Stefanie

This summer I had a great opportunity to work with some amazing and unique young adults.  The goal was to teach them how to crochet or possibly knit   Each Wednesday morning in the humid and sticky summer days. I’d go to Bailey’s Cafe to teach a form of Fiber Arts. I learned that it was challenging and rewarding to work with the group because of their unique personalities.  After a few sessions, we decided to make a community tapestry. Zevadiah, inspired me.  He created his contribution–a beautiful scene of women walking in the sun–from fabric scraps.   I decided to add fabric scraps into my piece as well.  Each week I looked forward to going to Bailey’s because working with the young adults was very impressive and beautiful.  We are very proud of our final product now hanging in Bailey’s Backroom Gallery.  

An exploration of home, community service and legacy.

“We Are Here” centers images and stories of long-time Bed-Stuy residents, cementing their place as neighborhood icons in the name of resilience and permanence.  It features photographs by Robyn Twomey and interviews by Monica L. Williams. We would print life size photos of each interview participant.

Robyn Twomey is an international freelance photographer, mother of two and former Bed-Stuy gentrifier. Her work has been exhibited at the Luggage Store Gallery, The Patricia Sweetow Gallery, SF Camerawork and the SF Arts Commission. Her documentary portraiture stories are her way to open our personal understanding of one another and dare a deeper human connection. 

Bailey’s Cafe presents As Quiet As It’s Kept (AQAIK), a multi-discipline performance installation based on the stories of veterans of color and their role in a changing community under the artistic direction of Monica L. Williams in collaboration with artists from various genres.

#WeAreHere #RobynTwomey #AsQuietAsItsKept #AQAIK #BaileysCafe #MAPFund #NYCCouncil #NYCDCA

We Are Here – The Photoville FENCE

An exploration of home, community service and legacy.

An excerpt from “Homeward” will be performed Veterans Day Nov. 11 featuring Greg Alvarez Reid followed by a conversation with Black male veterans. 8 PM ET Bailey’s Café YouTube Channel

Preceded by special Veterans Day set with DJ Reborn on Zoom

Since Vietnam, Rufus Jefferson has felt lost, PTSD crippling his interactions with those he loves. Everyone, including his beloved wife and best friend, think a near-death experience in war caused his recurring trauma. For most of his life he keeps secret how his white commanding officer actions resulting in Rufus’ less-than-honorable discharge traumatized him, and why he doesn’t tell anyone the truth. It’s not until his daughter convinces him to testify to his story and fight the “bad paper” symbolizing his dishonor that he finds his way home.

Anna started her acting career in Los Angeles as a member of the award winning City Garage theater company. After a quick pass through Boston’s theater scene, she made her way to NYC where she joined the Michael Chekhov Theatre Company and performed across the city in classical to contemporary plays. 

More recently, Anna has focused on producing and writing. With two other actresses, she formed Working Girls Productions, a production company dedicated to expanding works for female actresses by presenting women in roles written for men. With another actor colleague, Anna formed Lamb Pond Productions to produce a show as a fundraiser to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Anna is grateful to be part of AQAIK, and couldn’t have written Homeward without the creative guidance and support of Monica Williams. In addition to Homeward, Anna is working on a novel, and another play focused on race justice issues.

Performer: Greg Alverez Reid can be seen in the upcoming HBO Special Event BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME. He recently appeared In the HBO Documentary: “The Apollo”. His theatre credits consist of Off-Broadway, numerous Regional Theatre and renowned Arts Centers like the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in his native Washington, DC. Notable performances include FENCES directed by Phylicia Rashad and the inaugural stage productions of BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME directed by Kamilah Forbes. Greg has collaborated with some amazing arts organizations like Hi-Arts, NAACP Hollywood Bureau, Sundance Theatre Lab, KCTYA and FOTD@HU and helped to produce content for HBO, VH1, One Foot Productions, Seachange Entertainment, MTV, Logo and NBC. He is a proud graduate of the Illustrious Howard University and the British American Drama Academy at Oxford University.

Guest Veteran: Retired Pvt. Herbert Sweat, RA12764315. U.S. Army 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Vietnam 1967-68. Airborne Combat Infantry Badge.

Guest Veteran: Retired Pvt. Roger Omar Salaam. U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division 3/306 Infantry. Phan Thiết, Vietnam.

Bailey’s Cafe presents As Quiet As It’s Kept (AQAIK), a multi-discipline performance installation based on the stories of veterans of color and their role in a changing community under the artistic direction of Monica L. Williams in collaboration with artists from various genres.

