Mayor Bloomberg, BP Markowitz to Open BRIC Arts | Media House, 10/2

On Wednesday, October 2 at 9am, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, BRIC Chair Hilary Ackermann, BRIC President Leslie G. Schultz, UrbanGlass Board Chair Larry Pitterman, UrbanGlass Executive Director Cybele Maylone and others will cut the ribbon on BRIC Arts | Media House, a multi-disciplinary arts and media complex that will house BRIC, non-profit presenting performing arts, contemporary art and community media programs reflecting Brooklyn's creativity and diversity, and the UrbanGlass, a center dedicated to the artistic medium of glass.

The Thomas Leeser-designed renovation of the historic 1918 Strand Theatre will house BRIC and UrbanGlass, two Brooklyn-based art organizations. The renovated building will include three galleries with 8,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 250-seat performance space, a television studio, an artist performance/work space, a glassworking facility, a cafe, a retail space, a public lobby and two classrooms. The facilities will serve as a home for artists and audiences - a place where emerging and established artists can create work that deepens their practice and engages the diverse communities of Brooklyn.

BRIC, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, has been the driving cultural force behind a number of Brooklyn's most renowned and beloved arts and media programs. All of BRIC's programs are anchored by the organization's commitment to artistic excellence, programmatic breadth, diverse cultural representation and genuine accessibility.

BRIC presents live music and performing arts, contemporary art, and community media programs. The organization places special emphasis upon providing opportunities and platforms for Brooklyn artists and media makers to create and present new works. For more information, visit http://bricartsmedia.org/about/bric-house.

UrbanGlass is a leading resource for both aspiring and established artists wishing to create with glass. We foster innovation and advance the use and appreciation of glass as a creative medium. Founded in 1977 by artists Richard Yelle and Erik Erikson as the New York Experimental Glass Workshop, UrbanGlass was the first artist-access glass center in the United States and is now the largest. Previously, those interested in working in glass could only do so at art schools, in factories, or by building their own studios. When UrbanGlass opened its doors, glass as an art medium became available for the first time to a wide range of artists. Learn more at urbanglass.org.