named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Spoke the Hub Re:Creation Center
ADA-compliant community arts facility offering dance and performance spaces, classes, and rental opportunities for artists and teaching professionals.
WHEELHOUSE Productions
Monthly mixed showcase for performing, word, and cinematic artists to present new or in-progress work; supports fundraising and provides exposure for emerging creators.
Winter Follies
Annual marathon showcase featuring over two dozen artists; audience selects a "People’s Choice" winner who receives rehearsal space and a full production the following year.
Works on the Wall (WOW) Exhibit Series
Ongoing exhibition series in the Re:Creation Center’s foyer and studio, showcasing visual art by local painters, photographers, printmakers, and multimedia artists.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 2 activities
- Offer fiscal sponsorship for artistsProvides fiscal sponsorship to individual artists and collectives, enabling them to fundraise through the organization’s nonprofit status during WHEELHOUSE showcase events.
- Support artist development through residencies and awardsProvides weeklong artist residencies that include free rehearsal space, a free all-ages movement workshop, and a public sharing of work-in-progress. Awards the Winter Follies People’s Choice winner 50 hours of free rehearsal space and a full weekend production in the WHEELHOUSE. Selects 4–6 artists from Winter Follies for additional performance opportunities in WHEELHOUSE based on artistic merit.
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Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
- Facilitate community engagement and information sharingMaintains a community bulletin board and produces a monthly e-newsletter featuring community announcements. Collaborates with local public schools, educational institutions, and civic organizations on community arts initiatives.
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Live Music Performances & Concerts 1 activity
- Host public performances and artist showcasesProduces and hosts performance events including WHEELHOUSE, DIRECTOR’S CHOICE, Winter Follies, The Outback Series, Kids Outback, Mentors Outback, The Groundhog Performance Series, The Gowanus Guest Room, and a monthly dance and performance showcase at Morton Library. These events feature original work by emerging, established, and traditional artists across disciplines, with some performances curated from participants in annual showcases.
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
- Host visual art exhibitionsOperates a gallery space and hosts the “Works on the Wall” (WOW) Exhibit Series, providing exhibition opportunities for local visual artists in an ADA-compliant community arts venue.
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Original Dance Performance Production 1 activity
- Produce original interdisciplinary folk/dance/theater worksCreates and produces over one hundred original interdisciplinary works combining folk, dance, and theater, incorporating both trained and untrained dancers of all ages.
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Ballet and Dance Education Programs 1 activity
- Provide arts education and movement classes for all agesOffers a wide range of dance, fitness, music, theater, martial arts, and art classes for individuals from infants to seniors, taught by over a dozen independent teaching artists and master instructors. Classes include Ballet, Hip Hop, Modern, Ballroom, Latin, Swing, Indian dance, CardioDance, Pump, Stretch, yoga, T’ai chi, qigong, and Uke Group sessions, with offerings for children as young as 1.5 years and multi-arts summer camps.
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Performing Arts Venue Rental 1 activity
- Provide studio space rentals for creative and community useOffers two fully equipped, ADA-compliant studio spaces in a 14,800 square foot renovated industrial building for rent to artists, teaching artists, families, and community members for rehearsals, classes, events, creation, and social or celebratory activities. Spaces are available for rental through an online form and include an upstairs studio (17' x 38') and a downstairs studio (15' x 25').
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$135K
Contributions & grants$7K6%
Program service revenue$127K94%
Investment income$280%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$151K
Program expenses75%
Admin / overhead23%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out—
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$42K
Cash$12K
Investments$0
Liabilities$182K
Net assets$-150K
Liquid reserves0.9 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +9.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elise Long | Executive Dir. | 40 | $659 |
board members · 1
- Jean Grassman — Trustee
relationships · 44
Who they work with
- 5th Avenue Business Improvement District Partner — Partnered on local cultural and community programs.
- Agnes Borinsky Partner — Featured performer and People’s Choice Artist in Winter Follies; presented work in STH productions.