#Homeward #APlayInTwoActs #AnnaPond #AsQuietAsItsKept #AQAIK #BaileysCafe #MAPFund #NYCCouncil #NYCDCA

An exploration of home, community service and legacy.

Our story travels through time and space. We meet Jake on a stoop in Bed-Stuy. He owns the block, and everybody knows that. He recounts his life, his experiences, and the impact of gentrification without ever naming it. 

This installation seeks to answer: What happens when you are forced to leave your home? Is it possible to heal the feeling of displacement? What happens when people invade the place you call home and life continues around you?

Installation Artist: Zoë Flowers entered the gender-based violence movement in 2000. She’s spoken nationally and internationally, worked at several domestic violence coalitions and at a national women of color organization for the past ten. In 2004, Zoë interviewed other survivors about their experiences with domestic/sexual violence. From Ashes to Angel’s Dust: A Journey Through Womanhood is the book that emerged. ASHES – is a play adapted from stories chronicled in the book and has had many successful performances including; Yale University’s Fearless Conference, The White House’s United State of Women Summit in 2016, National Coalition against Domestic Violence’s National Conference, Smith College, and Brown University. Zoë currently facilitates healing sessions, retreats, and workshops across the globe as the Founder of Soul Requirements, Inc., a healing centered consulting business merging art and holistic healing. 

Performer: Sherri Pullum is a producer, director, writer, teaching artist, and versatile actress with stage, TV, film, and national commercial credits.  Sherri founded Pullum Productions to create, develop and produce content, live events and workshops that elevate, educate and entertain through the power of stories, authentic conversation and transformative experiences.  Sherri is the creator, executive producer, and lead actress in CHERRI RED SWEET ESCAPE TV series pilot, represented by BYSB Talent Agency, and the creator and host of DREAMERS UNITE talk show on YouTube.  Sherri is the co-writer, dramaturge, and one of the four actresses of the nationally toured play, Ashes in which she, along with Zoë Flowers, received an artist fellowship from Brown University.  She wrote and performed in a one woman show, Turning Scars into Stars, sharing intergenerational stories of women cancer survivors, and wrote and directed her first musical, Shine, spotlighting black men healing from emotional trauma.  She’s a proud mom too!

Bailey’s Cafe presents As Quiet As It’s Kept (AQAIK), a multi-discipline performance installation based on the stories of veterans of color and their role in a changing community under the artistic direction of Monica L. Williams in collaboration with artists from various genres.

#DisplacedJakesHome #ZoëFlowers #AsQuietAsItsKept #AQAIK #BaileysCafe #MAPFund #NYCCouncil #NYCDCA

An exploration of home, community service and legacy.

Michael Hill is a songwriter, singer and guitarist whose music has always centered upon telling stories. He has recorded seven albums of his Original New York-Style Blues and with his band Michael Hill’s Blues Mob has shared his wide-ranging stories with audiences in over 30 countries. Michael is excited to again contribute, in partnership with his brother and lifelong collaborator and accomplice, multi-instrumentalist/composer Kevin Hill, to Bailey’s Cafe’s project As Quiet As It’s Kept.

“Crooklyn Soundshots” is the second of a projected trilogy of song cycles that will each seek to convey some of the feelings, experiences and ideas of an amazing citizen of Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Their humor, passion, struggles and humanity will be spotlighted in succinct musical snapshots in the  way that can only be done by music

Kevin Hill, a native of The Bronx, NY, has been studying bass guitar for fifty one of his sixty one years. His early influences were virtually curated by the extraordinary vision of his big brother Michael, with whom he shared a room, thus lending an eclectic and inclusive palette to his playing.  Mike and Kev have been collaborators and co-conspirators from the very beginning and this project offers a wonderful opportunity to extend the breadth of their work. In addition to bass, Kevin adds keyboards, orchestration, composition, programming, production and engineering to the team.

Bailey’s Cafe presents As Quiet As It’s Kept (AQAIK), a multi-discipline performance installation based on the stories of veterans of color and their role in a changing community under the artistic direction of Monica L. Williams in collaboration with artists from various genres.

#CrooklynSoundshots #MichaelHill #AsQuietAsItsKept #AQAIK #BaileysCafe #MAPFund #NYCCouncil #NYCDCA

An exploration of home, community service and legacy.

