights close out our BRIC House Sessions concert series with a full orchestral program honoring classical treasures alongside Brooklyn composers. Featuring music by Schubert, Mozart, Haydn, Stravinsky, Philip Glass, and one of the leading exponents of American song - Brooklyn's Gabriel Kahane.

This residency at BRIC is part of The Knights' ongoing NYC residencies program, a three-year initiative funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to help them connect even more closely with their native city.

BRIClab Residency
BRIClab is a commissioning and residency program that offers local artists time and space to explore and expand the possibilities of their work in music, dance, theater and multi-disciplinary performance. Work-in-progress showings, presented with moderated artist-audience dialogues, open artists' process and creativity to BRIC's diverse public.

Will Rawls
What Remains (work-in-progress)
February 9 & 10, 7:30pm
BRIC House Artist Studio
$8 Adv /$10 Door
General Admission (seated)

An immersive experience responding to cultural violence and disappearance that churns up themes of hidden histories, broken tongues, and premature death- told through movement, language, and video projection.

What Remains is a performance and installation created by writer Claudia Rankine, filmmaker John Lucas, and choreographer Will Rawls. Through movement, language and video projection, three performers will occupy an immersive environment built on the idea of an entombed imagination. Churning up themes of hidden histories, broken tongues and premature death, What Remains responds to cultural violence and disappearance with a resonant, ghostly chorus. For the BRIClab residency, the team will focus on developing the movement and text aspects of the project.

What Remains is commissioned by Live Arts Bard at the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College, where it will premiere in April 2017. Additional commissioning support from the American Repertory Theater and the Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard University, and the Crossing the Line Festival.

Felice Belle / Jennifer Murphy / Monica L. Williams
Other Women (work-in-progress)
February 23 & 24, 7:30pm
BRIC House Artist Studio
$8 Adv /$10 Door
General Admission (seated)

Other Women is a two woman show focused on interrogating reigning ideas about women as artists, lovers, friends and sisters, and exploring what lies beneath uncomfortable truths, laughter, and tears in the same breath. For the BRIClab Residency, the team will examine and explore how our different genres and writing styles-poetry and playwriting, short stories and novels-are in conversation with each other; much like we are in conversation in our personal lives.

Live Source Theatre Group
As I Lay Dying (workshop production)
March 30 & 31, 7:30pm
BRIC House Artist Studio
$8 Adv/$10 Door
General Admission (seated)

As I Lay Dying is a stirring multi-authored adaptation of William Faulkner's masterpiece novel following the Bundren family's journey across stormy state plains to honor their mother's dying wish. With Live Source's signature stylistic and immersive design, this production will bring audiences through Faulkner's dense and emotional odyssey, drenched in a rural, southern gothic world.?? Live Source Theatre Group's As I Lay Dying is written by Kara Lee Corthron, Libby Emmons, Deborah Zoe Laufer, Rehana Lew Mirza, Cori Thomas and Pia Wilson. Based on the novel by William Faulkner.

Rob Reddy & Oliver Lake
INTERRUPTON! (work-in-progress)
April 13 & 14, 7:30pm
BRIC House Artist Studio
$8 Adv /$10 Door
General Admission (seated)

INTERRUPTION! is a cross-genre performance project that meditates on some of the key issues facing the United States today, including voting rights, economic inequality, and racial injustice. Co-created by Rob Reddy, Oliver Lake and Meg Araneo, and featuring a 14-piece ensemble of some of the country's most well-respected and versatile musicians, INTERRUPTION! was inspired by a July 2015 sermon by the esteemed Rev. Dr. William Barber II. The sermon was given one day before the historic NC-NAACP vs. McCrory hearing in which the NC Supreme Court considered challenges to the state's oppressive voting laws. The address was a potent call to action. In it he implored all those supporting the cause to follow words found in the Book of Isaiah - "Cry out loud, don't hold back, interrupt the nation."

INTERRUPTION! was awarded a 2016 MAP Fund grant, a program primarily supported in part by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, MAP is an affiliate program of Creative Capital.

