named programs · 6 · from sources
What they call their work
A Tattle Tale: Eyewitness in Mississippi
A performance based on the true story of a whistleblower in Mississippi’s legal system, highlighting courage and justice through the lens of a teenage runaway turned deputy sheriff.
Crossing the BLVD: strangers, neighbors, aliens in a new America
A performance and book project based on interviews with immigrants and refugees in Queens, NY, featuring storytelling, photography, and original music to highlight diverse immigrant experiences in America.
Denial of the Fittest: excavations of untold truths and other outbursts
A one-woman show interweaving family secrets and public lies, exploring personal and societal denial through multiple characters and autobiographical storytelling.
EarSay Youth Voices - Cross-Cultural Dialogue Through the Arts
Weekly workshops and performances for immigrant youth at the International High School at LaGuardia Community College, fostering cross-cultural dialogue and creative expression.
It Can Happen Here
A dramatic comedy developed through community storytelling workshops in Jamaica and Southeastern Queens, exploring local narratives and untold stories through theater and original music.
YO MISS!
A solo performance by Judith Sloan that portrays immigrant/refugee teenagers and incarcerated youth, blending poetry, music, and theater to share transformative personal and collective stories.
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Artist and Curatorial Publications 1 activity
- Develops and publishes experimental and visual literatureProduces artist books and visual literature that challenge conventional narrative forms through typographic experimentation and nonlinear design, including "French Fries" (1984), "Letter Box: The Geometry of Loss," and the "Portrait Series" (1995).
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Arts and Cultural Workforce Training 1 activity
- Offers unpaid internships for college studentsProvides unpaid internship opportunities for college students seeking academic credit, supporting capacity building in arts and nonprofit management.
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Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
- Produces audio documentaries and radio commentaries on social and political issuesCreates and broadcasts audio works for public radio, including award-winning pieces such as "Dayenu," "What’s Your Status," and "Cargo Flight to Somewhere," as well as the series "The Whole K’Cufin World" on WBAI, using satire and character-driven storytelling to critique social and political issues.
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Youth & Emerging Filmmaker Training 1 activity
- Provides arts education and creative workshops for immigrant youthOffers weekly workshops, video production training, and performance opportunities for immigrant youth through the EarSay Youth Voices project, including collaborations with schools and universities to co-create multilingual songs and public service announcements.
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Nonprofit Retail and Merchandise Sales 1 activity
- Releases and sells original artistic media to support nonprofit workProduces and sells books, CDs, prints, and digital media through an online shop, including titles such as "Yo Miss!" and "Crossing the BLVD," with proceeds supporting the organization’s mission.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Produces multimedia artistic projects on themes of migration, identity, and social justiceCreates and tours multidisciplinary works that integrate documentary and expressive forms, including books, exhibitions, performances, sound, and electronic media, with a focus on immigrant and refugee experiences. Notable projects include "Crossing the BLVD" and "1001 Voices," which have been presented nationally and internationally.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$195K
Contributions & grants$126K65%
Program service revenue$69K35%
Investment income$60%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$145K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$24K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$138K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$113K
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +66.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JUDITH SLOAN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 20 | $16K |
| WARREN LEHRER | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, PRESIDE | 10 | $4K |
board members · 6
- EDITHA ROSARIO — BOARD MEMBER
- JOHN KUO WEI TCHEN — BOARD MEMBER
- ROBIN LYNCH — BOARD MEMBER
- SHEKAIBA WAKILI — BOARD MEMBER
- SONNET TAKAHISA — BOARD MEMBER
- SUSAN PERLSTIEN — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 48
Who they work with
- Andrei Codrescu Partner — Collaborated or affiliated in the promotion or creation of EARSAY INC's multimedia projects, particularly "Crossing the BLVD."
- California College of the Arts Partner — Hosted Warren Lehrer for lectures or presentations on visual literature.
- Courtney Martin Partner — Provided endorsement and critical recognition of EARSAY INC's approach to oral history and immigrant storytelling in "Crossing the BLVD."
