Artists Give Back at AccessArt, Brooklyn's Favorite Affordable Art Sale

The holiday season is almost here and Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) will continue the year-long celebration of our 50th Anniversary with AccessArt, Brooklyn's favorite annual affordable art sale and holiday party.

A variety of artworks - including paintings, photographs, drawings, prints, and mixed-media works - will be available for purchase at an affordable price, donated by BAC's closest friends and Brooklyn's leading artists. AccessArt will take place at Usagi NY on Sunday, December 4, 2016, from 2-5pm.

"Since moving to Brooklyn in 2009, I have been an active member of the artistic community, both as a maker and an audience member," says Brooklyn artist Juanli Carrión, whose project Outer Seed Shadow was awarded a 2016 BAC Community Arts Grant. "In these 7 years, I have been fortunate to experience an exceptional, globally-conscious cultural discourse taking place throughout the borough, which in many cases was thanks to the support of BAC. I, too, have had the privilege to join this conversation, having received grants from BAC that made the development of my work a reality, in particular my last project OSS#02, which reached over 5,000 people in the summer of 2016. For all these reasons, I believe that it is crucial to support this organization in their continued mission to build a strong, vibrant arts community in Brooklyn." Carrión and Rena Leinberger's "Un-dramatics: Fall: Blue and Orange in the Landscape Reassembled" will be one of many mixed-media pieces on view and on sale at AccessArt.

"The support that I've received from BAC through grants and exhibitions has validated my ideas as an artist, encouraging me to continue making work despite the impractical lifestyle artmaking can engender," says Iviva Olenik, Brooklyn-based sculptor, digital media artist, and 2011, 2013, and 2015 BAC Grantee. "BAC has helped expose my work to broader audiences by supporting my interactive projects, including embroidery and poetry circles." Olenik has generously donated "Brooklyn's Veins and Arteries," a textile sculpture based on a map of Brooklyn, to help BAC support and serve artists in her borough.

"As an artist and long-time fundraising professional for Brooklyn arts nonprofits, I appreciate the value of giving back to the community as much as I take from it," says Brooklyn-based multimedia artist Michael Hambouz, whose 9-color screenprint, "Use Your Illusion IV," published and printed by Brooklyn's Kayrock Screenprinting, is one of many limited edition prints for sale at AccessArt. "Without the support of artists, the opportunities for us professionally, and as viewers of incredible programming, would simply cease to exist."

"All year long, BAC supports Brooklyn artists - it's wonderful to host an opportunity for the artists themselves to come together and give back to the community," says BAC Executive Director Charlotte A. Cohen. "It's inspiring to see how excited artists are to support their fellow artists and to raise awareness of the need for a united community grounded in mutual support and respect. It's what we need right now."

Proceeds from AccessArt will directly support BAC's programs and services, which provide much-needed financial support, arts education opportunities, professional development, and advocacy for Brooklyn artists and cultural groups whose works engage our communities. AccessArt's reception is generously provided by Colson Patisserie, Sahadi's Fine Foods, and Jarritos. BAC's media sponsor is Brownstoner. Gallery preparation for AccessArt is generously provided by Tabla Rasa Gallery.

Now in its 50th year of service, Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) is the borough's leading nonprofit organization supporting artists and cultural groups in all disciplines. BAC reaches hundreds of thousands of artists and audience members each year through music, dance, film and visual arts programs, web-based directories and communities, arts education, urban folk arts initiatives, grants, training programs and artist services. By creating and supporting exciting cultural events and platforms for Brooklynites, BAC provides forums for critical thinking and self-expression for young people and adults, enriches Brooklyn's cultural landscape, and generates engaging experiences that expand horizons. For more information, visit www.brooklynartscouncil.org.

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