We are the Level Arts Collective, a group of artists and culture-sculptors that have come together on a mission to create a flourishing independent arts community in New York City. Over the years we’ve joined creatives from all walks of life, starting with a team called Rockella, who transformed three old factory buildings into hundreds of art and music studios in Brooklyn and Queens. Our community sprouted organically enough, but the pandemic interrupted so many natural patterns of interaction we now find that we need to be very intentional in our efforts to sustain it.
Our world is changing so rapidly it’s impossible to keep up individually. Artificial Intelligence grows exponentially with hyper-capitalist fervor, enforcing more consumption rather than problem-solving, while environmental crises threaten the very fabric of life on the planet. It’s high time for loving hearts and imaginative minds to join forces and flex the possibilities of human ingenuity and cooperation. We look to embody that through creative means, and inspire other groups to work in symbiotic local systems as well. Maybe one by one the world can learn to function in a healthy sustainable way for all.
The art-world is in transition as well, revealing a rare window of opportunity. It’s a good time to dismantle the systemic inequalities that determine not just the art market, but who gets to make art in the first place. Shifting those paradigms ultimately empowers us all; together we can weave a safety net for working artists where nobody falls through the cracks, and everyone shares the joy of art.
Artists are the visionaries we need in these times, with the courage to face the void daily and create something out of nothing. Yet, they are so often excluded from the table. Our response is to create a welcoming table of our own, with room and sustenance enough for the artists of NYC to be fed, literally and figuratively.
We will introduce this table by launching our very own Level art gallery, with a celebratory gathering to serve as a catalyst for the overall vision. This kick-off event will be the Rockella Space Art Crawl, set for May 20th and 21st of 2023 in all three locations. Tenants will host Open Studios throughout the day, with music, dance, and refreshments,, followed by the gallery opening and art exhibition, and capped off with an incredible musical line up presented by Wanderer Music. This bill features local favorites, including Diani Eshe, recently seen on Jimmy Fallon, Cleo Reed, featured in Pitchfork, indie standout Charles on TV, beat scene pioneer Thavius Beck, and Berklee School of Music grad students among others. Dancers from NYU’s Tisch are choreographing a performance for the event and art will be exhibited by Monifa Skeritt, Ethan Orchard, Sfera Louis and many more.
The event is evolving as more and more people are inspired to participate, and we expect that the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts. We invite you to join in the fun by supporting or participating in any way you feel called to. Your support will fuel not only this event but programming and events throughout the year via the Level Collective. Your contribution will help us pay the artists, pay for performance and gallery equipment, as well as promote the event.
Thank you!
