Cultural organizations led by people of color are vital to New York City’s fabric—yet they remain chronically underfunded. The majority of BIPOC-led organizations in the city are operating with a budget under $1 million, according to a 2022 study.
The Brooklyn Museum and its partners are taking on this problem. In 2023, the Brooklyn Arts Leadership Collaborative was established by the Museum and Clara Tsai Foundation’s Social Justice Fund (SJF) to support the leaders of these essential organizations.
The inaugural cohort included Black Trans Femmes in the Arts, the Redhawk Native American Arts Council, ¡Oye! Group, theater groups Rooted Theater Company and Kyoung’s Pacific Beat, and youth-focused groups—ARTE (Art and Resistance Through Education), Black Girls Sew, and the Brooklyn United Music and Arts Program.
These organizations are embedded in their communities, creating spaces for joy and creative expression. They also often provide more than arts programming. During the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, for example, Black Trans Femmes in the Arts (BTFA) helped create an emergency fund to support the Black trans community on the ground at demonstrations across the country. BTFA also provides ongoing community aid to Black trans femmes, ensuring they can access basic needs like healthcare, housing, food, and legal support.
The inaugural Collaborative launched in October 2023. Over the course of 10 months, the cohort took part in workshops addressing challenges disproportionately faced by BIPOC leaders, covering topics such as strategic planning, fundraising, financial management, program development, and board governance. Participants also joined sessions dedicated to health and wellness, as well as to building support for diversity and inclusion initiatives and social action priorities more broadly across Brooklyn’s cultural sector.
Each organization received a grant of $25,000 from SJF.
The Brooklyn Museum spearheaded the establishment of the Collaborative and has hosted all workshops and talks. Guest speakers have included Jason Warwin of Brotherhood Sister Sol, Kemi Ilesanmi of the Laundromat Project, and Maureen Knighton of the Doris Duke Foundation, among many others. Additionally, a funders roundtable offered leaders an opportunity to network directly with grantmaking organizations.
The Brooklyn Museum not only supports local organizations through the Collaborative but also benefits from community leaders’ input. Cohort members serve as thought partners, providing critical feedback and recommendations for successful, sustained impact. The inaugural cohort also had conversations with curators about how visitors engage with the collections, feedback from which is reflected in the Museum’s reinstalled American Art galleries.
“The Collaborative is designed to foster skills and knowledge building, and provide networking opportunities to help cohort members build and sustain thriving, impactful organizations,” says Laval Bryant-Quigley, Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships, Brooklyn Museum. “These organizations have managed to consistently punch above their weight even with the obstacles and inequities they confront, including a scarcity of resources. We’re excited to work with them to identify ways we can all do even more to achieve our goals.”