COPRESENTATIONS

Matuto
April 19, 7:30pm
BRIC House Ballroom
FREE with RSVP

Self-described "NYC based pan-American roots" band Matuto (Brazilian slang for "country boy") beautifully embraces Brazilian forró rhythms and incorporates American bluegrass with varied instrumentation. This performance will feature new works written and performed by youth in collaboration with Matuto as part of Carnegie Hall's Musical Connections program. Drawing through-lines from South America to the Southern U.S., Matuto is sure to get your feet moving across the BRIC House Ballroom dance floor. Presented in association with Carnegie Hall's Neighborhood Concerts. Lead support for Neighborhood Concerts is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation.

Look + Listen
May 19, 8:00pm
BRIC House Stoop
FREE with RSVP

Now in its 16th year (4th at BRIC), the annual Look + Listen Festival showcases the best of contemporary classical music in a visual art setting. Featuring solo works and chamber pieces, each show is chock-full of multi-faceted musicians, ensembles and composers who revels the breadth and depth of 20th and 21st century new classical music. This year's line-up includes Yarn/Wire's world premiere of the L+L 2017 commissioned piece by Žibuokl? Martinaityt?, performances by So Percussion, and more... all overlooking BRIC's 29th Annual Contemporary Art Education Exhibition on view in the BRIC Gallery.

"The Look & Listen Festival is a playground where sound, images and objects align for a seriously fun experience" - Terrance McKnight, WQXR host.

Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company
Community Dance Class?
All Ages/Levels?
Free with RSVP

All ages and skill levels are welcome to join us for a series of Community Dance Classes taught by Ronald K. Brown and members of his company, Evidence, A Dance Company.

Evidence, A Dance Company blends traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word providing a unique view of human struggles, tragedies, and triumphs. These Community Classes, accessible for all ages and skill levels, are rooted in the Company's fusion aesthetic and are the perfect alternative to another boring day at the gym. Come discover the joy of dance! No previous experience necessary.

Classes meet the first Monday of each month, at 6:30PM.

February 6
March 6
April 3
May 1
June 5

BRIC TV

BRIC TV is an award-winning cable TV channel and digital network created by BRIC and based in its state-of-the-art media facilities in downtown Brooklyn. With an audience of influential tastemakers and a reach of millions, we are the voice of the borough - reflecting the best that Brooklyn has to offer and telling Brooklyn's story to itself and the world at large. BRIC TV is Brooklyn without boundaries...Programming airs live on Time Warner Cable 756, Cablevision 70, Verizon 46 and livestream and posts to YouTube daily.

BRIC Radio is Brooklyn's premiere non-profit podcasting network, producing free and accessible content, incubate emerging talent and present unique audio programming to Brooklyn and the world. The network launched this past October with a slate of five shows that continue BRIC's dedication to diversity and to incubating media-makers. Most notable is the commission of a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Internet celebrity and Combat Jack show alum Dallas Penn, and a Caribbean news talk show with Brooklyn College Radio. All BRIC Radio content is available free of charge on BRIC's web site and on a variety of podcasting platforms including SoundCloud, iTunes, Acast and Stitcher.

BRIC TV New Series Premieres include:

195 Lewis
A dramedy series about a group of women navigating the realities of being Black and queer in New York City. Based in Brooklyn, the series follows Yuri and Camille as they test the boundaries of their open relationship. Yuri's growing infatuation with a new lover leaves Camille distressed, which is only amplified by the unexpected arrival of Yuri's old college friend Kris, who shows up with nowhere else to stay..

#BHeard Now
BRIC TV's spotlight on community issues, with a special focus on tangible solutions and direct action. From local activists and politicians, to celebrities, students and more, #BHeard Now is a new short series focused on first person responses to the Brooklyn's most pressing issues.

Returning BRIC TV series include:

The Show About the Show (ORIGINAL SERIES)
Caveh Zahedi is back and just as willing to risk it all -his relationships, his career and his livelihood - for the sake of art and honesty. In Season 2, Caveh is trying to get his independent feature off the ground while keeping his marriage together and negotiating with the rising success of his TV series, The Show About the Show.

Cooklyn (ORIGINAL SERIES)
The drinking show with a cooking problem. On the edge of acceptable. Getting a bit too real and a bit too weird to be your mom's cooking show... Cooklyn is back and despite it's best intention to derail itself, showcases some of the most delicious food in the borough.

