Center for Art & Advocacy

The Center for Art and Advocacy, a non-profit organization supporting artists who have served time in prison, opened its new home in March 2025 on the ground floor of a recently completed affordable housing development in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of New York City. The 2,600-square-foot space, like many designated “community spaces” in developer-led projects, was a leftover, poorly laid-out space. A narrow storefront entrance leads to a hallway interrupted by a second door, eventually opening into an irregularly shaped space where bathroom and office doors and code-required elements disrupt any sense of cohesion or welcome. In response, B-KD reimagined the entry sequence as a welcoming, active threshold. A mural by the non-profit’s founder now lines one side of the hallway, while the other wall features a continuous piece of millwork, which serves as a flexible display for artwork, books, and merchandise at the entrance, becomes a reading nook and library, and features a central wall showcasing the organization's mission. It culminates in a reception desk and an additional library, making the hallway a warm and intentional arrival experience. Inside the main space, strategic moves, such as pushing the office wall to conceal visual clutter and extending another to add storage, create a more focused gallery environment. Custom, reconfigurable walls support curatorial flexibility in the Center’s wide-ranging public programming, from exhibitions and lectures to screenings, reading groups, book launches, and educational programs. The new home of the Center for Art and Advocacy is designed with creativity and community at its core, offering a space as adaptable and dynamic as the artists, writers, and filmmakers it serves.

Photos by Daniel Kukla

Status

Completed in March 2025

Program

Non-profit Multipurpose Space and Offices

Area

 2,600 sf

Location

New York, NY

Team

Koray Duman, Caitlin Dippo, Hyunjoo Park