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BLUE BUS PROJECT INC

Long Island City, NY · EIN 842485384 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · NTEE A25 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Micro (<$100K) · thebluebusproject.org
revenue
$45K
expenses
$54K
net assets
$18K
employees
mission · from form 990

Bringing participatory art to multiple neighborhoods with a focus on underserved communities

profile · synthesized from sources

The Blue Bus Project is a New York City-based nonprofit that brings participatory art programs to underserved communities through a repurposed school bus and pop-up events. Founded in 2016, it partners with local artists and organizations to deliver workshops in public parks, housing complexes, and community centers across the city. The organization uses art as a tool for social change, focusing on themes of environmental sustainability, community dialogue, and creative empowerment.

named programs · 6 · from sources

What they call their work

Art in the Lot
Pop-up art exhibition in Long Island City featuring local Queens artists exploring themes of identity and self-representation
Bridging Communities Mural Project
Community-driven mural initiative in Hunters Point and Queensbridge focused on unity and re-imagination
Creative Reuse Workshop
Hands-on art workshops teaching participants to transform recycled materials into new creations, focusing on environmental sustainability
Cycle To Recycle
Interactive event using a human-powered bicycle shredder to process plastic waste and educate the public about recycling
Peace Bus
A traveling artwork and mobile art space that promotes peace, unity, and resilience through community dialogue and public installations
Pop-Up Holiday Market
Seasonal market showcasing handcrafted art and upcycled goods by local artists and small businesses
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
    • Community art events and public installations
      Organizes and hosts public art events, festivals, and pop-up markets across New York City, including Juneteenth celebrations, Earth Day events, holiday markets, and themed workshops. The organization has implemented over 150 public art projects in areas such as Harlem, Queens, the Bronx, and Governor’s Island, often in collaboration with city agencies like NYC Parks and DOT.
  • Community Recycling & Reuse Education 1 activity
    • Creative reuse and environmental art workshops
      Hosts hands-on workshops using recycled and upcycled materials to create art, promoting environmental awareness and waste reduction. These include Creative Reuse workshops in Queens parks and a human-powered bicycle shredder that transforms clean #5 plastic waste into reusable materials through community participation.
  • Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
    • Mobile participatory art programs in underserved communities
      Operates a repurposed school bus known as the Blue Bus as a mobile art space to deliver participatory art workshops in public parks, community centers, and NYCHA housing complexes across New York City, with a focus on underserved neighborhoods. Activities include visual, performance, and interdisciplinary art projects that engage local residents in self-expression and community storytelling.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$45K
Contributions & grants$33K73%
Program service revenue$9K20%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$54K
Program expenses
Admin / overhead
Fundraising
Salaries & benefits$24K
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$18K
Cash
Investments
Liabilities
Net assets$18K
4 years on record · 2022–2025 · YoY revenue +9.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

paid leadership · 1
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Annalisa Iadicicco Executive Director 45 $30K
board members · 2
  • Ann Margaret O'Connor — Board Member
  • Jessica Sechrist — Board Member
relationships · 39

Who they work with

  • A Blade of Grass Partner — Collaborated on community art initiatives.
  • AHRC Partner — Collaborated on community art initiatives.
  • Annalisa Iadicicco Partner — Community-engaged environmental artist and founder of The Blue Bus Project who led the artistic vision and expression of the initiative.
  • Annalisa Iadicicco Partner — TBBP Creative Director and curator for the "Art in the Lot" exhibition
  • Carla Torres Partner — Collaborating artist on the "Bridging Communities" mural project.
  • Carla Torres Partner — Muralist and graphic designer who co-created The Peace Bus through artistic collaboration.
  • Carolina Penafiel Partner — Curator for the "Art in the Lot" exhibition
  • Citizens Committee for NYC Partner — Supported the implementation of public art projects.
  • Court Square Civic Association Partner — Collaborated on community art initiatives.
  • Culture Lab LIC Partner — Hosted event activities at the Culture Lab LIC parking lot as part of the Holiday Art Market.
  • Culture Lab LIC Partner — Hosts the CycleToRecycle workshop at its venue in Long Island City.
  • Culture Lab LIC Partner — Recognized and supported The Blue Bus Project through an award.
  • Domenick Di Pietrantionio (Dipie) Partner — Interdisciplinary artist who collaborated on the creation of The Peace Bus as a traveling artwork.
  • Figment Partner — Collaborated on events at Governor's Island in 2016 and 2017.
  • Flushing Town Hall Funder — Provides financial support for the CycleToRecycle workshop.
  • Forest Park Trust Partner — Collaborated with Blue Bus Project Inc to host a Juneteenth community workshop.
  • Forest Park Trust Partner — Partner organization collaborating on events at Sobelsohn Playground in Forest Park.
  • Frank Sinatra School of the Arts Partner — Collaborated on community art initiatives.
  • Friends of Rockaway 59th Street Playground Association Partner — Collaborated on community art initiatives.
  • Hour Children Partner — Collaborated on community art initiatives.
  • Hunters Point Park Conservancy Partner — Collaborated on community art initiatives.
  • Hunters Point Parks Conservancy Partner — Collaborates on the Summer Kids on the Waterfront series, hosting creative workshops at Hunters Point Parks South.
  • Jacob Riis Settlement House Partner — Collaborated on community art initiatives.
  • June Kosloff Partner — Curator for the "Art in the Lot" exhibition
  • Kaufman Studios Partner — Collaborated on community art initiatives.
  • Kids Ride Club Partner — Collaborates on hands-on recycling workshops involving pedal-powered shredding.
  • Material for the Arts (MFTA) Partner — Supported the implementation of public art projects.
  • Millwright Project Partner — Collaborates on hands-on recycling workshops involving pedal-powered shredding.
  • NYC Parks Government — Partnered on public art projects in public spaces.
  • NYC Parks Partner — Collaborates with NYC Parks to conduct Creative Reuse workshops in Queens parks.
+ 9 more
strategies · 3

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 as a Bridge for Dialogue and Unity
    methodology: dialogue-as-construction
    By using creative collaboration and shared artistic experiences, we build connections across ideological and social divides, because structured dialogue through art fosters inner reflection and materializes peace as a visible, collective practice.
  • Community-Engaged Art for Social Change
    methodology: community-engaged_art
    By co-creating art with communities, especially in underserved areas, we foster empowerment and collective action to address social challenges, because participatory processes build ownership, amplify marginalized voices, and transform public spaces into sites of dialogue and cultural reflection.
  • Creative Reuse as Environmental Education
    methodology: creative_reuse_environmental_education
    By engaging communities in hands-on art-making with upcycled materials, we promote environmental stewardship and imaginative problem-solving around waste, because tactile, creative experiences make sustainability concepts accessible and memorable across age groups.