Community Services and Programs, bulk: 1975-1985

The Community Services Department functioned from 1975-1986. It was then restructured as the Government and Community Affairs Department. From 1975-1980, Community Services was managed by Ildiko Heffernan and Sophie Williams Johnson acted as the Community Liason. After Heffernan left, Johnson acted as the head of the department through 1986.

"Community Services acts as a bridge between The Brooklyn Museum and the diverse cultures and populations of the borough of Brooklyn...The department, functioning as an outgrowth of the Museum's mission to present art to people, creates activities relating to its special exhibitions and permanent collections. It works with existing agencies in the community and with special audiences...by providing liaison, cultural arts programming, research, exhibition, technical assistance, and distribution services. The Community Services department aims to inspire people to examine and appreciate what exists in their own environment, their own cultural heritage, and to develop their own art skills and cultivate an appreciation of the Museum's collections." (Community Services Department description. Box 87, Folder 16.)

Sophie Williams Johnson, as the liason to community organizations, faciliated programming through several funding sources. BACA,The Brooklyn Arts and Culture Association, was founded in 1966 by Brooklyn citizens. It received grant funding and divided the money to Brooklyn cultural organizations. BACA funded some of Brooklyn Museum's music programming, and the annual exhibit Salute to Brooklyn's Creative Youth. Additionally, the Brooklyn Museum participated in two cultural voucher programs. BECA,a consortium of Brooklyn education and cultural institutions that included the Museum, granted cultural vouchers to small community organizations that could be "spent" at larger institutions (the Brooklyn Museum) for services like programming, or training. Where We At? Black Women Artists received vouchers for the Brooklyn Museum to design and print an exhibit catalog of their work. Museums Collaborative Inc. created a cultual voucher program for small cultural organizations and community groups to purchase services from larger cultural institutions. Other participating community organizations in the cultural voucher programs included day cares, senior centers, detention houses, the 1199 union, Magnolia Tree Earth Center, the American Indian Community House, the Sephardic Community Center, Henry Street Settlement House, and many others. These organizations particiapted in programming like Technical Assistance seminars where organizations learned how to install exhibits, graphic design skills, and funding examples; Museum Orientation workshops in which organizations learned about the Museum's collections and potential collaborations; and general art making workshops taught by local teaching artists. Between 1977 and 1978, Faith Ringgold taught several art classes for the Community Services Department.

In the late 1970s, both the Community Gallery and the Brooklyn Museum Art School were moved under the Education division umbrella. Both had previously operated largely on their own within the Brooklyn Museum, but needed additional investment. While Richard Waller managed the Community Gallery, he often collaborated on projects with local community organizations through the cultural voucher programs.

The Community Services Department