Curated and mixed by DJ Reborn the AQAIK sound collage combines audio interview snippets from resilient Bed Stuy veterans weaved with eclectic music spanning the last four decades to tell the sonic story of life after military duty in a rapidly changing world and neighborhood.

Sound Designer: DJ Reborn is a trailblazing, international DJ, sound collage artist, hip hop theater musical director and arts educator. She has spent the last two decades utilizing her passion for music and her skills as a DJ within these worlds to make an impact. Reborn has a myriad of impressive accomplishments including her time as a DJ/creative writing mentor for teen girls at Urban Word NYC, DJ instructor and curriculum designer for Dubspot and currently as a mentor at The Lower Eastside Girl’s Club.

Bailey’s Cafe presents As Quiet As It’s Kept (AQAIK), a multi-discipline performance installation based on the stories of veterans of color and their role in a changing community under the artistic direction of Monica L. Williams in collaboration with artists from various genres.

#WeMadeIt #ABedStuySonicExchange #DJReborn #AsQuietAsItsKept #AQAIK #BaileysCafe #MAPFund #NYCCouncil #NYCDCA

An exploration of home, community service and legacy.

“Losing Forward.” will premiere on the Bailey’s Café YouTube channel TUES. OCT. 20

This dance film explores the various facets within the 7 Stages of Grief after a soldier who goes off to war doesn’t come back home. The audience witnesses the soldier struggle with his mortality and how to cope with it. However, this story is not his alone. The grief explored throughout this work is dedicated to humanity during this time of seeming loss: loss of loved ones, loss of independence, loss of autonomy and loss of self. However, within this loss, if one can continue to move forward through the grieving process and not get stuck, an abundance of life can be discovered.

See the trailer for “Losing Forward.” below.

Choreographer: Kadeem Alston-Roman is a choreographer, teacher and holistic wellness practitioner. As a choreographer he has choreographed over 35 dance works in a variety of genres, with his work being showcased Off-Broadway and being nominated for an AUDELCO Award. As a teacher he has taught at various institutions that include Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theater and Brooklyn Friends School. As a holistic wellness practitioner with training and certifications in aromatherapy, hypnotherapy and energy healing, he has worked with various populations including those at Google, NYU and Presbyterian Hospital. 

Dancer: Brooklyn-born Kasiem Aboti Walter (aka DuhPeshKey) uses the circumstances of his birth—born to two deaf parents—to create interpretive dance and storytelling styled music using American Sign Language.  DuhPeshKey means “the key to the dispatchment of entertainment.” A name that describes perfectly his goal to bridge the gap between the deaf and the hearing and create an inclusive, vibrant, unique performance.  http://letsshoottv.com/

Videographer: Born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Olivier Kay relocated to the States in December 2004. After earning a degree in Computer Information Systems at SUNY Fredonia, he discovered that he has a passion for photography which quickly grew to include videography.  In 2019, Oliver established his own video and photography company OKAY Motion,(https://www.facebook.com/okaymotionbiz/ ) where he uses his talent to capture memories for weddings, graduations, birthday parties, music videos and much more.

Bailey’s Cafe presents As Quiet As It’s Kept (AQAIK), a multi-discipline performance installation based on the stories of veterans of color and their role in a changing community under the artistic direction of Monica L. Williams in collaboration with artists from various genres.

#LosingForward. #KadeemAlstonRoman #AsQuietAsItsKept #AQAIK #BaileysCafe #MAPFund #NYCCouncil #NYCDCA

The Project : an Update Fall 2021

 To Our Esteemed Gardeners: 
  
 Over the last year, we have continued to realize our vision for 7NMS studios and our Satellite Residencies. In response to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve remained nimble and continue to shift and pivot as all of our lives were forever changed.
  
 Your generous investment in our vision facilitated our official opening of both 
ASIS and Saturn studios at our home campus in Pasadena last November. As a result, over the past year, we have supported: 
 -          Prophet Creative Residencies through: Abrons Arts Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Kelly Strayhorn Theatre, Lawrence University, and The Yard; 
 -          7NMS Teaching Residencies with: Lehman College, The Peabody Institute of The John Hopkins University, and the University of Southern California;
 -           and, most recently, Jaamil Olawale Kosoko for development on his new work, Chameleon, in April 2021.     
  
 Shortly after Jaamil’s residency, Saturn’s structure was compromised due to weather damage. 
  