#BHeard
BRIC TV's #BHeard videos are short documentaries that explore social justice issues through a human lens. From a mother whose baby was born in prison, to the first undocumented immigrant lawyer in NYC - these are the stories that demand to be told, from the voice of people who are have struggled to #BHeard. #BHeard is about the real people who ignite activism and putting a face inequality and injustice in our city and beyond.

Straight Up
A Brooklyn-style spin on the classic reporter roundtable. Local journalists, hanging out at the Bedford Hall bar, swap stories from their beat and give their take on news coverage of domestic and international events. Straight Up is also a bi-weekly podcast under the BRIC Radio initiative. It's #newsandbooze

BK Live
>From compelling coverage of local issues to compellingly delicious local cocktails, BK Live enters its fifth season, bringing you the best in Brooklyn news, arts, events, sports, and more (like those cocktails). Live in our BRIC House studio, our eclectic team of hosts interviews a broad range of prominent and emerging players in the borough, and then we head out to bring you the stories that capture the energy and complexity of Brooklyn today.

BK Stories
A weekly showcase for short films from around the borough, created by some of the area's best filmmakers.

BHeard Community Town Hall
BRIC TV hosts local politicians, activists, journalists and community members to unpack some of the most important-and most difficult- issues facing the borough. From Gentrification to Race & Policing, no topic is off-limits, and no viewpoint is ignored.

Topic-First Amendment Rights
April 29, 7pm
BRIC House Ballroom
FREE with RSVP

B-Side
B-Side is BRIC TV's live in-studio music series, featuring performances and interviews from Brooklyn's hottest emerging and established musicians of all genres.

Circadian Clock
January 19, 7:30pm
BRIC TV Studio
FREE with RSVP
Circadian Clock is a 5 piece rock band formed in 2008. The seemingly mismatched group of strangers come together to make some seriously strange music, and they prefer it that way. The unique blend of many different styles of music make it difficult to pinpoint them under one genre, but they promise you'll enjoy the ride between rock, pop, punk, jazz, classical and everything else. Circadian Clock is a group of strange people who have come together to make some strange music. Please enjoy the ensuing chaos.

Alsarah & The Nubatones
February 2, 7:30pm
BRIC TV Studio
FREE with RSVP
Brooklyn-based East African retro-pop group, Alsarah & The Nubatones perform a special intimate concert.

Rue Brown
February 9, 7:30pm
BRIC TV Studio
FREE with RSVP
Rue Brown is a multifaceted singer, with a strong background in dance and musical theater. Born and raised in D.C. and now residing in Brooklyn. Ms. Brown is a blend of jazz, hip hop & soul, a unique sound that reflects her journey, love, and the times.

Sunny Gang
February 16, 7:30pm
BRIC TV Studio
FREE with RSVP
Comprised of Nasty" Nate Hitchcock, Chris Bacchus, Joe Sap and Marshal, Sunny Gang is a four-man punk rap band from Newark, NJ based around a love for partying and performing.

Wordspit The Illist
March 16, 7:30pm
BRIC TV Studio
FREE with RSVP
If you've heard him, you've felt him! WordSpit was born and bred in East New York, Brooklyn to a young mother and a hustling musician for a father. With humble beginnings as his inspiration, WordSpit realized his gift for lyrics in the third grade and has been honing his craft ever since. Having been dubbed "WordSpit" by his brother, he set out to insure that the verses that flew from his lips were nothing short of potent. From corners to lunchrooms, from Youtube to your television set, WordSpit'sword play has become an inescapable force that one can't help but succumb to. Having Cannibus, Nas, and Rakim as influences, combined with an energetic yet charismatic stage presence, WordSpit is the representation of everything that has been great about hip-hop in the past and takes it to the next level.

Inyang Bassey
March 30, 7:30pm
BRIC TV Studio
FREE with RSVP
You hear Inyang Bassey's soulfulness before she speaks yet alone sings. Born in Brooklyn to Nigerian father and a Jamaican mother Inyang Bassey has been making her presence felt on stages internationally.

INTERSECTIONS

BRIC presents programming that crosses the borders of art, performance and media.