- BRIDGET CRONIN Partner — Performs at Spoke the Hub events such as DIRECTOR’S CHOICE ’25.
- Bharatha Pennsweran School of Indian Dance Partner — Hosted as a resident arts organization providing cultural dance instruction.
- Brooklyn Botanical Gardens Partner — Partnered on cultural programming and community events.
- Brooklyn Community Housing Services Partner — Collaborated on community arts and civic engagement initiatives.
- Brooklyn Grange Funder — Provided grant funding through the Environmental Protection Agency for the Gowanus Sky Farm project.
- Dance Connection NYC Partner — Offers ballroom, Latin, and swing dance instruction including group and private lessons.
- Dance Theatre of the Deaf Partner — Hosted and supported as a resident performing group.
- Dr. Jonathan Stewart Partner — Co-owner of the Gowanus Arts Building and collaborator on redevelopment efforts.
- Dr. Mary Ann Banerji Partner — Co-owner of the Gowanus Arts Building and collaborator on redevelopment efforts.
- EMILY MCMANUS & FRIENDS Partner — Performs at Spoke the Hub events such as DIRECTOR’S CHOICE ’25.
- Facebook Partner — Platform for outreach and community engagement
- Fountain House Partner — Collaborated on arts initiatives serving community members.
- Garden of Union Partner — Partnered on community arts and green space programming.
- Gateway Partner — Provided rehearsal and performance space for this NeuroDiverse adult dance group.
- Gowanus Dredgers Partner — Partnered on local civic and cultural events.
- Gracedrums Partner — Provided rehearsal and performance space for this drumming ensemble.
- Groundswell Partner — Collaborated on community-based arts initiatives.
- InterServer Government — Web hosting provider listed in website footer
- Kelly Hayes ' GOWANUS GARDENS Partner — Featured partner whose bar advertisement serves as an example for other local businesses interested in advertising with Spoke the Hub Dancing Inc.
- Kyokushin Jutsu Kai Partner — Hosted as a karate dojo within Spoke the Hub facilities.
- Laurie Shayler/Dance Connection Partner — Provided space and support for ballroom dance instruction and programming.
- Maracatu Brazilian Drummers Partner — Hosted as a resident performance group.
- Marcia Bricker Halperin Partner — Collaborates on event programming, including the “Kibitz & Nosh” book launch hosted at Spoke the Hub Dancing.
- Methodist Hospital Partner — Collaborated on arts programming in healthcare or community settings.
- Morton Library Partner — Collaborates on dance and performance residencies, workshops, and public showcases in Rhinecliff, NY.
- NeuroMotif Partner — Hosts a weekly Uke Group session at the venue.
- NeuroMotif Music Therapists Partner — Rents office space at the Spoke the Hub Re:Creation Center on Union Street.
- Neuromotif Music Therapists Partner — Provided space and collaboration opportunities for music therapy practitioners.
+ 14 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.
- Creative Arts for Well-Beingmethodology: creative_arts_for_wellnessBy engaging individuals in creative arts study, contemplation, and practice, the organization nurtures mental and physical well-being, strengthens community, and deepens understanding of self and world, because artistic expression is inherently therapeutic and connective.
- Inclusive, Intergenerational Performance Practicemethodology: inclusive_performance_practiceBy integrating trained and untrained dancers of all ages into original performance works, the organization creates participatory artistic experiences that build community cohesion and empower diverse voices, because inclusive creation processes democratize art-making and deepen audience-performer connection.
- Integrated Community Arts Hubmethodology: integrated_community-hubBy co-locating diverse artistic activities, wellness programming, and community events in a single accessible space—particularly through adaptive reuse of residential buildings—the organization fosters connection, collaboration, and inclusive participation, because shared physical spaces lower barriers to engagement and nurture sustained community integration.
- Work-Exchange for Equitable Accessmethodology: work_exchangeBy offering flexible work-exchange arrangements, the organization ensures affordability and inclusivity in program participation, because removing financial barriers through mutual contribution sustains access while fostering ownership and reciprocity within the community.