GOT YOUR BAC

The Brooklyn Arts Council made 99
arts organizations very happy by giving away $159,000 in re-grants
at Borough Hall on March 7. Despite cuts in the city budget,
BAC Director Pamela Billig says BAC was still able to maintain
its support of the borough’s artists – and actually gave away
$4,000 more than last year.



This year’s celebration featured performances by the Brighton
Ballet Theatre Company (top) and the Progressive Artistry jazz
ensemble featuring Robert Trowers on trombone.



On display in the rotunda were "Bowlart" sculptures
carved from bowling balls by Kensington artist Giro Chierchio,
including this hawk-like bird (center), with wings and beak gleaming
like amber. Chierchio applied for a $2,000 re-grant, he said,
and received $1,100.



The artist will use his award in April, he said, to teach 80
children in the Virtual Y Extended Day Program at PS 212, 87
Bay 49th St., some of the basics of sculpture with clay. The
re-grant defrays the costs of the clay, pedestals and other items
he gives to the children during his presentation, in which he
shows them his bowling ball sculptures and encourages them to
see the possibilities in their balls of clay.



"I try to correlate [the bowling balls] with their lives,"
said Chierchio. "It’s a hard round, surface, and it doesn’t
look like it could be something beautiful and positive. It’s
not easy growing up sometimes, but they can keep a positive attitude
and look at it in a new perspective."



Remarks were given by (bottom) left to right, Borough President
Marty Markowitz, New York State Council on the Arts Executive
Director Nicolette Clarke, BAC Chairman Dr. Thomas F. Schutte,
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate
Levin and BAC President Ella Weiss.



This was a landmark year for BAC, according to Weiss, as it published
its Directory of Brooklyn Arts Organizations and launched its
Web site, www.brooklynartscouncil.org.
BAC has also created professional development seminars for artists
and non-profits, "to respond to the needs and concerns of
this community in the wake of Sept. 11," explained Weiss.
BAC calls them their "Survival Strategies."