Spotlight On

Mission:
The mission of The Tank is to provide a welcoming, creative, collaborative, and affordable environment for artists and activists engaged in the pursuit of new ideas. Through a wide range of low-cost and high-concept arts and public affairs programming, The Tank seeks to cultivate a new generation of audience for live performance, civic discourse, and the work of emerging artists.

Background:
The Tank emerged out of an opportunity to seize New York’s most precious commodity: space. A ground floor storefront with a wall of windows onto 42nd Street and an interior courtyard became available in the heart of Manhattan’s off-Broadway Theater Row. Undesirable for most commercial enterprises, the space was perfect for The Tank’s founders, who had no capital, many obstacles, and an average age of 24. The nine managing partners and curators were directors, writers and visual artists, with backgrounds in the arts ranging from company management to graphic design; their professional experiences outside the arts included carpentry, web design, and political internships.

The Tank opened its doors on May 31, 2003. It quickly became known by artists and audiences alike as a center for unconventional, dynamic programming, where creativity, community and risk-taking prevailed over money, competition and exclusivity, with affordable tickets never priced more than $10. Since then, its self-sustaining business model, based on revenue generated through ticket sales, rental income and concession donations, has facilitated the repayment of initial loans and enabled the expansion from a working team composed entirely of volunteers to a small paid staff.

Current Programs:
Over the past two years, The Tank has presented over 800 live and special events, featuring such diverse and dynamic programming as: the Obie-award-winning A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant; Bent, the first-annual circuit bending festival; an evening of rarely seen videos by filmmaker Hal Hartley; the Progressive Tourist Bureau during the Republican Convention; FOUND Magazine’s Slapdance Across America tour; as well as New York Civil Liberty Union Youth Poetry slams, breakdancing workshops, comedy festivals, benefit performances and non-profit fundraisers.

During this time, The Tank has received recognition in The New York Times, The Daily News, The New Yorker, Time Out New York, Newsday, The Star Ledger, The New York Press, Gay City News, Wired Magazine, Discover Magazine, Filmmaker Magazine, as well as on CNN Headline News, The BBC, ABC World News Now, and NJN: State of the Arts. Recently, The Village Voice honored The Tank as “Best Broadway Theater Turned Hipster Hangout” in its Best of NYC Issue.

Funding Needs:
In May 2005 The Tank will lose its current location to commercial developers. The loss of The Tank’s home will not slow its progress. It is, instead, a call to action: a challenge to take risks, focus on creativity, collaboration and community, and move toward a dynamic, enduring and self-sustaining future. To support the move to a new facility as well as an expansion of its programming, The Tank has initiated a $100,000 Capital Campaign. While a temporary midtown space has been offered at a subsidized rate to aid The Tank during its transition period, Tank Board members are actively exploring new sites that will serve as The Tank’s permanent home. This includes working closely with the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council to investigate subsidized spaces, submitting proposals for community use to real estate developers, and visiting locations with a dedicated broker. To accomplish this move, as well as to continue offering its signature innovative programming, The Tank needs to expand its financial assets beyond the revenue generated through ticket prices, concessions, and rental income.

Every month, the "Spotlight On" highlights the activities of a different 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in the tri-state region (NY, NJ, or CT). The selection of organizations for the "Spotlight On" is based on criteria such as programmatic interests, geographic focus, and size, to ensure the broadest possible representation of the region's nonprofit sector. While the Foundation Center strives to showcase the diverse range of organizations in the area, selection for "Spotlight On" does not constitute an endorsement by the Foundation Center.

If you'd like to see your NPO in the "Spotlight," please use this submission form to send us a profile of your organization. Or e-mail a description of your organization, following the above format, to nyweb@foundationcenter.org with "Spotlight Submission" in the subject line.