named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House
Annual event inviting the public to explore local cultural spaces, artist studios, theaters, and galleries through open doors, performances, and hands-on activities.
Lower East Side History Month
Annual May celebration featuring public events, exhibits, and tours organized by over 60 local cultural groups, highlighting the diverse histories of the neighborhood.
Lower East Side Young Artists of Color Fellowship
Fellowship program supporting early-career artists of color from the Lower East Side with mentorship, peer networks, and a public showcase of original projects.
activities · 9 groups
What they do
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Community Festival & Event Production 2 activities
- Coordinates Lower East Side History Month celebrationsOrganizes an annual Lower East Side History Month to strengthen community connection through shared celebration, coordinating a network of over 60 local groups and residents to host public events, exhibits, tours, and learning opportunities.
- Organizes Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open HouseHosts an annual Open House providing free public access to cultural spaces and programs, featuring live music performances and hands-on art activities for all ages, now in its third consecutive year.
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Oral History Collection and Preservation 1 activity
- Amplifies neighborhood 'people’s history' to inform current issuesDocuments and shares a 'people’s history' of the Lower East Side to counter erasure and connect historical context with contemporary struggles around displacement and equity.
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Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
- Builds capacity of local arts and community nonprofitsStrengthens local organizations by connecting them, increasing visibility of their work, advocating on their behalf, and inviting collaboration on neighborhood-based projects.
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Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
- Commissions and produces community-engaged public art projectsEngages Lower East Side residents in the creation of public art that reflects community stories and concerns, often developed in partnership with local leaders to address equity, displacement, and social justice.
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Free Outdoor Music Concerts 1 activity
- Organizes free outdoor arts events across Lower East Side open streetsProduces free outdoor arts events from April to October on East 4th Street Open Street, Avenue B Open Street, and pop-up sites, featuring diverse musical performances including Latin, jazz, Brazilian, Ukrainian, Andean, tango, Candombe, and Cantonese opera.
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Neighborhood Civic Engagement 1 activity
- Participates in community-driven design and planning initiativesEngaged in the “Neighborhoods Now” program led by Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute to support community-led urban design and planning efforts in the Lower East Side.
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Subsidized Rehearsal and Performance Space 1 activity
- Provides subsidized rehearsal space for independent artistsOffers subsidized access to two rehearsal studios at 70 East 4th Street, available Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm. Enforces a three-strike policy for no-shows to ensure accountability and equitable access.
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Arts Professional Advocacy & Equity Initiatives 1 activity
- Supports early career artists of color through mentorship and showcase programsFacilitates peer networking, mentorship with established artists and producers of color, and a public showcase of original artistic projects to support early career artists of color in developing community-engaged creative practices.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Advocates to preserve cultural vibrancy and resist displacementFounded as a coalition in 2001 to resist displacement of arts and community groups on East 4th Street; continues to advocate for the preservation and sustainability of the Lower East Side’s cultural character and diversity.
- Hosts free public workshops for artists and cultural organizersOffers free workshops at a fully accessible venue located at 70 East 4th Street, New York NY 10003, with limited capacity requiring advance reservations.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$558K
Contributions & grants$511K92%
Program service revenue$16K3%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$31K
expenses
Total expenses$486K
Program expenses77%
Admin / overhead20%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$240K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$442K
Cash$251K
Investments$0
Liabilities$84K
Net assets$359K
Liquid reserves6.2 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +50.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RYAN GILLIAM | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $66K |
board members · 6
- ANDREA GORDILLO — BOARD MEMBER
- CHIMENE OKERE — BOARD MEMBER
- JASMINA SINANOVIC — BOARD MEMBER
- LEE ANN GULLIE — TREASURER
- MOLAUNDO JONES — PRESIDENT
- WINSTON ESTEVEZ — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 86
Who they work with
- ABC No Rio Partner — Collaborates as a participating organization in the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House.
- ABC No Rio Partner — Participating organization in Lower East Side History Month
- Abrons Arts Center Partner — Collaborates as a participating organization in the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House.
- Abrons Arts Center Partner — Participating organization in Lower East Side History Month
- Another Choice Youth and Family Outreach Partner — Organization where Pastor Isaac I. Scott serves as Director of Community Initiatives and leads the Confined Arts program.
- Anthology Film Archives Partner — Participating organization in Lower East Side History Month
- Art Loisaida Foundation Partner — Collaborates as a participating organization in the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House.
- Art Loisaida Foundation Partner — Participating organization in Lower East Side History Month
- Artists Alliance Inc. Partner — Collaborates as a participating organization in the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House.
- Bond Street Theatre Partner — Collaborates as a participating organization in the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House.
- Brooklyn Detention Center Partner — Engaged in weekly vigil activities in collaboration with Raul Ayala.
- Buro Happold Partner — Engineering firm providing pro bono services to FOURTH ARTS BLOCK INC
- City Councilmember Carlina Rivera Government — City Council representative supporting FOURTH ARTS BLOCK INC
- City Councilmember Margaret Chin Government — City Council representative supporting FOURTH ARTS BLOCK INC
- City Lore Partner — Participating organization in Lower East Side History Month
- Con Edison Funder — Corporate funder supporting FOURTH ARTS BLOCK INC
- Cooper Square Committee Partner — Collaborates as a participating organization in the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House.
- CultureHub Partner — Collaborates as a participating organization in the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House.
- DLR Group Partner — Architecture firm providing pro bono services to FOURTH ARTS BLOCK INC
- Dance/NYC’s New York City Dance Rehearsal Space Subsidy Program Partner — Program providing rehearsal space subsidies to artists through FOURTH ARTS BLOCK INC, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
- DanceNYC Funder — Provides partial support for additional subsidized rehearsal hours in the Studio @ 70 program.
- Deutsche Bank Funder — Corporate funder supporting FOURTH ARTS BLOCK INC
- El Museo del Barrio Partner — Collaborated with Raul Ayala on community-based art projects.
- Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) Partner — Participating organization in Lower East Side History Month
- Green Map System Partner — Collaborates as a participating organization in the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House.
- Green-Wood Cemetery Partner — Collaborated with Raul Ayala on public art installations.
- Henry Street Settlement Partner — Participating organization in Lower East Side History Month
- Humanities NY Funder — Funder supporting FOURTH ARTS BLOCK INC
- IATI Theater Partner — Collaborates as a participating organization in the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House.
- International Center of Photography Partner — Collaborates as a participating organization in the Lower East Side Arts & Culture Open House.
+ 56 more
strategies · 4
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 Equity and Anti-Displacement Strategymethodology: cultural_equityBy linking cultural space preservation to affordable housing, small business sustainability, and racial equity, the organization advances social justice and reduces displacement, because cultural erasure is understood as a driver of gentrification and community fragmentation.
- Culture as Community Infrastructuremethodology: culture-as-community-infrastructureBy preserving and growing cultural vibrancy through arts and community engagement, the organization strengthens community identity and resilience in the Lower East Side, because sustained cultural presence fosters collective belonging and resistance to displacement.
- Participatory and Co-Created Art Practicemethodology: community-engaged artBy engaging community residents—especially young artists of color—as co-creators in public art and programming, the organization ensures cultural relevance and inclusion, because community-led artistic expression strengthens representation and ownership of cultural narratives.
- Theatre of the Oppressed for Community Organizingmethodology: theatre-of-the-oppressedBy using adaptable, play-based activities rooted in Theatre of the Oppressed, the organization supports community organizers in discussing power and oppression, because embodied, participatory methods enable deeper critical reflection and collective action.