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BCA at 2700 | Westchester Square | Creative Economy | Encore Awards

WELCOME TO WESTCHESTER SQUARE,
BCA’S FUTURE HOME!

Bronx Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Design and Construction, and Local Officials Break Ground on BCA@2700

Photo Credit: Tony Holmes

Bronx, NY – Today the Bronx Council on the Arts was joined by NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl, NYC Councilman James Vacca, Congressman Joseph Crowley, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., and other local officials to celebrate the start of construction on BCA@2700. BCA@2700 will serve as BCA’s new headquarters building, transforming a former JPMorgan Chase bank branch into a new cultural hub in the Westchester Square district of the Bronx. The gut renovation will update all infrastructure and services and convert the basement, 1st floor, and mezzanine into programmable spaces, including a multi-purpose room, classrooms, meeting rooms, and administrative offices. The project is expected to be completed in late 2017.

“BCA is working to build a new, dynamic HQ that will serve our growing borough and beyond,” said Charles Rice-Gonzalez, BCA’s board chairman. Click HERE for the official press release.

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BCA’s future headquarters, located at 2700 East Tremont Avenue, serves as the springboard for cultural revival in Westchester Square. With the move, BCA will establish a new center of activity for Bronx residents, artists, and cultural and community organizations.

By hosting events in the building (such as Big Read and spoken word artists like "Women In Creative Rebellion," pictured right), expanding programming and developing local partnerships, BCA is making its mark in the neighborhood. From holiday concerts to craft workshops to community arts nights, to professional development and workforce training, BCA is making its presence felt and invites the community and whole borough to join us.

Building our Artist Community
	BCA's Bronx Writers Center’s free monthly workshops (left) helped establish a footprint for the Center in our future Westchester Square home, gathering both aspiring and accomplished writers for instruction in areas such as plot building, science fiction writing, and getting your work published. Participants get an opportunity to network with other writers and learn in a welcoming environment. The populatrity of these workshops extended our reach to the Morris Park Library, the Bronx Library Center and Poe Park Visitor Center, to name a few.

The Bronx Writers Center has also made Westchester Square and our building at 2700 East Tremont Avenue the center of its annual Big Read in the Bronx. Each year, the Big Read celebrates a work of literature by hosting events that include read-alouds, arts & crafts, writing workshops, movie screenings and more.

This year, a highlight was “Women in Creative Rebellion,” a spoken word event celebrating women who have reinvented themselves. Audience members shared their stories and their emotions over an open mic, in a room that was filled to capacity. Educator and writer Peggy Robles-Alvarado (center) was crucial in making the event a huge success. Photo courtesy of Jaime Emeric

Past Events: Earned-Income Planning Workshop Series

The first official program at BCA’s future headquarters was a professional development series for artists which taught artists and cultural organizations how to create earned-income/business plans based on assets they already had. Five seed grants of $2,500 were given for the best prepared plans, with support from the New York Community Trust and the National Endowment for the Arts. Winners also received access to consultants who helped improve the business plans further.

Highlights from the Workshops

Ron Kavanaugh sums up how workshops like BCA’s really help artists gain ground and plan long-term success. (Shown right)

“Oftentimes when you start a business, it’s literally in your head. You run it from home, you do all the math and calendar planning in your head. The great thing about business planning is it frees up all that space in your head.”

- Ron Kavanaugh

Steve Franciosa (CPA & Professor at Iona College) and Dart Westphal (Support Center) share tips on how to wisely manage your time and money. (Shown right)

“You have to be very careful that you don’t avail yourself of business cash for personal expenditures.”

-Steve Franciosa

“You have got to pull some time, especially in the beginning, to manage your own business that does not involve doing your thing.”

- Dart Westphal

Building our Local Community

Community Programming in Westchester Square

In coming to Westchester Square, another BCA goal is to support economic and cultural vitality by bringing people to the area. It is in this spirit that BCA has introduced Community Programming in Westchester Square -- consisting of free networking events, performances, workshops and more -- in an effort to connect the arts with local businesses and residents. Visitors meet our Westchester Square neighbors and have them experience some of the borough’s best artistic talent.

Pictured above: (l) A live jazz music, performed by Grammy-award winning bassist John Benitez and his jazz quartet; (c.) Spoken Word Artist Earl Majette performed during National Poetry Month; (r.) A Zumba class got the place jumping during National Health Month. Please check bronxarts.org for details on upcoming Community Programs in Westchester Square. All are welcome to stop by!

BCA Around the Neighborhood

BCA and the Huntington Free Library

On the third Saturday of the month, from October through April, BCA brings a free craft workshop to Huntington Free Library, bringing families together in a fun arts setting.

Parents and their kids create a range of items -- everything from crocheted flower pins to stuffed Halloween ghosts to recycle art (pictured right, with artist Star Nigro).

BCA and the Owen Dolen Recreation Center

The Owen Dolen Recreation Center, a cultural staple in the Westchester Square community, works with BCA to host programs for youth, families and senior citizens.

Fashion doll shows, cultural celebrations, and arts & crafts workshops are some of the events BCA has sponsored here. Pictured right: Skit by Children at Owen Dolen celebrating Three Kings Day.