The Stoop Series
Illuminating the arts and life around us, BRIC's Stoop Series explores music, theater, visual art, media, literature, comedy, and other creative fields, through performances, presentations, participatory activities and dynamic conversations. There's something different every week. Tuesdays at 7pm on the BRIC House Stoop; all events are Free with RSVP

This spring the Stoop Series includes a special mini-series of How To evenings speaking directly to BRIC's artist community. These panel discussions bring artists and cultural workers together to share stories about exciting successes and instructive failures in the process of finding resources, collaborating and engaging community around their work.

February 7
Black Actress Magic: Black Female Diversity in Film & TV
Even as the Film and TV industries, long known for being diversity-challenged, become more inclusive, Black Women continue to be underrepresented in front of the camera. Acclaimed Brooklyn-based actress Cassandra Freeman (The Real MVP: The Wanda Durant Story, Blue Caprice, Atlanta, Single Ladies) will lead a lively discussion including Karen Pittman (Disgraced, Luke Cage, The Americans) Andrea Lewis (Black Actress web series), as well as Santana Caress Benitez (She's Gotta Have It) about obstacles Black Women face in the industry, while posing some concrete solutions for inclusion.

February 21
How To Do Social Practice
The art of social practice involves strategies of dialogue, intervention, partnerships with individuals and communities, and participation by individuals outside the usual art audience. Artists engaged in social practice act as collaborators, devising projects that can act as catalysts for social change. This panel discussion will consider how do artists develop projects, secure sponsorship and funding, follow best practices, and make a true impact on a community. Moderated by Elizabeth Grady, Programs Director, A Blade of Grass, and including visual artists Tomie Arai, the collective Black Quantum Futurism, Miguel Luciano, whose work will be on view in BRIC's gallery.

February 28
La Mecánica Popular
La Mecánica Popular is a Brooklyn-based psychedelic afro-Latin group steeped in the roots of 1970's-era Salsa Dura, yet they incorporate a heavy dose of modern gadgets including a unique blend of processed Peruvian-style guitar licks, experimental synths and ambient sounds and textures. Along with their set, members of the band will discuss their shared influences with visual artist Miguel Luciano, whose solo exhibition is on view in the BRIC gallery and examines the relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, along with cultural identity, politics, and popular Nuyorican culture.

March 7
How To Be Artist Run
Artist run spaces, organizations and collectives create unique environments to support diverse artistic work. Hear from several artists who lead these efforts about the why and how of their work including what leadership and decision models best support collaboration, and how they work with and against other players in their field.

March 21
Even in Paradise: A Conversation with Elizabeth Nunez
An evening of stories - in reading and conversation - of dysfunctional families, sibling rivalries, immigrant dreams, ambitious women and finding home in a program celebrating Elizabeth Nunez's tenth novel and three-decade career of telling stories of the Caribbean beyond tales of sand, sea and sun. Additional readers to be announced. Presented in collaboration with Caribbean Cultural Theater and Akashic Books.

March 28
How To Make Participatory Theater
Hear from practitioners whose daily practice involves creating the relationships and structures necessary to developing socially-engaged theater.

April 4
Asian American Creatives
At a time when the multitude of Asian American narratives are left out of mainstream media, hear the personal and professional stories of Asian American creatives who, rather than be hemmed in by what others expected of them, chose the unbeaten path and pursued careers in media, entertainment, and art.

April 11
AMERICAN CANDY
AMERICAN CANDY celebrates the deliciousness and diversity of American pop culture by combining the sass and edge of In Living Color and the intelligence and heart of The Carol Burnett Show. The vision of Hollie Harper and Michael Pauley, and created with a team of 10 writer-directors and a rotating cast of 40 actors, the show combines smart humor with cheeky songs and dance routines, to hone in on the pulse of American idiosyncrasies and wring humor form the most unlikely situations.

April 18
Decarcerated: What Justice Looks Like
There are 70 million people living in the US with a criminal conviction. These people are experts of their own experiences and are transforming our understanding of justice and community. Hear from them directly in a series of first hand personal accounts, along with a town hall style conversation moderated by national social and criminal justice advocate, writer, organizational trainer, educator and Ebony Power 100 honoree Marlon Peterson. Co-presented with Decarcerated Podcast, a production of BePrecedential.