  


 We need your support to rebuild! We now must raise $5,000 to rebuild a weather-resistant roof to protect this new creative space. In collaboration with Forte Construction Services, we are drafting a blueprint to meet the evolving needs of the space (see reference pictures below):
  
               
   
  
  
 For those able to donate $1,000 or more to this rebuilding effort, we will honor your investment by adding a gold “ring” plaque, with your name inscribed, to the raised foundation of the studio.

Make a tax deductible donation here: http://igfn.us/form/kllvIA

 Our vision for this space remains committed to supporting multidisciplinary artists with access to a movement incubator, small stage with outdoor seating for both virtual and in-person showings of work in process, and on-site living accommodations.
  
 We are grateful to you for your continued support of our vision for 7NMS. 
  
 
Sincerely, 
  
 Marjani & Everett
 7NMS
   

A Note about The Collaboration of Marjani & Everett Saunders

The work centers composer Everett Saunders narratives, references, and sonic impulses as an Emcee and Sound designer to examine and exalt the lives of Hip Hop architects and Emcees. Everett is one of his names, yet as “Mental” he is also an Emcee. Marjani is serving as a choreographer and director in the project. This is an ongoing collaboration, that marks our eighth collaboration, with Everett serving as Composer and Sound Designer on all of Marjani’s choreographic works, dating back to Marjani’s first mainstage presentation of EGO, as part of Dance Theatre Workshop’s Fresh Tracks Performance Series and Artist Residency.

For Marjani’s trilogy of works examining the intersections mental illness, addiction, and systemic oppression, Everett received a New Music USA Grant to develop a 3-Dimensional aural experience for audiences during the performance. He continued this journey for a Sound Installation paired with video, at MoCADA Museum during Marjani’s Curatorial Residency and Exhibit “being Here… In Memory”. Our last work Memoirs of a… Unicorn received two NY Dance and Performance/Bessie Awards for Outstanding Production and Outstanding Visual Design. Inspired by the contemporary presence of friends and mentors, Okwui Okpokwasili and Peter Born, 7 Names is our public emergence as a collaborative team, with both artists working at the visioning helm of this project. 

Bailey’s Café (www.baileyscafe.org), a Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn based non-profit is honored to serve as the fiscal sponsor for PROPHET and 7MNS. All donations to Bailey’s Café (501c3) are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

Please join us at our Fifth Annual Fundraiser 
An Intimate Salon Hosted by Bailey’s Board of Directors 

Featuring: Michael Hill’s Blues Mob, 
 Kevin Hill,  Tony Lewis and Michael Hill 
(NY Blues Hall of Fame Master Blues Artist)
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of their 
Acclaimed Debut Album "Bloodlines"
with Special Guests: Wynette & Kathy Hill and Roger Byam

Opening Concert: Marvin Dolly, Guitar and Dequon Dolly, Bass 

Thursday, October 10th, 2019 7 PM to 9:30 PM 
At the Tribeca Home of Long-Time Bailey’s Friends and Supporters 
The Shafer’s 35 North Moore Street, apt. 6C, NYC

Purchase Tickets Here

Another Way to Support Bailey's 
Check Out the Special One-of-a-Kind Items and Experiences at
Our Online Auction
https://www.32auctions.com/baileys2019
Opens September 30th; Closes November 14th 

Redesigning communities: An exploration of mending and reuse of textile waste through creative and collaborative community activities

From January through April 27, 2019, an intergenerational gathering of Bailey’s Café community members co-created with Donna Maione, Sustainable Design Consultant and Professor of Sustainable Systems at Parsons School of Design, The New School and her team of interns to deepen our understanding of textile waste and ways to upcycle and recycle clothing and textiles. Professor Maione was awarded a small grant from the Tish Environment and Design Center to engage community to co-create a zero waste textile project. Donna worked in the fashion industry for 25 years and has an extensive knowledge in construction and textile knowledge. She is interested in guiding the exploration of waste as a resource through a lens of social and environmental justice.

We met twice per month, learning about the issue of textile waste which makes up 85% of our landfill; volunteered with FabScrap, a nonprofit in Brooklyn that recycles textiles collected from New York’s Fashion Industry, where we sorted textile samples and shopped for fabric to use in our projects in their resale store; learned about Rachel Cohen’s Common Thread Project’s work with victims of trauma to heal as they tell their story through textile art; some of us used a sewing machine for the first time and learned about visible mending. Eileen Fisher donated recycled clothing from their Lab Store, which we used to recycle and upcycle into pillows, quilts and new outfit!

Bailey’s now has four sewing machines and we would love to embark on another zero waste project with the community. If you are interested in participating and/or learning more contact Stefanie at [email protected]