Curated in Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene
Published 11/05/2024
These dynamic Brooklyn neighborhoods hold an array of cultural institutions, making them ideal destinations for anyone interested in the arts. The ones below are within walkable distance from one another and regularly hold public programs. You'll find dance performances, glass-blowing classes, book talks, avant-garde theater and all the other things that make the borough of cauldron of creativity.
1
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)
1
30 Lafayette Ave.
BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) is a not-for-profit performing- and cinema-arts center founded in 1861. In addition to the more than 200 stage performances the academy presents annually, BAMcafé Live puts on 75 free performances every year. If you’re more of a film buff, the center has a four-screen cinema that shows new movies as well as repertory films.
2
Museum of Contemporary Diasporan African Art (MoCADA)
2
Note: the brick-and-mortar location is currently closed while the museum relocates. Founded as a space for Black artists to exhibit their work, this Brooklyn museum is devoted to using the visual arts to explore, discuss and debate the current state of the African Diaspora. Film screenings, artist-in-residence programs and educational offerings like artist talks and workshops for children, as well as revolving exhibits, all serve to shine a light on the diverse experiences of Africans living throughout the world. The museum is in the midst of moving to a new space at 300 Ashland Place; in the meanwhile, they have a seasonal outdoor sculpture garden at 48 Lafayette Avenue.
3
The Center for Fiction
3
15 Lafayette Ave.
The Center for Fiction is part of a vibrant artistic renaissance taking place in Downtown Brooklyn. Like several of its neighbors, the Center—now an indie bookstore, lending library and café—has a venerable history. Founded in 1820 as the Mercantile Library of New York, the Center has hosted talks by the likes of Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Frederick Douglass; more recent authors to have appeared include Rivka Galchen, Edwidge Danticat and Jennifer Egan. The clean, modern design make browsing a pleasure.
4
Mark Morris Dance Group
4
3 Lafayette Avenue
Founded in 1980 by renowned NYC choreographer Mark Morris, this group offers classes, performances and special events at their dance center in Brooklyn. They also have a host of dance and fitness classes for adults along with special workshops and shows for kids at their community-based space.
5
Theater for a New Audience
5
262 Ashland Pl.
Shakespeare would love the Theatre for a New Audience, which was established in the West Village in 1979 and has one mission in the drama world: to celebrate classic drama, especially the Bard's works. TFANA moved into its purpose-built Brooklyn venue, the Polonsky Shakespeare Center, in 2013 and has continued to prove a magnet for renowned writers, directors and actors.
6
Urban Glass
6
647 Fulton St.
An unparalleled resource for Brooklyn-area glass artists, Urban Glass not only offers classes for beginners and experienced artists alike on techniques like glass blowing, sculpting, glass staining and glass bead-making; the art center also exhibits innovative glasswork, and the gift shop stocks handmade glassware and jewelry, all created by working artists and artisans.
7
BRIC
7
647 Fulton St.
BRIC presents contemporary art, performing arts and community media programs that reflect Brooklyn’s creativity and diversity. BRIC also provides resources to launch, nurture and showcase artists and media makers. They advance access to and understanding of arts and media by presenting free and low-cost programming, and by offering education and other public programs to people of all ages.
