named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Ghetto Hors D’oeuvres (GHD)
Annual festival celebrating Black history, memory, and liberation through performance, poetry, music, and community dialogue, centered on 100 years of Black History celebrations
JACK Venue Rentals
Facility rental program offering rehearsal, performance, and event space with technical support, prioritizing non-profits and independent artists aligned with JACK’s mission
JACKmix - Artist Interview Series
Interview series featuring in-depth conversations with resident and visiting artists, amplifying creative voices and artistic processes
Summer Season Performances
Curated series of experimental performances by artists such as Andrew Watkins, Oye Group, Fana Fraser, and Stew, presented at JACK’s Brooklyn venue or co-presented at partner sites like Governors Island
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Neighborhood Civic Engagement 1 activity
- Facilitating community conversations and intergenerational gatheringsHosts community forums, conversations, and intergenerational events focused on topics relevant to the local neighborhood, fostering dialogue and collective reflection as part of its public programming.
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Performing Arts Venue Rental 1 activity
- Offering rehearsal, tech, and performance rental services for artistsProvides rental access to its venue for rehearsals, tech runs, and full performances, including exclusive space access, furniture, audiovisual and theatrical production equipment, stage configuration flexibility, box office staffing, and contracted technical support based on availability. Limited promotional support is also offered via social media and newsletters.
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Subsidized Rehearsal and Performance Space 1 activity
- Operating a performance venue for experimental and community-centered artManages a fifty-seat performance space at 20 Putnam Avenue in Brooklyn, NY, providing accessible, well-equipped facilities for artists to create and present experimental performing arts. The venue supports productions with inclusive design, including accessible seating, secure cable management, adjustable lighting and sound systems, and accommodations for mobility devices.
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Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
- Presenting live performances and experimental theater productionsProduces and presents original and adapted theatrical works, including "moments after Aias," "A Sweet Victory," and "If I Had a Gun, I’d Take Them All Down," often exploring themes of memory, tragedy, resistance, and social change. These performances are presented both at the organization’s Brooklyn venue and at external festivals such as SummerWorks, Rhubarb, Exponential Festival, and Governors Island Arts’ INTERVENTION series.
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Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
- Providing artist residencies and co-producing performance eventsSupports artist development through residencies, including STEWDIO ZERO by Stew, and co-produces live events such as "Dispatch 06.19.26.: Homegoing / Homecoming," which features original theatrical works and live music by Black diaspora artists, followed by communal gatherings.
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Artist and Curatorial Publications 1 activity
- Publishing artist interviews and written artistic dialoguesProduces an exclusive interview series with creative artists involved in the organization and publishes written conversations between resident and guest artists, such as the dialogue between Ankita Sharma and Nora Chipaumire, to document and share artistic practice and discourse.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Hosting multidisciplinary festivals centered on Black memory and liberationOrganizes and hosts multi-night festivals such as "Ghetto Hors D’oeuvres presents 100 Years: The Black Liberation Experience" and a festival celebrating Black memory, power, and future possibility, combining performance, education, and ceremony across thematic programming to honor Black history and envision future liberation.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$542K
Contributions & grants$462K85%
Program service revenue$28K5%
Investment income$5K1%
Other revenue$47K
expenses
Total expenses$576K
Program expenses74%
Admin / overhead18%
Fundraising8%
Salaries & benefits$241K
Grants paid out$984
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$971K
Cash$273K
Investments$32K
Liabilities$449K
Net assets$522K
Liquid reserves6.3 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +64.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SKYE KOWALESKI | CO-DIRECTOR (RESGINED IN 2024) | 40 | $70K |
| JORDANA DE LA CRUZ | CO-DIRECTOR (RESIGNED IN 2024) | 40 | $16K |
| JENNI BOWMAN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $8K |
board members · 13
- ALEC DUFFY — TREASURER
- AZURE D OSBORNE-LEE — BOARD MEMBER
- BRITTANY WILLIAMS — BOARD MEMBER
- DEEARAH WRIGHT — CO-CHAIR (RESIGNED IN 2024)
- DRAE CAMPBELL — BOARD MEMBER
- KEVIN LAPIN — SECRETARY
- MEREDITH PHILLIPS-ALMEIDA — BOARD MEMBER
- MEROPI PEPONIDES — BOARD MEMBER
- MIMI LIEN — BOARD MEMBER
- NIKAURY RODRIGUEZ — BOARD MEMBER
- SAMANTHA JOHNSON — CO-CHAIR
- TAAHIRA MAYNARD — BOARD MEMBER
- THOMAS O KRIEGSMANN — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 24
Who they work with
- Angela Y. Davis Partner — Intellectual inspiration and foundational influence on JACK's definition of radical practice.
