3rd Annual Central Brooklyn Arts & Cultural Walk - Curated by Brooklyn Dance Festival
Company:
Brooklyn Dance Festival
SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 2018 12:00 PM - 5 PM
LOCATION: GRAND ARMY PLAZA LIBRARY - DOWN EASTERN PARKWAY - ENDING AT RONALD MCNAIR PARK ON EASTERN PARKWAY AND WASHINGTON AVE
PERFORMANCE 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Children’s Village - Ronald McNair Park and Washington Avenue
Some organizations and companies performing: Cynthia King Dance Company, Jete Concert Group, Dwana Smallwood Dance Company, Carlos Franquiz, Jalen Phifer, Brooklyn Jewish Children’s Museum, Prospect Park Zoo and more.
Family Main Stage - Entrance of Brooklyn Museum - Washington Avenue and Eastern Parkway
Some organizations and companies performing: Jason Samuels Smith, Gibney Dance Company, Satellite Collective, Maurice Chestnut, Thomas Piper, The People’s Republic of Sound, Ashley Marie, Chris Moore, Quest Youth Orchestra and more.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams announced that his third annual Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Walk, taking place on Sunday, June 24th from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM along the stretch of Eastern Parkway from Flatbush to Washington avenues, will be headlined by a “Welcome Back to Brooklyn” ceremony that will bestow an engraved paver along the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s famed Celebrity Path, as well as the “key to Brooklyn” to Grammy Award-winning rapper, actor, model, and record producer, Antonio Hardy, better known as “Big Daddy Kane,” a world-famous son of the borough. Since 1985, more than 160 Brooklynites who have gone on to make outstanding contributions in art, business, film, literature, music, sports, and more have had their names inscribed on this walkway. Borough President Adams, who has also inducted groundbreaking abstract/neo-expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, comedian/talk show host Joy Behar, and multi-platinum hip-hop star Fabolous into the Celebrity Path, highlighted the importance of celebrating Brooklyn’s creative geniuses as essential to promoting cultural enrichment and supporting the borough’s artistic institutions.
“Honoring local luminaries is one of the great privileges we have as Brooklynites, deepening our pride in the Brooklyn that we love and share,” said Borough President Adams. “Big Daddy Kane has shown the world the best of Brooklyn’s music industry, shaping a generation of artists and inspiring so many more, dating back to the early days of hip-hop. Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Walk is a celebration of the arts, our cultural institutions, and the iconic minds that help make Brooklyn continue to flourish as a global creative leader.”
Considered one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time, Big Daddy Kane was born in Bedford-Stuyvesant on September 10, 1968. He took on his stage name “Kane” from the acronym for King Asiatic Nobody’s Equal. In 1984, he began writing rap songs for Biz Markie, and both eventually became members of the Juice Crew, a collective of artists headed by renowned producer Marley Marl. In 1987, Big Daddy Kane signed with Marl’s Cold Chillin’ label, which led to his debut of the hit single “Raw.” A short time later, he produced his first album, “Long Live the Kane,” and then subsequently released “Ain’t No Half-Steppin,” which Rolling Stone magazine placed at number 25 on the list of The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time. In 1991, his career catapulted when he won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his work on Quincy Jones’ collaborative track “Back on the Block.” In 1993, Big Daddy Kane started his acting career by starring in Mario Van Peebles’ 1993 western, “Posse,” and appeared in the film “The Meteor Man” that same year. Through the 1990s and 2000s, he stayed active on the hip-hop scene and made many performances in collaboration with other artists including MC Hammer, Patti LaBelle, Tupac Shakur, Barry White, and Jay-Z. MTV placed him in seventh place in their Greatest MCs Of All Time, and his first albums remain classics in the history of hip-hop music.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to say I’m from the great borough of Brooklyn,” said Big Daddy Kane. “Sharing the same birthplace of such greats as Barbra Streisand and Jay-Z humbles me to be part of such a talented borough. That, along with the knowledge I have acquired from the streets of Bed-Stuy, makes me proud to stand on any stage and ask, ‘Is Brooklyn In Da House?’”
The third annual Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Walk has been designed by Borough President Adams to be a block party-style celebration that commemorates the extraordinary creativity and spirit of Brooklynites whose work excites the imagination and brings the borough’s residents closer together as One Brooklyn. The walk, held in partnership with State Senator Jesse Hamilton, Council Member Laurie Cumbo, and District Leaders Geoffrey Davis and Shirley Patterson, will include two stages, one in front of the Brooklyn Museum and the other at Dr. Ronald E. McNair Park, showcasing diverse performances of dance and music. The Washington Avenue stretch adjacent to Dr. Ronald E. McNair Park will host a fun zone with bouncy rides, game trucks for kids of all ages, and much more. Additionally, local vendors situated along Eastern Parkway will offer a tasty array of cuisines as well as original art and handcrafts.
