Join us in celebrating art as a cultural asset and making it available to anyone who is interested!
Leader
Kendra Ross
Location
398 Hancock St. Brooklyn, NY 11216
2023 marks the 10th Anniversary of the STooPS Bed-Stuy Annual Art Crawl. Each summer, STooPS collaborates with organizations and businesses throughout the community to present local artists working across genres who perform and exhibit on stoops and sidewalks throughout the neighborhood. Bringing together a network of partners such as block associations, community gardens, and the community board, STooPS facilitates community engagement and resource sharing to support both local artists and businesses.
Over the past 3–5 years, gentrification has caused drastic changes in demographics and economics that have evolved the fabric of Bed-Stuy, which historically has a unique identity and strong sense of community. STooPS Founder Kendra J. Ross moved to Bed-Stuy at the height of the nationwide conversations concerning gentrification. She was immediately concerned about how she could get to know her new neighborhood and make a positive impact. Ross wanted to create a way to connect more established entities like homeowners and business owners to other newer residents and artists like herself. So she decided to use what she knew best- art- and place that on stoops, traditional spaces of gathering in BedStuy accessible to everyone. And STooPS was born. STooPS is a tangible way to unite artists, new residents, businesses, homeowners and community organizations. STooPS aims to build on the unmistakable BedStuy identity through performances and exhibitions by local artists that engage residents in meaningful interactions in unconventional venues. It creates space for embracing change and adhering to precaution while still maintaining the energy and traditions of BedStuy.
This year, the Bed-Stuy Annual Art Crawl will take place on July 29th from 12pm - 7 pm. Bed-Stuy-based artists/groups will collaborate with space owners to share their work on stoops, sidewalks, storefronts, and/or in community gardens. Inspired by Intelligent Mischief signs posted throughout BedStuy, this year we are commissioning artists to create new works based on the question “What if BedStuy was a Black Utopia?” Reflecting on the history and stories of black homeowners, movements, and institutions in the neighborhood, STooPS is asking artists to create their Afro-futuristic vision of BedStuy in collaboration with a community member, organization or partner. This project gives local artists a platform to showcase their art in their own community while establishing and strengthening the relationships between local artists, neighbors and business owners. It also gives the BedStuy community opportunities to experience high quality art from award winning artists for free in their own community.
STooPS is an opportunity for members of the neighborhood to discover and share resources that exist within Bed-Stuy. This awareness allows people to build partnerships and support each other, strengthening the entire community.
Right now, STooPS is preparing for our annual Art Crawl on July 29th! We have a stellar lineup of artists who we are paying to create new artwork, Healing workshops, and a Kiddie Korner.
Before the Art Crawl, we'll be creating our Sightseer maps and distributing posters and postcards to let people know about the event.
We hope to see you all there on July 29th to boogie with us!
Later this fall, we'll be working with teaching artists to present their work in community spaces and leading workshops on building impactful and sustainable grassroots organizations for our neighbors.
Make Art Accessible
We recognize art as a cultural asset and are committed to making it available to anyone who is interested. We know that art can inspire, and we support creative visions that are transformative for everyone who participates.
Value Creators
We recognize that without artists there would be no art, and we honor both the product and the creator. We also honor organizers and business owners who support community development. We believe in fair compensation rooted in a communally-determined value system, and we are committed to paying all creators in a way that meets their needs and expectations. Exposure is not sufficient compensation.
Honor the Local
We want artists to be able to create where they live. We believe in artists’ ability to activate a space, inspire new ideas, and expand the creative culture of a community when they are able to create and share their work locally. We recognize that every community has creators, spaces, organizations, influential people, and resources. We know sharing these resources fosters strong connections rooted in community relationships and artistic collaboration. We also honor the diverse communication styles within our home community and lead by example, treating others with respect and generosity.
Creative Growth & Development
We challenge everyone around us to activate their civic responsibility by making decisions that sustainably benefit our entire community. This holistic thinking creates opportunities for collective resource development which enlivens artists, businesses, homeowners, and neighbors.
Collaborative Exploration
We value relationship-building and creative thinking as pathways to invigorating a neighborhood. We facilitate spaces for community-minded creative experimentation that encompasses both conventional and innovative artistic genres. We seek out socially relevant artistic exploration that taps into community needs. We provide a platform for art that aims to engage and challenge an audience. These spaces catalyze unique, vision-fulfilling engagements between artists and their audiences.