NEWS FROM JUST BUFFALO LITERARY CENTER Opening Doors and Possibilities Through the Just Buffalo Writing Center
SPRING 2017
LIT CITY Banners Invite Widespread Pride
As a Just Buffalo supporter, you know that books change lives, that reading is essential to democracy, that books unlock our imaginations and give us the tools to be free thinkers and fresh innovators. If you sometimes feel that not enough people understand those core values, have no fear! Just Buffalo’s newest public art and engagement initiative LIT CITY is helping raise awareness of how important literature is to Western New York.
Thanks to the support of you, our donors, something extraordinary has been created for the young people in our community: a place that turns their words into crowbars, opening up doors and possibilities. The Just Buffalo Writing Center (JBWC) was developed with our mission as its rallying cry: to create and strengthen communities through the literary arts. The results have been epic. Week after week, young writers learn how to find community and engage with the world through the art of writing and the love of reading. Whether through poetry, comics, songwriting, spoken word, or the intersection of writing and activism, we want every young person who walks up our stairs to discover their literary potential. As one parent said: My son has been attending the twice-weekly workshops at the JBWC for the past three years and it has given him a place to grow as a thinker, a writer, and a citizen. By bringing together distinguished and emerging authors with our city’s young people to share their wisdom and inspiration, the JBWC inspires our kids to believe that their creative energies can change the world. Continued on page 3
“The City of Buffalo has an extraordinary literary history and legacy, is home to one of the country’s top literary centers, and has an active and growing literary community.” —Mayor Byron Brown For more than a century, Western New York has been home to some of the most significant and innovative writers in the world. On June 7, 2016, Mayor Byron Brown designated Washington Street, beginning at Central Library and continuing past Just Buffalo Literary Center and the Western New York Book Arts Center to the Innovation Center at Virginia Street, as the new Literary Corridor of Buffalo. Along this literary corridor, visitors can now find LIT CITY banners bearing the names and faces of some of the visionary writers who shaped this city as a literary landmark. More than 12 partners have been involved in this effort and LIT CITY invites the entire community to share in feeling proud and becoming involved. We encourage everyone to come see the LIT CITY banners in person, visit any of the literary destinations along Washington Street, and go to our website www.justbuffalo.org to learn more about these impressive poets, novelists, and playwrights. Stay tuned for much more in the year ahead.
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As BABEL Turns 10 Audiences Continue to Astonish This year marked the 10th anniversary of Just Buffalo’s BABEL series. Through your support, BABEL has brought 40 of the world’s greatest writers here to Western New York and, in the process, has put Buffalo on the map. One of the great secrets of BABEL is the impact the series has on the visiting authors. When they first arrive, and artistic director Barbara Cole drives them around the city, they are certainly friendly and gracious. But once they meet the BABEL audience, their attitudes completely change. Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one great example. Her career exploded when Beyoncé incorporated Adichie’s TED talk ,“We should all be feminists,” into one of her videos, catapulting Adichie into a totally different level of fame for a novelist: speaking in front of the Queen of England; receiving an Artist of the Year award from MTV; traveling all over the world as so many of our authors travel throughout not only North America and Europe but Asia and Australia. When Ms. Adichie arrived, it was clear that Buffalo was not exactly on her bucket list of top destinations. However, later that evening, as she came off of the stage of Kleinhans following her BABEL appearance, she turned to Barbara Cole and confided: “I have to confess that I wasn’t excited to come here. But,” she explained, “I was so wrong. I had no idea how wonderful the people of Buffalo are, how much they care about books and ideas.” That moment of the author coming off stage, amazed, gets replayed time and time again. There’s a good reason why every single author is astonished: the extraordinary audience. Major cities like New York or San Francisco promise audiences of a few hundred people. BABEL audiences regularly bring out 1,000 or more enthusiastic readers. Authors tell us again and again that the Buffalo BABEL audience is among the best in the world. Our BABEL10 Tote is American-made and environmentally-friendly. It features the 40 writers that have come through Buffalo during the past ten years of our acclaimed BABEL series. Show off your love of literature, look stylish, and reduce your use of plastic bags. 2
Available at www.justbuffalo.org
We hope that you will join us in spreading the excitement around the BABEL series. We invite you today, as our special friends, to be our ambassadors and bring the passion for BABEL to your fellow book lovers. Help us make 2017-2018 the best BABEL Season yet!
A Momentous Year This has been a momentous year for Just Buffalo Literary Center. With your support, we’ve been celebrating our 40th anniversary—honoring Western New York’s extraordinary literary legacy, as well as looking ahead to the future as tomorrow’s great writers are being developed through our work with teens at the Just Buffalo Writing Center. It’s quite remarkable that what started as a poetry series in the Allentown Community Center has grown into one of the top literary centers in the country. So much has been accomplished and there is more yet to do. We are now in the final and most challenging push of JB40—a comprehensive 3-year campaign honoring our 40th Anniversary with a $1M goal designed to enable Just Buffalo to make its strongest possible contribution to Buffalo and Western New York’s future. The JB40 Campaign has enabled Just Buffalo to successfully launch the Just Buffalo Writing Center, an entirely new program dedicated to developing the talents of our community’s next generation of young writers. Now it must be sustained. “When I first came to the Just Buffalo Writing Center, I knew that I was passionate about reading and writing. However, the JBWC took that passion to new heights. I have been able to also make a difference in others who may have not found their voice yet. The Just Buffalo Writing Center has given me the gift of a lifetime; it helped shaped me as a young writer.” –Sol Estrada (one of the first students to come to the JBWC when it opened, now inspiring new students who are just beginning)
The Campaign is within $100,000 of reaching its goal. Every gift is significant, whether your first donation, a special additional gift, a gift of stock, a one-time contribution or a multi-year commitment. You will help the JBWC serve more students in the year ahead. We invite you to make a contribution today to support this work to its full potential.