Brooklyn Poetry Slam
Hosted by poet, activist, and educator Mahogany L Browne, with beats by DJ Jive Poetic, the Brooklyn Poetry Slam and Open Mic brings together Brooklyn's best slam poets for a monthly gathering of words and wisdom. As Mahogany Browne says, "These poets will make you feel things." Mondays (January 16, February 13, March 13, April 24) at 7pm on the BRIC House Stoop; all events are Free with RSVP.

BRIC FLIX Film Series
BRIC FLIX is a free conversation and screening series that revolves around shorts, works-in-progress and web series that reflect the excitement, diversity and creativity of film and media in Brooklyn. Wednesdays at 7pm on the BRIC House Stoop (except where noted); all events are Free with RSVP.

Film Restoration & Preservation
February 15
Learn about the latest innovations and trends in film restoration and archiving and discuss the how and why of rescuing classic cinema in the digital age. Moderated by Adam Schartoff, host of the podcast Filmwax Radio, with Ben Crossley-Marra, Theatrical & Non-Theatrical Distribution at Janus Films/The Criterion Collection, and Katie Trainor, Film Collections Manager at The Museum of Modern Art. Presented in partnership with Filmwax Radio.

Celebrating the Culture of Disability through Filmmaking
March 8
BRIC House Ballroom
Celebrate the diversity of human experience and discuss issues around the portrayal of the disabled community in media and film. Films with varied perspectives showcase the lives and stories of people with different abilities. The evening will include a discussion with filmmakers and audience Q&A. People of all abilities and from all communities are encouraged to attend. The BRIC Ballroom is wheelchair accessible and films will be captioned. Presented in partnership with ReelAbilities: NY Disabilities Film Festival.

Ethnographic Documentary
April 19
Investigate the representational, methodological, and ethical issues in approaching and working through a documentary project about a culture other than your own through five ethnographic documentary shorts produced in the Program in Culture & Media at New York University. Followed by a Q&A with Brooklyn-based filmmakers and Dr. Pegi Vail, documentary professor, the Program in Culture & Media at New York University. Presented in partnership with the Program in Culture & Media at New York University.

The Craft of Cinematography: An Exploration of Artistic and Technical Perspectives
May 10
Locations, landscapes and lighting! Talented cinematographers hailing from Brooklyn and beyond will gather to share perspectives on their craft. From artistic wisdom around creating imagery and emotion, to the technical aspects of lighting and shooting a film, panelists will engage in a dialogue that illustrates various filmmaking approaches and techniques. The collaborative filmmaking process and integral role of the DP will be explored, while audiences also gain insights on how the cinematography field is evolving. Presented in partnership with Urbanworld Film Festival.

FAMILY PROGRAMS

BRIC House Parties
Brooklyn's best daytime family parties continue with inclusive and welcoming programs that encourage creativity and discovery. Join us for dance classes, gaming, art-making and other participatory activities, culminating in a raucous all-ages dance party. Saturdays from 12-5pm throughout BRIC House; all events are Free with RSVP.

January 28
Free Radicals
A day of unbound exploration, action and reaction - from science projects to political expression.

March 11
Moonwalk
Inspired by astronauts and the King of Pop, an action-packed day of moving backwards and forwards through time and space.

BRIC FamJam
Hands-on workshops for families to complete a creative art project together. Come as a motley crew, leave as a unified team with a cool product to show for it! For families with school aged children (ages 7+). Saturdays from 11am - 2pm on the BRIC House Stoop; all events are Free with RSVP.

February 11
Public Display: Art of the T-Shirt
Create expressive T-shirt designs through fabric printing and painting.

April 8
Family Tales
Capture a family story through video storytelling.

EDUCATION AND MEDIA RESOURCES

Brooklyn Free Speech
Brooklyn Free Speech is a premier, state-of-the-art media center where filmmakers, television artists, and organizations come to learn and create innovative media. Every week we showcase over 650 hours of TV shows, film, and shorts created by Brooklyn-based community producers that reflect their perspectives on the world.