- Brooklyn Center for Theater Research Partner — Partner organization where the production was previously developed.
- CONSULTABILITY Partner — Access consultant for theater space and operations
- Columbia College Hollywood Partner — College where Amen Igbinosun cultivated spaces for artists and communities to flourish
- Franklin Avenue C/Shuttle Government — Relies on the Franklin Avenue C/Shuttle station as an accessible transit option for visitors and participants.
- Governors Island Arts Partner — Co-presents "A Sweet Victory" as part of INTERVENTIONS.
- Govners Island Arts Partner — Collaborates on presenting "A Sweet Victory" as part of the INTERVENTION series.
- Howard Gilman Foundation Funder — Supports JACK's programming through foundation grants.
- LMCC’s River to River Festival Partner — John-Philip Faienza served as Production Coordinator
- Mertz Gilmore Foundation Funder — Supports JACK's programming through foundation grants.
- NYC Department of Youth and Community Development Government — Funder supporting JACK's programming with support from City Council Member Crystal Hudson.
- National Endowment for the Arts Government — Primary funder supporting JACK's programming.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Funder supporting JACK's programming in partnership with the Mayor and City Council.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Funder supporting JACK's programming with support from the Governor and Legislature.
- Nora Chipaumire Partner — Collaborated with JACK Arts through an artist interview featured in the JACKmix series
- Oye Group Partner — Co-presents the Ghetto Hors D'oeuvres festival with JACK.
- Pace University Partner — Institution where Amen Igbinosun held a leadership role focused on supporting artists and communities
- Performa Biennial Partner — John-Philip Faienza served as Associate Producer
- Rooftop Films Partner — John-Philip Faienza served as Technical Coordinator
- The Classical Theatre of Harlem Partner — Organization where Amen Igbinosun held a leadership role and championed emerging artist voices
- The Jerome Foundation Funder — Supports JACK's programming through foundation grants.
- The Parsnip Ship Partner — Coproduces the live podcast event "Dispatch 06.19.26.: Homegoing / Homecoming."
- The Shubert Foundation Funder — Supports JACK's programming through foundation grants.
- rentals@jackny.org Partner — Primary contact for rental inquiries and coordination
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.
- Community-Rooted Co-Creation Modelmethodology: community-driven-artsBy creating shared spaces where artists and residents build trust and collaboratively envision change, the organization fosters sustainable community engagement because collective authorship strengthens ownership, inclusion, and cultural relevance.
- Culture of Care in Creative Ecosystemsmethodology: culture-of-careBy operating through a culture of care that prioritizes the well-being of all participants, the organization enables sustainable creative work because holistic support reduces burnout and strengthens long-term artistic resilience.
- Hybrid Performance-Ritual for Cultural Memorymethodology: hybrid_performance-ritual_formatBy structuring programming as hybrid events that function as performance, education, and communal ritual, the organization deepens audience engagement with cultural memory and futurity because multi-layered formats activate both intellect and emotion in service of liberation.
- Inclusive Power-Sharing in Arts Programmingmethodology: inclusive-collaborationBy centering BIPOC artists in decision-making and program development, the organization transforms access and power in experimental performing arts because redistributing creative control addresses root causes of exclusion.
- Radical Art as Civic Provocationmethodology: radical-art-programmingBy presenting intentionally challenging and non-comforting artistic work, the organization provokes critical thinking, emotional response, and community action because discomfort is seen as a catalyst for engagement with urgent social issues.