Opening Doors and Possibilities Through the Just Buffalo Writing Center Continued from page 1 This amazing growth is not possible without a sense of community and trust. While many of the young writers who come to the JBWC are loved and carefree, for some, the center is a safe space free from racial/sexual/gender discrimination, difficult home situations, or bullying. All who pick up a pen and write can speak without fear of judgment. As one participant, Hemingway, says: “Before the JBWC, I didn’t know who I was or even what to do with myself. I didn’t talk to anyone. I didn’t know what to make of it all...I talk now, probably way too much. I don’t just know what to make of it all, I know that I can make it all.” These days you’ll find JBWC young writers sharing their literary creations at open mics and poetry slams and on soapboxes at street corners. They’re voicing their concerns through creative language to support other local non-profits and community-building efforts, from climate justice rallies to Black Lives Matter events. They’ve even spoken at the Erie County Legislature Cultural Funding Public Hearing, urging continued support for the literary arts. In their speech they declared, “Before coming to the center, our writing was only ours. Now, we acknowledge our writing is an ever-changing product of society, influenced by every interaction we have had, and we, along with our peers, now acknowledge that our voices are important in the world’s ever-going conversation.” The JBWC aids emerging writers (ages 12-18) in the cultivation of their writing skills. We are dedicated to the empowerment of young voices, providing access to free creative writing workshops, literary events, and one-on-one assistance with individual writing projects. The JBWC is open year-round, each Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-6:00pm, as well as every other Wednesday. For our full schedule of workshops, visit www.justbuffalo.org.
2016–2017
PROGRAM FACTS:
190,256
Community members were reached through all programs and activities
21,400
Served with news and information through website, social media, and e-newsletter
7,575
Adults and students attended literary events including BABEL
1,860
Students attended free writing workshops, open mics, meet-the-author events and in-school programs
125
Writers and artists participated in literary programs and events
86
Readings and literary events were held
19
Major feature stories in local and national publications helped tell the JB Story
We’re very proud of the recognition received this year. Locally, both Buffalo Spree and The Public featured retrospective articles on our first 40 years. And, on a national scale, the National Poetry Foundation, Publishers Weekly, and Poets & Writers magazine shone a spotlight on our work, announcing to book lovers all over the country that Buffalo is not only the city of good neighbors but also a city of great readers & writers. 3
ANNUAL REPORT STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2016 UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT AND REVENUE Support Earned Revenue Total support and revenue EXPENSES Program Services General and Administrative Fundraising Total Expenses
$ 619,678 148,360 768,038
$ 597,175 99,018 90,213 786,406
Net increase (decrease) in net assets Net assets at beginning of year Net assets at end of year
505,693 $ 487,325
JUST BUFFALO LITERARY CENTER 468 Washington Street, 2nd Floor Buffalo, NY 14203 (716) 832.5400 www.justbuffalo.org
STAFF Laurie Dean Torrell Executive Director Barbara Cole, Ph.D. Artistic Director Noah Falck Education Director Robin Jordan Writing Center Coordinator Lynda Kaszubski Executive Assistant Kevin Thurston Marketing Assistant
TOTAL REVENUE – $768,038 CONTRACTED Linda Fischer Accountant
Foundations $187,350 – 24%
Kathleen Kearnan Grantwriter
Earned Income $148,360 – 19%
Julian Montague Graphic Designer
Individual and Corporate Donations Federal, State and $185,285 – 24% (includes in-kind) Local Gov’t Grants $247,043 – 32%
Just Buffalo’s ambitious programs are made possible through the generosity of a diverse array of committed donors and funders. Special appreciation is expressed for long-term ongoing support to:
General and Administrative $99,018 – 13%
Literary Programs $389,124 – 49%
Fundraising $90,213 – 11%
JB Writing Center & Education Programs $208,051 – 26%
with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature
Erie County Cultural Funding
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TOTAL EXPENSES – $786,406
BOARD OF DIRECTORS James R. Bachwitz, President Elizabeth Pascal, Vice President Thomas F. Hewner, Treasurer Janet Kaye, Secretary Michael C. Angelucci Venezia M. Appleby Paul A. Battaglia Sandra Block, M.D. Mary E. Farallo Karen Stanley Fleming Geri Grossman Olga Karman Lucy Kogler Anne Y. Taylor Timothy J. Vukelic Just Buffalo Literary Center is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. Thank you for your past support. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to Just Buffalo using the enclosed envelope, by calling (716) 832.5400 or through our secure website: www.justbuffalo.org.