Bronx Council on the Arts Bronx Recognizes Its Own  
recognizing outstanding artists in the Bronx for over 30 years  

BCA’s BRIO Award has been recognizing artistic excellence across a wide range of creative disciplines for 34 years. Annually, Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) provides direct support to individual Bronx artists who create works in the literary, media, visual, and performing arts, via awards of up to $5,000 each. Artists who have received a BRIO award – notably early career artists – represent the vast diversity of Bronx residents, inclusive of a large array of ethnicities, ages, and genders that mirror the diversity of our borough. Over the years, BRIO has emerged as one of the most coveted distinctions amongst artists residing in the Bronx.
The Bronx Council on the Arts now highlights BRIO's core emphasis: having distributed over $1,950,000 in support to 550 artists over more than three decades. Adjudication panels are comprised of seasoned artists and arts professionals from outside the borough who, guided by discipline specific criteria and experience, review submissions anonymously and select awardees for distinction, whose work demonstrates the following: 

• An innovative approach to the discipline 
• Probing and pushing boundaries 
• Technical expertise and high level of skill 
• Ingenuity and rigor in its production 
• An awareness of the medium within a historical context 
• Compelling vision and original voice 

In addition, winners are encouraged to complete a one-time public service activity known as Artists for Community Enrichment (ACE) within a year of receiving the award. ACE events, which range from performances with Q&As to workshops and classes, provide artists with additional visibility and demonstrate to the community the wealth of artistic talent available in our borough.   BCA is proud to continue the BRIO tradition into the future, offering this invaluable honor in the Bronx that   

• Boosts early career artists 
• Highlights previously unknown voices 
• Recognizes quality artistic practice 
• Fosters connection between Bronx artists and their communities  _______________________________________________________ 

SELECTION OF AWARDS   BRIO is adjudicated on a blind submission process. New panels of arts professionals are convened each year to select awardees. All materials and information involved in the process are kept confidential and are viewed anonymously by the panelists. When the application is received, a code number is assigned to each application and its corresponding material. The applicant's coded work sample is the only identifying information available to the panelists for review. Materials not meeting the submission guidelines will render an application ineligible.   


AWARD NOTIFICATION   Decisions will be e-mailed to all applicants in approximately May of the grant year. Winners will be invited to a ceremony in June of 2023 at which they will be honored and receive the award. BRIO winners are encouraged to complete a one-time community service activity known as Artists for Community Enrichment (ACE) within a year. All BRIO awards are subject to verification of information submitted and proof of Bronx residency.   

ACE (ARTISTS FOR COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT)   An important and integral component of BRIO is ACE, which encourages each awardee to present a one-time public service activity within the one-year period of the award. This initiative was created to provide artists with additional visibility and also to provide Bronxites with the opportunity to experience the wealth of talent available in the community.   


Who can apply?  
You must be 18 years old or older. 

• You must be a resident of the Bronx. Applicants must provide 2 proofs of Bronx residency. (See instructions below) 
• You must have an e-mail address 
• You must have a Social Security number 

Who is not eligible to apply? 

• Full time graduate or undergraduate students enrolled in any degree program. 
• Recipients of 2022 BRIO awards. 
• Individuals who work for Bronx Council on the Arts. 

 
General submission information  

• Work samples must be from work created in the last 5 years (between 2017 and 2022).
• BRIO awards are adjudicated in a blind submission process. Panelists will evaluate submissions based on the materials they are viewing/hearing/reading. Applicants are advised to be highly selective and intentional in choosing work samples to submit. Poor quality work samples and materials will affect the panel's evaluation.
• In order to submit an application, you must create an account online at Submittable.com.
• Eligible applicants can submit only one application in one discipline.
• Only submit materials necessary for the discipline in which you are applying.
• Any required information missing at the time of the panel review will render the application ineligible.
• Work samples must not contain any identifying information (name, email, etc.) in any part of the application, including file names; such information will render the application ineligible.
• Previous BRIO winners cannot apply using the same work samples as a previously winning application.
• Application links are available on-line at www.bronxarts.org beginning November 14, 2022.

CATEGORIES:
Literary Arts:   Fiction, Non-Fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Screenwriting, Illustrated Text   

Media Arts:   Digital Arts, Film or Video (Narrative/Documentary/Experimental), Film Animation  

Performing Arts:   Acting, Choreography, Dance, Instrumental and Vocal Music Performance (Audio only!), Music Composition, Performance Poetry, Spoken Word, Storytelling  

Visual Arts:   2-D: Artist book, Drawing, Illustration, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Mixed Media, Street Art, Digital Visual Art   3-D: Installation Art, Mixed Media, Performance Art, Sculpture, Architecture, Crafts, Graphic Design, Environmental and Interior Design   

A COMPLETED APPLICATION WILL INCLUDE:                                                                              (Please Note: All of the items below must be uploaded in order to apply )

✓ Online application. All fields of the Submittable application with an asterisk (*) must be filled out.  
✓ Your (Literary, Visual, Performing, or Media Arts) work sample(s).  
                   None of the information below will be shared with panelists for review  
✓ One-page resume citing your artistic, professional, and educational background.  

✓ Applicant Bio (150 words) 

 ✓ Headshot (jpeg 300 dpi)
✓ Proof of Bronx Residency - (submit 2) any of the following are considered acceptable:  

• NYS Driver’s license 
• New York State or New York City ID 
• Voter Registration Card 
• Mortgage, rent receipt, or lease agreement 
• Utility bill (e.g., electricity, cable, gas, etc.) 
• Credit card or bank statement (first page only; social security number/financial information blacked out) 
• NYS or Federal tax return 
• Bursar’s receipt (required for part-time students) 

Questions? Contact Bryan E. Glover, Deputy Director of Grants and Programs | bryan@bronxarts.org         
Please Note: Applicants CAN apply to BRIO and Arts Fund but must choose only ONE Grant if awarded both. An artist may not accept money from BRIO and Arts Fund because both grants are funded through the same source. Eligible applicants CAN receive money from BRIO, New Work, and Community Arts in the same year.