STooPs Bed-Stuy Announces 2024 Theme: Legends & Legacies

11th Annual STooPS Arts Crawl and Block Party Celebrate the Rich Cultural Tapestry of the Bed-Stuy Community

NEW YORK , NY, US, May 24, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- STooPS Bed-Stuy, a one-of-a-kind immersive experience and annual celebration of creativity in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, returns for the 11th year. The 2024 theme: Legends & Legacies, pays homage to the legendary figures and enduring legacies that shape our vibrant community. STooPS’ Art Crawl transforms the block, reimagining a traditional stage for immersive art on stoops and community spaces. The all-ages, family-friendly event will be held on Saturday, July 27, 2024, with a block party from 1:00 P.M to 7:00 P.M., and two guided Arts Crawls at 1:30 and 4:30 P.M. The event features dance, music, spoken word, theater, visual art, workshops, and more.

Once the largest black communities in New York City, Bed-Stuy’s demographics have drastically shifted in the past decade. As a key Bed-Stuy cultural organization, STooPS bridges the gap between the “then” and “now”– fostering meaningful interactions between neighbors, artists, and organizations and preserving the neighborhood’s unmistakable identity and legacy. Bed-Stuy played a prominent role in the civil rights movement with activists Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey making the neighborhood their home. Other notable legends of the neighborhood include The Notorious B.I.G, Spike Lee, actor Rosie Perez, and poet and novelist Marianne Moore.

“STooPS is a living legacy–the bridge that connects the artists, movements, organizations, and neighbors who transformed Bed-Stuy into a Black Cultural Hub with the new artists, residents and visitors in order to forge the future of this neighborhood and black culture,” says STooPS Founder/Director Kendra J. Bostock. “For our Annual Summer Festival 2024 we honor the national and hyperlocal hero/sheros and imagine and inspire their posterity with our theme Bed-Stuy: Legends and Legacies.“

Headlined by STooPS Founder Kendra J. Bostock, the 11th Annual STooPS Arts Crawl will feature a diverse lineup of BedStuy artists including: Visual Artists Ovila Lemon (Mūt’ Sun), and Bridges: Pan-Afrikan ARTS Experience, who will run the Kiddie Corner; Musicians DJ Toni B, and Amma Whatt; Poets Keys Will and Kai Diata Giovanni; and Storyteller Christine Sloan Stoddard.

Dylan House, Director of Public Programs at Brooklyn Children's Museum says, “STooPS programs celebrate local artistic voices woven together with stories from the broader African diaspora to create a meaningful and fun experience.”

The 11th Annual STooPS Arts Crawl partners include 200 Decatur St. Stuyvesant Ave. Block Association, St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, and Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church.

PERFORMANCE LINE UP
Kendra J. Bostock (Dancer/Choreographer)
DJ Toni B (STooPS Art Crawl DJ)
Ovila Lemon (Mūt’ Sun) (Visual Artist)
Christine Sloan Stoddard (Storyteller)
Aaliyah Maya (Textile Artist)
Keys Will (Poet)
Zardon Za’ (Music)
Kai Diata Giovanni (Youth Poet)
Amma Whatt (Singer/songwriter)
Bst Friend (Music)
Akika Flower Essence/Renee Kimberly Smith (Healing)
Bridges: A Pan Afrikan ARTS Movement (Multi-disciplinary Kids Art)


EVENT DETAILS
The 11th Annual STooPS BedStuy Art Crawl will be held on Saturday, July 27, 2024. The block party is from 1:00 P.M to 7:00 P.M., with guided Arts Crawl taking place at 1:30 and 4:30 P.M. This event is FREE to the public. Participants are encouraged to pre-register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stoops-2024-summer-festival-tickets-868493135347?aff=oddtdtcreator

For performance locations and a full roster of participating artists, visit stoopsbedstuy.org.

VENUE DETAILS
Attendees should check in at Stuyvesant Ave. and Decatur St.. The STooPS Arts Crawl and block party are accessible by the A/C train.

ABOUT STOOPS BED-STUY
STooPS Bed-Stuy is a tangible way to unite artists, new residents, businesses, and those deeply invested in the neighborhood such as homeowners and community organizations. Since its inception in 2013, STooPS has transformed stoops, storefronts, yards, and sidewalks into vibrant, unconventional stages for interactive art and performances during it’s Bed-Stuy Annual Art Crawl. The event celebrates the rich culture, art, and history of the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, while fostering meaningful connections and strengthening relationships. STooPS Bed-Stuy focuses on art as a means to promote community engagement, inclusivity, and appreciation for the unique charm and historic significance of the neighborhood's stoops as gathering spaces. Each year, the event features a thought-provoking theme and offers family-friendly activities, ensuring a memorable experience for all attendees.

ABOUT KENDRA J. BOSTOCK
Recognized by Brooklyn Arts Council’s “5 Black Artists to Know,” STooPS Founder Kendra J. Bostock is a dancer, choreographer, teaching artist, arts administrator, and community organizer from Detroit. MI. Kendra was recognized as a 2017 Artist in Residence at Brooklyn Studios for Dance, 2018 BAX Space Grantee, 2018 Visiting Artist at Atlantic Center for the Arts, 2019/2020 Artist in Residence at Bates College, 2020/2021 Resident Artist of The Neighborhood Project through 651 Arts, and 2022 BedStuy Create Change Artist in Residence with The Laundromat Project for her project the Sankofa Residency. She is currently a Jerome Hill Artist fellow and facilitator for Urban Bush Women’s Builders, Organizers, and Leaders through dance (B.O.L.D) network.

Amber Henrie
In The Lights
+1 917-270-0550
amber@inthelights.net