A New Year Message From Katy Clark, President of BAM

The paradox of uncertain times is that they can also yield great ideas and new alliances. At BAM, 2019 was a year in which we charted new territory and saw our institution thrive.

It was the first year of Artistic Director David Binder’s leadership. His fresh perspectives on performance and the audience experience have been incredibly exciting; David introduced a season of all new artists to BAM and he took us offsite for both intimate indoor and public outdoor experiences.

Thanks to the City of New York, this past year was also a time when we joined up with our cultural colleagues in Brooklyn—651 Arts, MoCADA, and the Brooklyn Public Library—to launch venues that we will soon be able to share with our audiences and community. The BAM Karen will feature new cinemas, a home for our archives, and a state-of-the-art education space.

We also saw the completion of BAM Strong, an enhancement of the spaces surrounding the Harvey Theater, including a visual art gallery for exhibitions, a long-awaited elevator to the balcony of the theater, and a better customer experience overall.

In 2019, we pushed forward in our organization-wide anti-oppression process. This deeply challenging and vital work has compelled us to examine our implicit personal and institutional biases and find ways to implement equity and diversity measures wherever necessary.

All of our artistic platforms—stage performances, films, programs for young people, family experiences, talks, and archival exhibitions—were in full gear, with members of BAM’s programming team coming together to create experiences and share new ideas during, yes, uncertain and challenging times.

To that end, we strive to be a place for everyone. BAM is a cultural resource for all to use, in any way needed or desired. Whether you seek entertainment, escape, or respite; a profound challenge, artist’s perspective, or filmmaker’s vision; a broader view of the world; or simply something new, we are here. All are welcome.

On behalf of everyone at BAM, I wish you a peaceful and joyous new year.

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