ARTS:
El Puente Center for Arts & Culture

The cornerstone of El Puente Center for Arts and Culture is the Williamsburg Arts and Culture Council for Youth (WACCY), Williamsburg's first arts organization, founded by Frances Lucerna in 1980. In 1985, Frances, as El Puente's Artistic Director, integrated WACCY into El Puente and together with Johnny Colon and the resources of his East Harlem Music School, began the development of what would become Brooklyn's most comprehensive Latino pre-professional training arts center. El Puente's Center for Arts and Culture is currently integrated within El Puente's three Leadership Centers and the Academy. Today, members engage in a variety of arts and cultural programs including dance, drama, voice, percussion, media arts, visual arts/public arts, graphic design and Hip Hop. Professional staff artists create collaborative theme-based projects and presentations that promote human rights and social action. All arts disciplines at El Puente strive for excellence and mastery. This has been evidenced by: three Tony awards received by members and staff alumni; the El Puente Dance Ensemble's extensive history of performances in professional and community venues such as Brooklyn Academy of Music, Dance Theater Workshop, Prospect Park's ''Celebrate Brooklyn'' Concert Series and others, as well as their performance before 75 heads of state, spouses and ambassadors for the United Nations Summit for Children; the acclaimed Teatro El Puente, NYC's first and longest running HIV/AIDS educational theater group; and the outstanding community murals completed by the El Puente Muralistas. El Puente was also honored in 1999 with the Presidential Committee on Arts and Humanities & National Endowment for the Arts Coming Up Taller Award as one of the ten leading arts institutions for young people in the United States.