Photo Flash: Steve Buscemi Hosts ISSUE PROJECT ROOM Benefit

ISSUE Project Room's inaugural benefit at their future home - the architecturally and acoustically beautiful jewel-box theater at 110 Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn - brought together an array of artists, musicians, filmmakers and writers in celebration of longtime supporter Elliott Sharp's 60th birthday. Over 250 attendees helped raise approximately $80,000 and enjoyed the first public preview of the innovative concepts for the new space. Supporters ranged from Jo Andres, Steve Buscemi, Robert Longo, Aidan Quinn, and Nanette Lepore, to Elliott Sharp, JACK and Sirius Quartets, Jack Womack, and Tracie Morris.

Board Chair Steve Wax introduced new Executive Director Ed Patuto to the guests. "ISSUE Project Room welcomes the gracious outpouring of support and enthusiasm for our programs and our new home," said Ed Patuto. "What an auspicious night to christen Brooklyn's most significant hub of progressive genre-defying performance, music and art."

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz noted, ""I commend Issue Project Room, a symbol of the forward-thinking culture that makes Brooklyn the Creative Capital of New York City, and which contributes so much to our City's performing arts and cultural communities. My office was thrilled to provide capital support to help make a reality the vision of founder Suzanne Fiol-an innovative arts space at 110 Livingston Street that she imagined as a ‘Carnegie Hall for the avant-garde.' Congratulations to Issue Project Room on its successful inaugural benefit, and all of Brooklyn looks forward to welcoming them to their new home."

The March 4th benefit celebrated the 60th birthday of the prolific composer, innovator, and guitar virtuoso Elliott Sharp. Bookended by a reception and after-party, the program was hosted by ISSUE Art Advisory Board Member Jo Andres and Board Member Steve Buscemi, and featured the world premiere of Sharp's Occam's Razor, a double string quartet commissioned for the event and performed by JACK and Sirius. The event included collaborations among Sharp, Andres, & Buscemi, as well as between Sharp and writers Tracie Morris and Jack Womack. According to Buscemi, "Brooklyn has really become a cultural center for music, art and theatre. ISSUE Project Room supports and fosters artists here in Brooklyn, where they live and work."

The beautiful 4,800 sq. foot 1925 McKim, Mead, and White jewel-box theater space is scheduled to open in late 2012. In 2008, ISSUE was competitively awarded a 20-year rent-free lease on the space. In 2009, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz awarded ISSUE a $1.133 million grant toward the $3.5 million capital campaign. Additional funds from New York State Council on the Arts, mediaThe foundation, Edwards Foundation Arts Fund, and Arnow Family Foundation have enabled ISSUE to complete a visioning process for the space with WORK Architecture Company and ARUP acousticians and engineers.

ISSUE Project Room is currently located at 232 3rd Street. For a full event calendar and to purchase tickets, please visit www.issueprojectroom.org or call 1.800.838.3006.

ISSUE Project Room, a registered 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 2003 by late visionary artist Suzanne Fiol, and is a vibrant nexus for cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary arts in Brooklyn. Led by Executive Director Ed Patuto, ISSUE supports emerging and established experimental artists through more than 200 programs each year including music concerts, literary readings, films, videos, dance, visual and sound art, new media, critical theory lectures and discussions, site-specific work, commissions, educational workshops, master classes, and genre-defying interdisciplinary performances that challenge and expand conventional practices in art. Support for ISSUE has been provided by CHORA, a project of the Metabolic Studio, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation led by Artist and Foundation Director Lauren Bon. CHORA aims to support the intangibles that precede creativity. www.issueprojectroom.org

Photo Credit: Lori Baily