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GRAND PISTACHIO ARTS CORP
Brooklyn, NY · EIN 933599392 · Form 990EZ · FY2024 · NTEE A60 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · grandpistachio.com
revenue
$166K
expenses
$131K
net assets
$75K
employees
—
mission · from form 990

Educational theater performances and workshops for Elementary and Middle School audiences.

profile · synthesized from sources

Grand Pistachio Arts Corp is a Brooklyn-based theater company creating educational performances and workshops for elementary and middle school audiences. Using puppetry, masks, and interactive storytelling, the company brings historical events to life, focusing on immigration, labor movements, and social justice. Programs are delivered both in schools and through virtual platforms across New York and beyond.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

City of Trash Workshops
Science-focused educational program using puppetry to teach grades 2–5 about waste, sanitation, and sustainability in NYC.
Layer the Walls
Interactive theater production using puppetry and masks to explore immigrant experiences in a Lower East Side tenement across different time periods; offered in two parts focusing on 1870–1909 and 1930–1970.
Puppetry and Mask Workshops
Hands-on arts education sessions teaching students to create and perform with bunraku, shadow, and hand puppets, as well as theatrical masks.
Time Traveler Miniseries
Virtual interactive series guiding students through the 1909 Garment Workers Strike, where they create characters, engage with shadow puppetry, and participate in historical decision-making.
Virtual Performance Excerpts
Pre-recorded episodes featuring scenes from Layer the Walls with Q&A, designed for remote learning environments.
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Youth Theater Arts Education 3 activities
    • Arts education programs on prejudice, self-discovery, and community
      Delivers school-based arts education programs in New York City focused on themes of prejudice, self-discovery, and community improvement, using Anne Frank’s story as a foundation for student engagement and reflection.
    • Conservation education and puppetry at zoos
      Served as a conservation educator and puppeteer at Prospect Park Zoo, using puppetry to teach about wildlife and environmental stewardship.
    • Educational theater performances and workshops for K–12 students
      Provides in-school and virtual interactive theater performances and workshops for elementary and middle school students, covering poetry, historical narratives, immigration, and social justice themes. Programs include 60–65 minute performances, post-show discussions, and writing or arts-based workshops aligned with curriculum standards.
  • Puppetry and Improv Theater Programs 2 activities
    • Development and touring of original theater and puppetry productions
      Produces and tours original theater and puppetry-based performances exploring historical and social themes, including immigration, labor history, and urban life, with documented national reach to over 60,000 young people.
    • Virtual performance and workshop programming
      Produces and distributes virtual performance episodes and offers virtual workshops in mime, mask performance, and Bunraku puppetry, designed for student engagement with historical and artistic content, including a three-episode miniseries on the 1909 Garment Workers Strike.
  • Arts-Based Dementia Engagement Programs 1 activity
    • Arts-based storytelling programs for older adults
      Co-created and sustained The Memory Project, an ongoing storytelling program using visual arts, theater, and puppetry to engage culturally diverse older adults, active from 2016 through at least 2021.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$166K
Contributions & grants$52K32%
Program service revenue$113K68%
Investment income$30%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$131K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$66K
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$123K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$75K
2 years on record · 2023–2024 · YoY revenue +100.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 2
  • Rachel Sullivan — Board Member / Executive Director
  • Raghav Thapar — Board Member
relationships · 36