Watch in Brooklyn on Cablevision, Time Warner, and RCN; watch in all five boroughs on Verizon FiOS; watch online at BRICartsmedia.org/BFS

B Free Awards
2017 B Free Awards, April 1, 7pm
BRIC is the presenter of the B Free Awards, an awards show that celebrates and honors excellence in programming on its four New York Emmy-nominated community television channels. Now in its fourth year, the B Free Awards was created with one goal in mind - to amplify and honor the talented and diverse voices that every week air over 650 hours of community produced television on its four channels.

Live TV Coverage begins on Free Speech CH 3, 6pm.

BRIC Media Talks
Media Talks features professional television producers, directors, documentary filmmakers, video editors, and new media producers sharing their perspectives and stories with the Brooklyn community. These lively and inspiring discussions are held throughout the borough and air on our Brooklyn Free Speech channels. Media Talks are always free and open to the public.

Comedy in Podcasting
February 18, 4-6pm
Dweck Cultural Center @ Brooklyn Public Library's Central Branch, 10 Grand Army Plaza
FREE w/ RSVP
Brooklyn Free Speech will present an afternoon discussion with producers, hosts, and content creators of some of the most engaging comedy podcasts produced in New York.

"Getting Started in Independent Film" with New Voices in Black Cinema, featuring Dui Jarrod
May 2, 6:30-8:30pm
BRIC House Media Center - Studio A
FREE with RSVP
Dui Jarrod is a screenwriter, director, playwright and essayist residing in Brooklyn, NY. His work focuses on the power of human connection in the landscape of modern America. As a screenwriter, Jarrod found acclaim with his most recent screenplay Lesson Before Love, which he directed as well. Jarrod has also found success as a director, working for BET, MTV Voices and several other production companies, where he served as the creative visionary for some high-profile projects.

BScene Events
Black TV Matter: Capturing the Pursuit of Freedom
February 11, 2pm
The Weeksville Heritage Center (158 Buffalo Avenue, Brooklyn)
FREE with RSVP
Joins us at Weeksville for a screening and discussion of community produced Theater, Film and Television projects that Journey us through the African-American Pursuit of Liberty, Freedom, and Happiness in these United States of America.

A Night at the Movies
May 3, 7pm
BRIC Stoop
FREE with RSVP
Joins us at BRIC House for a night at the movies where the small screen celebrates the big screen with movie reviews and a very special Indy film screening.

About BRIC

BRIC is the leading presenter of free cultural programming in Brooklyn, and one of the largest in New York City. We present and incubate work by artists and media-makers who reflect the diversity that surrounds us. BRIC programs reach hundreds of thousands of people each year.

Our main venue, BRIC Arts | Media House, offers a public media center, a major contemporary art exhibition space, two performance spaces, a glass-walled TV studio, and artist work spaces.

Some of BRIC's most acclaimed programs include the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival in Prospect Park, several path-breaking public access media initiatives, including BRIC TV, and a renowned contemporary art exhibition series. BRIC also offers education and other vital programs at BRIC House and throughout Brooklyn.

In addition to making cultural programming genuinely accessible, BRIC is dedicated to providing substantial support to artists and media makers in their efforts to develop work and reach new audiences.

BRIC is unusual in both presenting exceptional cultural experiences and nurturing individual expression. This dual commitment enables us to most effectively reflect New York City's innate cultural richness and diversity.

Learn more at BRICartsmedia.org.

Support for BRIC

BRIC's programs benefit from generous public funding from the National Endowment for the Arts; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl; Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams; the Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council; New York City Council Members Inez Barron, Robert Cornegy, Laurie Cumbo, Mathieu Eugene, Vincent Gentile, Brad Lander, Stephen Levin, Darlene Mealy, Mark Treyger, and Jumaane Williams.

Additional private support is provided by 66 Rockwell, American Express, Astoria Bank, The Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, The Bay and Paul Foundations, Bloomingdale's, City Point, Con Edison, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, The Educational Foundation of America, Ford Foundation, Forest City Ratner Companies, Howard Gilman Foundation, The Hearst Foundations, Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, Lambent Foundation, Robert Lehman Foundation, Laurence W. Levine Foundation, New Music USA, The New York Community Trust, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Oppenheim Family Foundation, Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, The Shubert Organization, TD Bank, Tiger Baron Foundation, The Zankel Fund, and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, as well as numerous individual supporters. BRIC's media programs are made possible by generous funding from Verizon, Cablevision, and Time Warner Cable.