Art2Action is a New York-based theater that promotes artists of color, women, LGBT individuals, and veterans. ¹ The nonprofit has received over $400,000 in general support grants from the left-of-center Ford Foundation. ²

Background

Art2Action was founded in July 2010 by its previous board members Dora Arreola, Andrea Assaf, Krystal Banzon, Meena Natarajan, and Jo Novelli. ³

Art2Action produces and presents performances that elevate the voices of women, LGBT individuals, veterans and, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). ⁴

The nonprofit established a professional peer exchange and ensemble training program for artists known as the National Institute for Directing and Ensemble Creation. ⁵

Staff

Andrea Assaf is the founding artistic and executive director of Art2Action. Assaf also works as co-founder, co-director, and national coordinator of the National Institute for Directing and Ensemble Creation. ⁶ She previously provided consulting services to Alternate ROOTS and the Arts and Democracy Project. ⁷

Gabrielle Vigueira is the general manager of Art2Action and the assistant national coordinator of the National Institute for Directing and Ensemble Creation. ⁸

Rosie Gordon-Wallace is a board member of Art2Action. ⁹

Sage Crump is a treasurer and board member of Art2Action. ¹⁰

Tanya Mote also serves as a board member of Art2Action. ¹¹

Advocacy Efforts

Since 2013, Art2Action has hosted an open mic program for veterans, supported by Alternate ROOTS. ¹²

The nonprofit showcases performances that promote LGBT interests, ¹⁴ and advocate animal conservation. ¹⁵

Art2Action opposes the militarized use of drone technology ¹⁶ and highlights the consequences of the September 11, 2001 (“9/11”) World Trade Center terrorist attacks. ¹⁷

Art2Action also organizes events designed to mobilize youth and people of color to vote during elections. ¹⁸

Amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, the nonprofit organized events in solidarity with Palestinians, ¹⁹ advocating for a ceasefire and condemning alleged Israeli “ethnic cleansing.” ²⁰ On October 28, 2023, with support from the Ford Foundation, Art2Action hosted and livestreamed a “Palestinian Artists Speak Out” convention on YouTube. ²¹

In April 2023, the nonprofit staged a play titled “At Water’s Edge” that explored challenges associated with immigration and issues of gender inequality. ²²

Grantmaking

In 2016, Art2Action received $95,625 in program support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. ²³

Art2Action also received the “Treasure Tampa” grant award of $30,000 from the Gobioff Foundation,  ²⁴ a Florida-based private family foundation. ²⁵

With the support of a $100,000 Joyce Foundation award in July 2024, Art2Action, in collaboration with the Arab American National Museum, developed the DRONE project, a theatre production denouncing the use of drones in warfare. ²⁶    

The nonprofit is a recipient of the National Performance Network’s Creation and Development Fund, securing $20,000 in 2022, ²⁷ and $43,000 in 2021. ²⁸

Art2Action was awarded over $160,000 from the $6,000,000 Southern Cultural Treasures grant, which supports BIPOC arts organizations in the Southeast. This initiative is a collaboration between South Arts and the Ford Foundation. ²⁹

Between May 2020 and April 2024, the nonprofit received $445,000 in general support grants from the Ford Foundation. ³⁰

Partners

Alternate ROOTS, the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA), First Peoples Fund, Pangea World Theatre, and the Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET) are among the nine performing arts networks that collaborated with Art2Action in 2010 to develop its National Institute for Directing and Ensemble Creation. ³¹

The National Institute for Directing and Ensemble Creation is also supported by left-of-center foundations, including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Nathan Cummings Foundation, ³² and the National Endowment for the Arts. ³³

Art2Action is a member of the National Performance Network, a network of performing art organizations. ³⁴ Other members include Youth Speaks and the Yard, a left-leaning theatre supported by Evelyn Sharp Foundation. ³⁵

Financials

Art2Action’s financial records indicate that in 2022 the nonprofit generated revenue of $415,083 and incurred expenses totaling $328,814. ³⁶

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2. “Grants Database.” Ford Foundation. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?search=Art2Action%2C%2BInc.%2B.
3. “About A2A.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/about.
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5. “Directing Institute.” Art2Action, July 9, 2015. https://www.art2action.org/directing-institute.
6. Andrea Assaf – artistic / executive director – art2action, inc … Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-assaf-52a35098.
7. “Andrea Assaf.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/artists/andrea-assaf.
8. Gabrielle Vigueira  . Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-v-305aa1211/.
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10. “Staff & Board.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/staff-board.
11. “Staff & Board.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/staff-board.
12. “Veterans Open Mic.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/veterans-community-open-mic.
14. “Outside the Circle.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/outside-the-circle.[/note[ address climate change, ¹³ “Home.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/.
15. “Sokwe: Look Human.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/sokwe.
16. “Drone.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/drone.
17. “Eleven Reflections.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/eleven-reflections.
18.  “Animating Democracy.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/animating-democracy-reflecting-forward.
19. “This Bridge.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/this-bridge.
20. Getoutgabi. “To Write a Statement: For Palestine.” Art2Action, November 9, 2023.  https://www.art2action.org/post/to-write-a-statement-for-palestine.
21. “Fourth Annual Convening of the Middle Eastern North African Theater Makers Alliance (MENATMA).” HowlRound Theatre Commons. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://howlround.com/happenings/fourth-annual-convening-middle-eastern-north-african-theater-makers-alliance-menatma.
22. “At Water’s Edge.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/at-waters-edge.
23. “12 Performing Arts Organizations Receive Funding from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.” Playbill. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://playbill.com/article/12-performing-arts-organizations-receive-funding-from-doris-duke-charitable-foundation.
24. “Painting Ourselves Visible.” Art2Action. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.art2action.org/painting-ourselves-visible.
25. Gobioff Foundation, April 22, 2024. https://www.gobioff-foundation.org/.
26. “2024 Joyce Awards Announcement.” The Joyce Foundation. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.joycefdn.org/news/2024-joyce-awards-announcement.
27. Suozzo, Andrea, Alec Glassford, Ash Ngu, and Brandon Roberts. “National Performance Network Inc, Full Filing Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica, May 9, 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/61522546/202420389349300047/full.
28. Suozzo, Andrea, Alec Glassford, Ash Ngu, and Brandon Roberts. “National Performance Network Inc, Full Filing Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica, May 9, 2013. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/61522546/202320189349301212/full.
29. Art2Action. “Art2Action Recognized as a Southern Cultural Treasure.” Art2Action, November 8, 2023. https://www.art2action.org/post/press-release-art2action-recognized-as-a-southern-cultural-treasure.
30. “Grants Database.” Ford Foundation. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?search=Art2Action%2C%2BInc.%2B.
31. “Directing Institute.” Art2Action, July 9, 2015. https://www.art2action.org/directing-institute.
32. Art2Action. “Reflections on the 2012 Pilot Institute for Directing & Ensemble Creation by Sharon Bridgforth.” Art2Action, March 2, 2014. https://www.art2action.org/post/reflections-on-the-2012-pilot-institute-for-directing-ensemble-creation-by-sharon-bridgforth.
33. “Directing Institute Background.” pangeaworldtheater. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.pangeaworldtheater.org/directing-institute-background.
34. ^[1] “Network.” National Performance Network, March 3, 2023. https://npnweb.org/network/.
35. “Our Commitment: The Yard.” The Yard. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.dancetheyard.org/our-commitment.
36. “2022 Form 990 for Art2action.” 2022 Form 990 for Art2action | Cause IQ. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/view_990/273413890/fa04d99a2f606511ef77098e4fdd59fc.