STooPS BedStuy Returns This Weekend

STooPS BedStuy, the annual celebration of creativity in Brooklyn, returns this year to Bedford-Stuyvesant for an afternoon of dance, music, spoken word, theater, visual art, conversations, workshops, street fair, Kiddie Corner, and more on July 29, from 12:00-7:00 P.M. Marking its 10th year, STooPS uses art as a catalyst for community building by fostering meaningful interactions between neighbors, artists, businesses, organizations, and attendees. The all-ages, family-friendly event, includes a variety of the artforms that make up the foundation of New York's creative scene, and capture the heart of Bed-Stuy. 
For the first time, the STooPS Art Crawl will also feature a street fair with games, double dutch, a variety of local Bed-Stuy vendors, and more. 

The 10th annual festival, themed "What if Bed-Stuy was a Black Utopia?", will celebrate the historical legacy of black community members who transformed the neighborhood from feared, to the highly gentrified cultural hub it is today. Recognized as Brooklyn Arts Council Black Artists to Know 2021, STooPS Founder Kendra J. Ross sees the arts playing a role in the future of Bed-Stuy, helping create a home where the Black people are not pushed out, but thriving and co-existing with other ethnicities that are moving in.   

Hosted by renowned writer, director, producer, and KokuTV youtube host, Koku, this year's event will feature a diverse lineup of artists including: Dancers J Bouey, Ladies of Hip-Hop, Brooklyn United, and STooPS founder Kendra J. Ross;  Visual Artists Ovila Lemon (Mūt' Sun), Ziedah Diata, and Bridges: Pan-Afrikan ARTS Experience, who will run the Kiddie Corner; Rapper Rob Cave Jr.; Musicians The Incredible Drunkertons, 4 the People, Chief Baba Neil Clarke, DJ Toni B, and Amma Whatt; Theater arts Dragonfly; and creative arts and movement therapist Ebony T. Nichols LCAT, BC-DMT. 

“I began STooPS with the desire to be a positive influence in the neighborhood, even though I could be considered a gentrifier–it has been a wild, mesmerizing, and rewarding journey,” says Kendra J. Ross. “Over our 10-year journey, STooPS has created a pathway for artists to share their talent in their own neighborhood; local businesses and community organizations to be highlighted; and neighbors to connect with these important community entities and each other. The essence of STooPS is creating connections. I have been blessed to see these connections blossom into further partnerships or become the impetus for people feeling joy and a sense of belonging.”

STooPS transforms the block, reimagining a traditional stage for immersive art on stoops and garden spaces. To encourage family-wide participation, our Kiddie Korner features various children's art activities. The 10th Anniversary Arts Crawl will start at The Garden of Hope, 392 Hancock St.

The 10th Annual STooPS BedStuy Art Crawl will be held on Saturday, July 29, 12:00 P.M to 7:00 P.M. This event is FREE to the public. For performance locations and a full roster of participating artists, visit stoopsbedstuy.org.