“Brooklyn Dance Festival, now in its seventh year, is proud to partner with Borough President Adams on the Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Walk,” said Tamia Santana, executive director of the Brooklyn Dance Festival. “We provide services, opportunities, and outreach for professional companies, emerging artists, and youth ensembles throughout Brooklyn, having grown from 12 members in the audience to over 16,000 annually. Knowing that everyone is meant to dance, Brooklyn Dance Festival has presented more than 100 companies, 1,000 dancers, and 12 stages, helping bring dance out of the studio and into the world.”
Borough President Adams is excited to partner with iconic cultural institutions on this event including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Brooklyn Dance Festival, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Public Library, Jewish Children’s Museum, New York Aquarium, and Prospect Park Zoo, as well as Creating Legacies, For The Kids, Mardi Gras Festival Productions, and Urban ID Media.
“We are so thrilled to continue our partnership with the Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Walk by celebrating the unique spirit of our borough and all its creative residents at this year’s block party,” said Anne Pasternak, the Shelby White and Leon Levy director of the Brooklyn Museum.
“We are delighted to join with Borough President Adams to celebrate the creative spirit of Brooklyn,” said Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library. “During the annual arts and culture walk and all year long, Central Library is a hub for the borough’s many artists, writers, and culture lovers of all ages.”
“Brooklyn Botanic Garden is pleased to join with Borough President Adams in honoring Big Daddy Kane with a place on the iconic Celebrity Path on the 30th anniversary of his debut album ‘Long Live the Kane’,” said Scot Medbury, president of Brooklyn Botanic Garden. “Staff from the New York City Compost Project hosted by Brooklyn Botanic Garden will be on hand to teach kids and families about the importance — and fun — of composting and recycling.”
“Brooklyn Dance Festival, now in its seventh year, is proud to partner with Borough President Adams on the Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Walk,” said Tamia Santana, executive director of the Brooklyn Dance Festival. “We provide services, opportunities, and outreach for professional companies, emerging artists, and youth ensembles throughout Brooklyn, having grown from 12 members in the audience to over 16,000 annually. Knowing that everyone is meant to dance, Brooklyn Dance Festival has presented more than 100 companies, 1,000 dancers, and 12 stages, helping bring dance out of the studio and into the world.”
“We are excited to collaborate with Borough President Adams on this event, which highlights the longstanding cultural institutions that anchor our community,” said Pia Raymond, founder and CEO of Creating Legacies. “We are an organization that empowers families in Brooklyn through exciting events and workshops. We are honored to collaborate again on the Children’s Village, a place where attendees will be able to celebrate our collective culture, exercise artistic expression, and enjoy an intergenerational day of fun with many activities including live music, storytelling, and Zumba.”
“Thanks to Borough President Adams, the Jewish Children’s Museum is proud to be a part of the Central Brooklyn Arts & Cultural Walk for the last few years,” said Devorah Halberstam, director of external affairs at the Jewish Children’s Museum. “It has introduced so many visitors to Brooklyn and to our museum.”
“Team members from two of our parks — the Prospect Park Zoo and New York Aquarium — are thrilled to be joining this annual event, sharing our love of conservation and the environment with the Brooklyn community,” said John Calvelli, executive vice president of public affairs Wildlife Conservation Society. “We share Borough President Adams’ commitment to enriching the lives of our residents and look forward to the next exciting cultural addition to Brooklyn and New York City: the upcoming opening of Ocean Wonders: Sharks! at the New York Aquarium on June 30th. We hope to see everyone there this summer.”
Sponsors of Borough President Adams’ Central Brooklyn Arts & Cultural Walk include Amalgamated Bank, Chase, EmblemHealth, HBO, HealthFirst, ModernMD Urgent Care, NYC & Company Foundation, One Brooklyn Fund, Inc. (OBFI), and WellCare.
“Chase is very proud to support the Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Walk, celebrating the artistic, vibrant culture that enriches our Brooklyn community,” said Ed O’Donnell, market manager for Brooklyn and Staten Island at Chase Business Banking.
“EmblemHealth is proud to be a part of the Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Walk,” said Nicole Browne-Jones, community care solutions manager of Emblem Health. “This event showcases the community spirit that we all share as Brooklynites. We are proud to serve our communities by helping those in need at our Neighborhood Care locations live healthier lifestyles.”
“As a Brooklyn-based urgent care network focused on promoting the health and vibrance of the communities we serve, ModernMD Urgent Care is honored to support Borough President Adams’ Central Brooklyn Arts & Culture Weekend, which focuses equally on fostering community and empowerment,” said Melissa Cohen, vice president of marketing for ModernMD Urgent Care. “We’re proud to participate in celebrating the diversity and richness of our borough’s culture and look forward to connecting, engaging, and learning with our neighbors!”
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