SHOWERS DIDN’T STOP OUR SHINE!
ART 360 / FORT GREENE is done and in the books! And, despite the grey day and sporadic showers, it was a fun spring ritual, enjoyed by many. See highlights from the day’s happenings here!
We’re thankful for so many merchants, organizations, artists, and neighbors who came together to make it all happen; we couldn’t have done it without you.
Thank you to babacool, The Broccoli Bar, Brooklyn Moon, DSK, Emack & Bolio’s, Greene Grape Wine, Greene Grape Provisions, Greenlight Bookstore, The Salon by Ursula Stephen, and Yours Truly Brooklyn for making your storefront windows and sidewalk seating areas available to serve as blank canvases for our artists. It’s so great to see the art still as more people get out and about in the neighborhood!
Even though the rain tried us, it didn’t stop us from setting up some really fun activities; we’re grateful to our partner organizations who stuck it out with us and welcomed the families and friends who ventured out in between showers. The American Opera Project, BRIC, Street Lab, and Urban Glass have worked with us before and always make our events special! And the addition of interactive art was a wonderful way to engage visitors; VooDo Fe´and The Art Gang and Miriam Ancis set up unique experiences that added a new dimension to our day of art.
It was our first year for a new feature at ART360º / FORT GREENE: merchant demonstrations. We were pleased to have a few FAB businesses meet and greet some neighbors while sampling or showing off a skill. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Endswell, and Polux Floriste held some great short sessions that piqued the interest of small crowds during the afternoon.
Lastly, our gratitude for the talent and time the artists executed on their individual works goes beyond words! The district has come alive with color and character, thanks to their creativity and vision; we are honored to have a few of their signatures on our storefronts for a while! Thank you to Johnny Camacho, Demetrius Felder, Liz May-Cox, Katie Merz, Jessie Novik, Sarah Tollin, Giselle Williams-Thomas and Kamila Zmrzla.
See you next spring, Fort Greene! We hope even more new merchants and businesses will join in the day of artistic discovery!
OPEN CALL!
We’ve set the date and are now planning for ART 360º / CLINTON HILL for Saturday, September 18! For this inaugural event on the Clinton Hill side of Fulton Street, we’re seeking FAB FULTON merchants who would like to participate; we need great storefront windows for artists, as well as demonstrations or sampling opportunities. Interested? Send us an email: contactus@fabfulton.org
MORE MONEY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES – GET THIS CA$H
Find out more about the New York State Business Pandemic Recovery Initiative programs—including $800 million in state funding for small businesses to help them reimagine, rebuild and renew. The site, which you can access here, details a suite of grants, tax credits, and technical assistance that is available, as well as a network of volunteer organizations and professionals who will assist you with your applications for FREE!
NYS Small Business Recovery Grants launch June 10. This program will provide grants between $5,000-$50,000 and will be calculated based on a business’s annual gross receipts for 2019. Reimbursable COVID-19 related expenses must have been incurred between March 1, 2020 and April 1, 2021. Find out more here.
Don’t miss out on this money; get help with your paperwork and the process today!
WELCOME SUMMER WITH MAKE MUSIC NEW YORK
Make Music New York, held each summer solstice on June 21st –- the longest day of the year –- is New York City’s only music festival for the people and by the people!
Now in its fifteenth year, Make Music New York is a unique day-long festival of free concerts in outside public spaces throughout the five boroughs.
We encourage restaurants, bars, cafes, and other businesses in the area to host live musical performances at their outdoor sidewalk or street locations on Monday, June 21. If you already have relationships with musicians who perform regularly for your diners, it would be great to schedule them for Make Music New York day! And if you don’t usually have music or performers and would like to find someone, check out the profiles on the MMNY site where musicians who want to participate are registering. Either way, if you’ll have live music, you can list your business as an MMNY venue for the day, and be included in their marketing and promotional campaign.
Interested and need help? Let us know ASAP! And check out more info available here. We want to bring as much music as possible to the Fulton Street area for the summer solstice!
SHOP YOUR CITY, NYC!
After much anticipation, recently Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Jonnel Doris announced a new campaign to boost consumer shopping at NYC’s treasured small businesses.
The “Shop Your City” Challenge is a citywide 30-day multi-channel marketing campaign featuring a shopper contest and a chance to win a $50 gift card to spend at their favorite neighborhood businesses. For more details including the official rules and how shoppers can win, go here.
By making a commitment to shopping small we will help keep our favorite restaurants, barbershops, and small retail stores open, aiming to support our neighborhoods that need it the most.
We have been out dropping off campaign materials in the district; when you receive yours, be sure to encourage your customers to participate and show their support for small business!
SPRING CLEAN WITH THE BROOKLYN CHAMBER
To keep up with sanitizing standards, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce has launched Operation Clean Fit – sponsored by National Grid – to bring sanitizing wipes to gyms and fitness businesses. This program is limited to independent gyms and fitness centers that are not corporately owned or managed. Franchisees can apply. To find out more, or to request wipes at your location, please email Luc Saint-Preux at the Chamber, here.
ABOUT FAB FULTON
The Fulton Area Business Alliance (FAB FULTON) is a non-profit organization that advocates for and collaborates with small businesses and property owners along Fulton Street in Brooklyn’s neighborhoods of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill to maintain a safe, clean, and welcoming community while securing resources and partnerships for initiatives that enhance and promote the district.
This post contains links to the articles and information referenced in our latest FAB BIZ BLAST email communication. You can subscribe to future newsletters; sign up here for the FAB FULTON BIZ BLAST to get the latest information and resources for FAB FULTON Businesses!