- Frank London Partner — Collaborates musically on audio productions including "Dayenu" and "What’s Your Status."
- Gogol Bordello Partner — Collaborated with the band Gogol Bordello to feature Eugene Hütz's spoken words in multimedia projects including a book, CD, and animated video.
- Harris Sussman Partner — Endorsed EARSAY INC's "Crossing the BLVD" as a model for community engagement and diversity management in institutional settings.
- International High School at LaGuardia Community College Partner — Collaborated with EarSay on youth storytelling and music workshops.
- International High School at LaGuardia Community College Partner — Ongoing partner for arts-in-education programming with immigrant youth.
- International High School at LaGuardia Community College Partner — Partner in the EarSay Youth Voices project providing cross-cultural arts programming for immigrant youth.
- Kupferberg Center for the Arts Partner — Hosted performances of "1001 Voices" excerpts in December 2017.
- La MaMa Experimental Theatre Partner — Presented EARSAY performance works and hosted workshop development of productions
- Liberty Partnership Partner — Supporting partner for EarSay Youth Program.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology Partner — Hosted Warren Lehrer for lectures or presentations on visual literature.
- Missouri Review Government — Multiple audio works recognized in the Missouri Review National Audio Competition.
- NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Provided funding for the "1001 Voices" project, concert, and production.
- NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Received public funding support from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council for the project.
- NYU Partner — Collaborated with EarSay and immigrant youth in a 2016 multilingual music project.
- NYU Tisch Partner — Hosted Warren Lehrer for lectures or presentations on visual literature.
- National Public Radio Network — Aired EarSay radio documentaries including "Labib’s Café," "Tongues Twisting," and "A Tattle Tale: Eyewitness in Mississippi."
- Network of Ensemble Theaters Funder — Supported remote learning initiatives during the pandemic.
- New Music USA Funder — Provided funding for the "1001 Voices" project, concert, and production.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Public funder supporting EarSay Youth Program.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Provided grant funding for artistic projects including "This Is Not a Drill"
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Public funder supporting EarSay Youth Program.
- Queens College Foundation Funder — Provided funding for the "1001 Voices" project, concert, and production.
- Queens Council on the Arts Partner — Commissioned the development of "It Can Happen Here" through its Artist Commissioning Program
- Queens Museum of Art Partner — Hosted the premiere of the _Crossing the BLVD_ exhibition in 2004
- Queens Symphony Orchestra Partner — Commissioned and premiered the multi-media work "1001 Voices" in 2012.
- Rhode Island School of Design Partner — Hosted Warren Lehrer for lectures or presentations on visual literature.
- Rutgers University Partner — Hosted Warren Lehrer for lectures or presentations on visual literature.
+ 18 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Art for Understandingmethodology: art-for-understandingBy combining documentary and expressive artistic forms, the organization fosters cross-cultural, intergenerational, and cross-gender/class understanding because integrating emotional and aesthetic dimensions into storytelling deepens engagement and empathy with underrepresented narratives.
- Community-Engaged Art for Social Themesmethodology: community-engaged-artBy integrating community-sourced stories and emotional responses into artistic works, the organization addresses societal challenges such as the climate crisis and intergroup conflict because participatory art builds collective ownership and fosters dialogue across difference.
- Multimodal Narrative Engagementmethodology: multimodal-presentationBy integrating lecture, reading, performance, and dialogue into immersive artistic experiences, the organization enhances public understanding of complex cultural narratives because nonlinear, sensory-rich formats mirror the rhythms of thought and speech, deepening cognitive and emotional processing.
- Oral History as Performancemethodology: oral-history-to-performanceBy transforming in-depth interviews with immigrants and refugees into performance art, the organization humanizes migration experiences because embodied storytelling makes abstract social issues personally resonant and emotionally accessible to audiences.
- Youth-Led Collaborative Storytellingmethodology: youth-led narrative expressionBy engaging immigrant and at-risk youth in collaborative, multilingual storytelling and multimedia production, the organization amplifies marginalized voices because creative ownership fosters agency, self-expression, and peer-to-peer learning in underserved educational settings.