7th Annual Fair @ The Square

An annual event that grows in popularity every year, Fair @ The Square is a fun-filled day of free family activities:

Live performances
All-day concerts
Food vendors
Kid’s fair with rides
Carnival games
Sidewalk sales
Artisan craft sales
Art exhibits
Raffles and Give-aways

BCA has been a co-sponsor of this annual event with the Westhcester Square BID since its inception in 2009.

Above: BCA staf mans our popular "Mother's Day with BCA" table on which neighborhood children create their own personalized Mother's Day cards for their moms.

Holiday Concerts at the Hutch Metro Center

BCA also helps sponsor free lunchtime concerts every December at the Hutch Metro Cafe.

This past year, soprano singer Melissa Primavera and the Just Nuts Party Band were featured performers.

The series aims to promote our borough's musical talent and also includes a bronx Artisans display of unique holiday gift items.

These and other Westchester Square events are made possible with funding by: NYC Council Members James Vacca, Fernando Cabrera, Andrew Cohen, and Melissa Mark-Viverito, NYS Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, New York Community Trust, Lambent Foundation Fund of Tides Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, NYC Parks, Hutchinson Metro Center and the Westchester Square Business Improvement District.

BCA Brings a Vision of Innovation & Growth
in its Move to the Neighborhood

Fair @ The Square, co-sponsored by BCA and the Westchester Square Businesses Improvement District,
brings multitudes of people into the Westchester Square section of the Bronx every year. Some gather just to hang out and enjoy the day (l.) while younger groups create their own art at the afternoon craft tables (r.).

Located at the intersection of East Tremont and Westchester Avenues in the Central Bronx, the Westchester Square neighborhood is active and coming alive. Since the early 1990s, Westchester Square's merchants have suffered from the absence of a major anchor retailer to draw consumers to the area. The Bronx Council on the Arts plans to help fill this void by making Westchester Square its new home.at 2700 East Tremont Avenue in the near future. BCA has already begun to infuse arts & cultural programming to foster economic revitalization and enhance the vitality of the district

Westchester Square possesses numerous assets that facilitate artistic and cultural growth. These resources make the Square attractive to those seeking arts programs and services, bringing many new potential customers to the area's business community.

A few key features are:

	Public transportation -- about eight different bus lines converge on the Square, as well as the #6 subway line;
	The Huntington Free Library, a landmarked building with strong historical significance;
	Owen Dolen Recreation Center and Park and surrounding area,;
	Changing demographics that include growing numbers of Latinos, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, etc. (i.e., an ethnic diversity that BCA cultural programs can draw to the Square's business district).

Free outdoor concerts at the Owen Dolen Recreation Center (l.) continue to bring fresh young crowds to the area while free indoor craft activities at the Huntington Free Library (r.) are enjoyed by neighborhood groups of all ages.

NYC Council Member James Vacca (l.) is surrounded by young supporters as he joins us at a recent Westchester Square event while an outside craft table (r.) enthralls the young ones and their families.

In Westchester Square, BCA will replicate the success it's had in bringing audiences and visitors to the South Bronx Cultural Corridor (thanks in large part to the Bronx Culture Trolley). This success has been predicated on the integration of arts and culture with sound business development practices. Likewise, BCA will aim to actively help build a Westchester Square where local artists and cultural programs not only spur economic development, but also raise the area's profile as a great place to live and do business.

Association of Merchants and Business Professionals of Westchester Square

The group works toward the stabilization, commercial revitalization and economic growth of the commercial corridor, and the surrounding community, of Westchester Square . These efforts will be fortified by the Westchester Square Business Improvement District, which will be implemented upon final approval.

Westchester Square Business Improvement District

As a public-private partnership, we are advocates, marketers, and problem solvers for the property owners and merchants. We provide a critical linkage between New York City government and the neighborhood. We work closely with the NYC Department of Small Business Services, as well as other city officials and agencies, as we make every effort to improve the quality of life in Westchester Square.

Office of Council Member James Vacca

Council member Vacca, representing the Westchester Square area, has vigorously aided in efforts to increase social capital in the Square by providing funds for arts programming and activities.

Office of NY Congressman Joseph Crowley

Congressman Crowley has been a strong proponent of BCA's move to the Square, and he has played an active role in making the move a reality.

NYC Parks & Owen Dolen Recreation Center

A focal point for community programs and celebrations, the space will play an even larger role after its $2 million renovation, which is set to be completed by 2012.

Huntington Free Library

A New York City landmark, this turn-of-the-century library houses materials on Bronx history and hosts various BCA workshops.

Hutchinson Metro Center

The 42-acre development site features more than 30 business tenants and thousands of employees; the center has been home to free, seasonal lunchtime concerts in past summers, something that BCA will continue.

The East Bronx History Forum

The East Bronx History Forum meets monthly to discuss Bronx history.

Lehman High School

A public high school with more than 4,000 students, Lehman H.S. is located right outside Westchester Square . The student body serves as a potential market for Square merchants and arts programs.

(this map is currently being updated)