Who they work with

  • A.R.T./New York Partner — Provides design enhancement funding through its Edith Lutyens and Norman Bel Geddes Design Enhancement Fund and supports small theaters via the NYC Small Theatres Fund.
  • Brooklyn Partner — Performs and conducts educational programs in schools and theaters across Brooklyn.
  • Brooklyn Arts Council Partner — Administers regrant programs including the Greater New York Arts Development Fund and Statewide Community Regrants Program that support Grand Pistachio's productions.
  • Brooklyn Public Library Partner — Partner for _Layer the Walls Part II_ development and _City of Trash_.
  • Department of Education Government — Sought for potential partnerships to expand programming reach
  • Hudson Hall Partner — Partner and funder for _City of Trash_.
  • Jay & Linda Grunin Center for the Arts Partner — Commissioner of _Layer the Walls_ virtual programming.
  • Jim Henson Foundation Funder — Funder and partner for _Layer the Walls Part I_.
  • LABA Partner — Incubator for _Layer the Walls Part II_ development through its global laboratory for Jewish culture.
  • LMCC Government — Funded The Memory Project through the SU-CASA program from 2017 to 2020.
  • Long Island Partner — Performs and conducts educational programs in schools and theaters across Long Island.
  • Manhattan Partner — Performs and conducts educational programs in schools and theaters across Manhattan.
  • Michael James Wilson Partner — Illustrator of "Blown Away by Poetry" images
  • Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Partner — Partner through its Arts Connect program for _Layer the Walls Part I_.
  • Midwest Trust Center Partner — Commissioner of _Layer the Walls_ virtual programming.
  • NYC Sanitation Foundation Partner — Partner for _City of Trash_.
  • NYC Women's Fund Funder — Funder of _Layer the Walls Part II_ development.
  • NYCDOE Partner — Collaborates with educators from the New York City Department of Education to present performances relevant to classroom learning.
  • New Jersey Partner — Performs and conducts educational programs in schools and theaters across New Jersey.
  • New Victory LabWorks Partner — Partner organization for _Layer the Walls Part I_.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Funder — Primary public funder supporting Grand Pistachio's 2026 programming and development of _City of Trash_ and _Layer the Walls_.
  • New York State Education Department Government — Aligns programming with New York State Social Studies, Science, and SEL learning standards.
  • Poway On Stage Partner — Commissioner of _Layer the Walls_ virtual programming.
  • Prospect Park Zoo Partner — Colleen Gold worked as a conservation educator and puppeteer at the zoo.
  • Queens Partner — Performs and conducts educational programs in schools and theaters across Queens.
  • Rachel and Liz Partner — Teaching artists and collaborators in designing and leading school residencies and workshops.
  • Staten Island Partner — Performs and conducts educational programs in schools and theaters across Staten Island.
  • The 14th ST Y Partner — Partner organization for _Layer the Walls Part I_.
  • The Anne Frank Center USA Partner — Beth Slepian served as Director of Education, collaborating with NYC schools on arts-based programs.
  • The Bronx Partner — Performs and conducts educational programs in schools and theaters across The Bronx.
+ 6 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.

  • Arts-Based Anti-Prejudice and Identity-Affirming Education
    methodology: arts_based_empathy_education
    Through arts-based instruction that explores historical figures and social issues, we promote anti-prejudice attitudes and student self-discovery because creative expression allows students to reflect on bias, affirm their identities, and take action against injustice in a safe and imaginative space.
  • Arts-Integrated Learning with Embodied Engagement
    methodology: arts_integration
    By integrating theater, puppetry, and creative movement into academic and historical education, we deepen student understanding and engagement because embodied, multisensory experiences make abstract concepts tangible and memorable. This approach links artistic practice with curriculum content to foster cognitive, emotional, and social learning.
  • Culturally Specific Art Forms as Pedagogical Tools
    methodology: culturally_specific_puppetry
    By using traditional and culturally specific puppetry forms such as Bunraku, half mask, and shadow puppetry, we honor diverse cultural heritages and deepen narrative authenticity because these art forms carry historical and symbolic meaning that enhances student connection to immigrant stories and global perspectives.
  • Experiential Learning Through Post-Show and Residency Programs
    methodology: experiential_learning_residencies
    By extending performances into interactive workshops and multi-week classroom residencies, we sustain engagement and deepen learning because repeated, hands-on artistic experiences allow students to explore themes more fully and connect art to personal and academic growth.
  • Immersive Historical Storytelling for Empathy and Social-Emotional Learning
    methodology: immersive_historical_storytelling
    By using role-based learning and immersive historical narratives through puppetry, masks, and live action, we cultivate empathy and critical thinking in young audiences because experiencing history through character embodiment helps learners connect emotionally and ethically to social issues and immigrant experiences.