named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Creative Masters in NYC
Transmedia documentation project profiling master practitioners of traditional arts, such as Afro-Colombian bullerengue and Irish flute music, with a focus on intergenerational transmission and diasporic identity.
The Sonicycle
Mobile audio-visual unit built from recycled materials that engages communities in sharing stories, music, and cultural traditions through interactive sound and image installations.
activities · 11 groups
What they do
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Oral History Collection and Preservation 2 activities
- Conducts collaborative community documentation and ethnographic archiving projectsEngages communities in autoethnographic and ethnographic documentation to create accessible, multilingual digital archives using transmedia methods, including long-term projects like the Diversity Plaza initiative.
- Operates community-centered media platforms connecting artists, educators, and historiansRuns interdisciplinary platforms that use digital and multimedia tools to connect artists, citizens, educators, and historians around cultural heritage and community storytelling, active since 2015.
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Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
- Develops folklife-based economic development and mutual aid initiativesCreates and implements holistic projects that integrate traditional cultural knowledge into economic development and community mutual aid models.
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Youth & Emerging Filmmaker Training 1 activity
- Engages youth and DACA recipients in transmedia documentary productionRuns the DREAMtellers Institute, a program that trains and supports undocumented youth in creating their own documentary shorts using multimedia storytelling techniques.
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
- Hosts and tours multimedia exhibitions exploring cultural technologies and community identityOrganizes and presents exhibitions such as "The Sonicycle: Layers of Community" at galleries and community spaces, combining ethnographic fieldwork with audiovisual installations to explore sense of place and cultural expression.
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Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
- Operates the Sonicycle mobile platform for community cultural activationUses a mobile, solar-powered audiovisual studio constructed from recycled materials to conduct live recordings, performances, and interactive community programs in public spaces, supporting cultural documentation and intergenerational storytelling.
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Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
- Produces and broadcasts radio programs amplifying underrepresented cultural voicesProduces and airs radio programs including Common Ground Radio, Deep Tissue Radio, and Rush Hour Tribe that highlight Hispanic hip-hop heritage, Chinese immigrant massage workers, and commuter stories from Queens, using audio storytelling to sustain cultural traditions.
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Classical and Chamber Music Performances 1 activity
- Produces transmedia coverage of international artists during U.S. debutsDocuments and produces multimedia content featuring world-class cultural maestros during their first performances in New York City, including live concerts and interviews.
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Local History Preservation and Education 1 activity
- Provides free access to educational media and digital collections on neighborhood culture and folk artsOffers publicly accessible digital resources and media focused on local cultural practices, traditions, and community histories, supporting education and public engagement.
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Archival Digitization and Preservation 1 activity
- Provides media production and digital archiving services to communities and institutionsOffers affordable, customized media production and digital archiving services—including digitization, collection management, and storytelling support—to local organizations and cultural groups.
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Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
- Publishes curated cultural content exploring music, identity, and traditionProduces and publishes travel narratives, playlists, and personal essays—such as explorations of NYC vinyl shops and curated musical themes—that reflect diasporic experiences and cultural memory.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Partners with cultural organizations to document and produce heritage-based mediaCollaborates with groups like Bulla en el Barrio and Radio Mixticius to produce media content highlighting Afro-Colombian traditions and diasporic DJ culture, expanding community reach and intercultural exchange.
- Produces transmedia storytelling projects on cultural inheritance and immigrant experiencesCreates research-based media, publications, and digital content exploring tradition, identity, and the immigrant experience in urban contexts, including the web series "Inheritors" and related artist profiles.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$123K
Contributions & grants$87K71%
Program service revenue$35K28%
Investment income——
Other revenue$1K
expenses
Total expenses$124K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$27K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$10K
1 years on record · 2023–2023
relationships · 25
Who they work with
- 32A Partner — Collaborated on the release of a limited edition vinyl record
- 32A Partner — Collaborated with Los Herederos on the release of the Eustiquia vinyl record.
