FORGE NYC Expands This Fall

Building on the successful growth and programming of the past two years, Co-Founders Chie Morita and Greg Taubman announced today that they will be kicking their boutique arts consultancy, FORGE NYC, into high gear this fall with expanded consulting hours, new partnerships, and a fresh commitment to providing vital resources and expert guidance to the Greater New York arts community.

"We've built an incredible pool of resources and the positive feedback has been overwhelming. FORGE NYC is ready to go all-in on providing productive space and expert feedback to our community," says Co-Founder Greg Taubman. "Keeping pace with demand from A.R.T./New York and our private clients, we are adding over twice as many consulting hours to our schedule. After a tester season of three Residency weeks in 2018, we are proud to support four projects in the Red Barn this summer and look to double that number for 2020."

Greg and Chie incorporated FORGE NYC in New York in 2017 with a simple mission in mind: to help artists take the next step. In the months that followed, FORGE helped clients (including Barn Arts Collective and Honest Accomplice Theater) through leadership transitions, 501c3 applications, and company rebrands while launching their first and longest-running program: FORGE Fuel, a monthly weekend writing retreat in nearby Danbury, Connecticut.

In 2018, FORGE NYC signed with A.R.T./New York to provide its signature service and support to the organization's member companies and grant recipients. Spurred on by FORGE Fuel participants' desire for more resources, Chie and Greg raised over $40,000 to renovate the barn on the Danbury property into a beautiful 1500-square-foot rehearsal studio. Now the home of FORGE's Red Barn Residency, the studio provides hospitality and expertise to artists and ensembles spending a full week devoted to the development of their work surrounded by picturesque pastureland.

Fall 2019 also marks the start of FORGE's newest offering: the NYC-based Fast Fuel. In partnership with other arts service organizations to be announced, Fast Fuels will be one-day, pop-up workspaces for makers to mix, mingle, and create. "Together, with our community, we've learned what it takes to offer a truly productive and collaborative atmosphere free from the pressure of daily routine," says Co-Founder Chie Morita. "We're thrilled to bring that magic back into the city and help our artists and teams keep up their momentum with our newest and most accessible program." Fast Fuels will begin this fall and continue once per month.

For more information on FORGE NYC's consulting services, FORGE Fuel, or the Red Barn Residency, please visit www.forgenyc.org.