BAX | Brooklyn Arts Exchange to Mark 35th Anniversary Season With New Artists in Residence

This fall, BAX | Brooklyn Arts Exchange celebrates its 35th Anniversary Season, marking three and a half decades of nurturing creative expression, artistic process, and community at the intersection of arts and social justice.

Founded in 1991 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, BAX has grown into a vibrant artistic ecosystem where children, teens, emerging artists, established practitioners, families, and audiences learn, create, rehearse, perform, and evolve together. Rather than existing as separate programs, BAX's youth education, artist residencies, professional development initiatives, and affordable rehearsal spaces form an interconnected community where artists and young people inspire one another across generations.

The 2026–2027 anniversary season celebrates both BAX's legacy and its future through performances, residencies, youth education, and community gatherings that embody the organization's enduring commitment to artists across every stage of their creative lives. The season also celebrates BAX's continued growth following the 2025 expansion into the BAX Annex, a fully accessible second venue in Downtown Brooklyn that expands opportunities for artists, students, and audiences across Brooklyn.

"BAX has always been a place where artists are encouraged to take creative risks, deepen their practice, and build community," said Marlène Ramírez-Cancio, Artistic & Co-Executive Director. "This season celebrates not only what we've built together, but the artists and young people who will shape what comes next."

At the heart of the season is the launch of BAX's 2026–2028 Artists in Residence cohort: j. bouey, Kayla Farrish, and Christopher "Unpezverde" Núñez. Through BAX's flagship residency program, the artists will develop ambitious new work while receiving sustained support through rehearsal space, artist stipends, mentorship, and opportunities to share works in progress.

Complementing the flagship residency program, BAX will also welcome three cohorts of Space Grant artists throughout the anniversary season, with residencies taking place in Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027. These short-term residencies will provide 11 artists with dedicated rehearsal space and time to experiment, develop new work, and deepen their creative practice. Together, the Artists in Residence and Space Grant programs underscore BAX's longstanding commitment to supporting artists at multiple stages of their creative journeys.

Throughout the year, audiences can experience performances and works-in-progress by resident artists alongside youth showcases, artist talks, workshops, and Practice Lab offerings spanning dance, theater, drag performance, disability artistry, and interdisciplinary performance. Together, these programs reflect BAX's commitment to cultivating artistic exchange, creative experimentation, and belonging across generations.

"Creative expression is a lifelong practice that begins by giving young people the freedom to imagine, experiment, and discover their own voices," said Lucia Scheckner, Co-Executive Director of Education. "At BAX, children, artists, educators, and families grow together as one creative community."

The season will also include a special October documentary screening and community conversation celebrating the BAX/Brooklyn New School 4th Grade Musical, first created more than two decades ago, and exploring the lasting impact of sustained arts partnerships on generations of students, families, educators, and communities across Brooklyn.

Looking toward the future, the anniversary season also marks an exciting new chapter for the organization following the 2025 expansion of the BAX Annex, a fully accessible second venue in Downtown Brooklyn. Together with its longtime home in Park Slope, BAX now operates two creative hubs for performances, residencies, education programs, rehearsals, and public gatherings. The Annex expands BAX's capacity while advancing its longstanding commitment to disability justice and accessibility.

Throughout the season, BAX will share stories from artists, alumni, educators, students, families, and community members whose lives have intersected through the organization over the past three and a half decades—illustrating the profound impact of sustained investment in artistic practice and creative community. Reflecting the organization's long-term impact, one community survey respondent shared, "No other place has supported my artistic growth for nearly four decades."

"Our work is about creating the conditions that allow creativity to flourish," said Vanessa Adato, Co-Executive Director of Finance & Operations. "By stewarding our spaces, resources, and partnerships with care, we're ensuring that artists and communities can continue to thrive together for years to come."

35th Anniversary Season Highlights

• Launch of the 2026–2028 Artists in Residence cohort featuring
  j. bouey, Kayla Farrish, and Christopher "Unpezverde" Núñez
• Three seasonal Space Grant residency cohorts (Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027)
• Resident artist performances, open studios, and works-in-progress
• Youth performances and multigenerational celebrations
• Practice Lab workshops, artist talks, and community events
• Documentary screening and community conversation celebrating the legacy of the BAX/Brooklyn New School 4th Grade Musical and arts partnership
• Special programs celebrating BAX's 35th Anniversary Season

Need more Brooklyn Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...