- American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress Partner — Collaborates to deposit a digital archive of community documentation from Diversity Plaza.
- Bulla en el Barrio Partner — Collaborated with Bulla en el Barrio to document a cultural residency and produce an installment of Creative Masters in NYC.
- Camilo Correa Partner — Co-founder of Los Herederos
- DJ Saque Partner — Co-hosts the Common Ground Radio program.
- Diana Bejarano Partner — Co-founder of Los Herederos
- Dirty Salsa (Juan Pablo Varela) Partner — Regular contributor who creates content exploring music, memory, and cultural identity for publication.
- Mauricio Bayona Partner — Co-founder of Los Herederos
- Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Funder — Provided support for the exhibition.
- Miscellaneous Discográfica Partner — Collaborated on the release of a limited edition vinyl record
- Miscellaneous Discográfica Partner — Collaborated with Los Herederos on the release of the Eustiquia vinyl record.
- Naomi Sturm Partner — Co-founder of Los Herederos
- National Endowment for the Arts Funder — Provided support for the exhibition.
- New Jersey Council for the Humanities Funder — Provided support for the exhibition.
- New Jersey Council on the Arts Funder — Provided support for the exhibition.
- Pablo Lavoe Partner — Co-hosts the Common Ground Radio program.
- Peipei Partner — Collaborates as a co-developer of the Deep Tissue Radio program.
- Radio Mixticius Partner — Collaborated with Los Herederos to launch the Sonicycle Record Spin from a basement studio in Jackson Heights.
- Second Run Media Preservation Partner — Collaborates on digital archiving services for film, photograph, video, and digital preservation.
- Thomas Jefferson Arts Academy Partner — Implemented a Sonicycle-based arts education program with high school students through an institutional partnership.
- Visual Arts Center of New Jersey Partner — Hosted the "The Sonicycle: Layers of Community" exhibition in the Eisenberg Gallery and collaborated on public programming.
- Visual Arts Center of New Jersey Partner — Hosted the multimedia exhibition "The Sonicycle: Layers of Community" at its Eisenberg Gallery
- Wilf Family Foundation Funder — Provided support for the exhibition.
- Yma Partner — Collaborates as a co-developer of the Deep Tissue Radio program.
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.
- Artist-Driven Ethnography and Intergenerational Cultural Continuitymethodology: interdisciplinary_ethnographyBy integrating interdisciplinary ethnography with artist-driven media-arts projects, the organization strengthens cultural continuity among immigrant and heritage communities, because combining personal experience, intergenerational dialogue, and creative expression fosters authentic identity reconnection and cultural evolution.
- Community-Centered Documentation as Cultural Resistance and Empowermentmethodology: documentation_as_resistanceBy engaging residents in collaborative documentation, autoethnography, and archiving, the organization empowers communities and preserves cultural heritage, because participatory methods affirm agency, sustain collective memory, and transform documentation into an act of resistance against erasure.
- Storytelling for Destigmatization and Narrative Justicemethodology: storytelling-for-destigmatizationBy amplifying lived experiences through radio and public storytelling, the organization challenges stereotypes and destigmatizes marginalized labor and identities, because personal narratives grounded in resilience and knowledge shift public perception and affirm human dignity.
- Technology-Enhanced Cultural Activation and Place-Keepingmethodology: cultural_technologiesBy repurposing mobile sound systems and building sustainable, interactive platforms like bicycle-driven audiovisual units, the organization activates public spaces and strengthens community relationships to place and identity, because adaptive, technology-enabled art forms invite participation, reclaim public space, and make cultural expression mobile and accessible.
- Transmedia Storytelling for Cultural Equity and Awarenessmethodology: transmedia_storytellingBy using transmedia storytelling across digital and community platforms, the organization educates audiences and promotes cultural equity, sustainability, and public engagement, because multi-platform narratives increase accessibility, emotional resonance, and the reach of marginalized voices.