Center for Arts and Culture
The Center for the Arts & Culture at St. John the Baptist
The talented community youth and adults of the Vincentian parish of St. John the Baptist, in the heart of Brooklyn's poorest area, are exploring expression through the arts, while celebrating the beauty, and diversity of their many cultures.
The Center for the Arts & Culture at St. John the Baptist (CAC@SJB) is a non-profit, holistic, community-based, arts program located at historic St. John the Baptist Church in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn (the original site of St. John's College, which is now St. John's University, with campuses in Queens, Staten Island, and Manhattan in New York). The Mission of CAC@SJB is to foster public awareness, appreciation, and understanding of art as an effective tool that assists in the growth, and empowerment of Afro/Latino (youth and adult) community residents, as well as to enrich the quality of life within the community through the celebration of art, culture, and community activism.
Underneath the umbrella of St. John's Center for Human Development, CAC@SJB opened its doors to the community in April 2002 for the purpose of providing a space where artists, and community residents can interact with one another by utilizing the many forms of art as a means for learing, teaching, collaborating, and sharing their gifts. The Center is a multi-purpose space for art, thought, and activism where innovative art exhibitions, performances, presentations, spoken word/poetry events, and educational activities are offered to the community mostly free of charge. In this way, CAC@SJB gives life to a dream long-held by many community residents and artists: to have a central location out of which they could collaborate, share resources, develop their skills, display their talent, teach, and mentor the young, as well as the young at heart.
With over 20 years of learning about the charism of St. Vincent as a member of St. John the Baptist parish, the Director of CAC@SJB is Vincentian family, and community artist, Glenn Angel Echevarria. He has been guiding the Center's vision, and mission for the past 3 years, along with the assistance of a number of dedicated, community resident volunteers. The purpose being to provide an open, artistic, and cultural venue for the talented youth and adults of this underserved community, thus putting to practice the very Vincentian charism that he has learned. We congratulate Glenn and his fellow volunteers on their creative ministry. We ask the Lord to bless their continued efforts, and for Vincent to help guide their important work. We also encourage you to support CAC@SJB in any way you can, and take time to visit their Center whenever they have a special event or presentation that's being offered to the community. Their doors are open for all guests. Be assured, you will not be disappointed. May God bless you all.
Visit CAC@SJB's website for more info, accounts, and pictures of their activities at http://cacsjb.blogspot.comYou can also contact Mr. Glenn Angel Echevarria at the Center's office - (718)455-6864 ext.152, or via e-mail at CACSJB@yahoo.com
