Artist Bridge

Furthering Project Development

The Artist Bridge Project positions BOFFO as both an incubator for new work as well as a continuing source of support – providing resources to continuing deepening their practice in ways that are not always possible during a 3-week BOFFO residency. BOFFO artists conceive of projects on Fire Island at either the BOFFO Residency Fire Island or the BOFFO Performance Festival Fire Island. The residencies that BOFFO provides often plant the seed for projects that artists go on to develop and refine with other institutions and collaborators.

Expanding Queer & POC Community

The Artist Bridge Project keeps BOFFO’s vibrant, growing community of artists engaged and connected outside of the summer season.

One of BOFFO’s greatest successes has been the fostering of an organically growing community of artists that continue to stay involved with our organization. Beginning with our first residency in 2012, BOFFO has always had a focus on bringing queer artists and artists of color to the Pines. The work they make there often relates to Fire Island’s role as a safe haven for LGBTQ+ creatives, the impact of HIV/AIDS on the community, and the island’s fragile natural ecology.

Our residency program affords artists an opportunity to share their Fire Island experience with their expanded creative circles. We provide each resident with an entire house with room to make work as well as host family, friends, and collaborators. Because Fire Island can often be a difficult place to access and the BOFFO season is only five months a year. The Artist Bridge Project aims to expand BOFFO’s impact off-island and off-season.

Broadening Audiences

In the spirit of keeping artists connected outside of the island, the Artist Bridge Project also presents new opportunities for BOFFO to expand our reach, allowing the work artists make with us to be seen by art world institutions and professionals.

Sustaining Support for Artists

BOFFO has a keen eye towards building new strategies to develop artists and continue to provide them support after leaving Fire Island. The Artist Bridge Project is the cornerstone of those efforts. It also creates greater fundraising opportunities by cultivating new partnerships and relationships with donors year round. This increased visibility and fundraising directly feeds our efforts to support ever more artists.

Reintegration into NYC

The Artist Bridge Project cements BOFFO’s close ties to New York City. BOFFO was founded in Manhattan and presented work there from 2009 to 2011. When BOFFO began its work on Fire Island in 2012, it did not have the resources to sustain programming in the city. Nevertheless, as BOFFO’s programs on Fire Island grew, so did our ties to the New York art world, providing a constant dialogue and creative exchange that has benefited both places.

Deepening Conversations

Accessible public programming is a cornerstone of BOFFO’s identity as an inclusive arts organization. Our public outreach is critical to sparking invaluable conversations between our artists and the community. The Artist Bridge Project will continue those conversations and deepen our collective understanding of complex issues such as racial equity, gender diversity, and ecological repair.

Public Interventions, Exhibitions, Publications

The Artist Bridge Project will present work in a wide range of formats, from public outdoor works and theatrical productions to exhibitions, publications and more. In our first two years, we will focus on public exhibition formats that incorporate performance and visual art.

Institutional Collaborations

At the heart of the Artist Bridge Project is the desire to develop strong institutional collaborations. We will look to New York City institutions that can provide space and existing infrastructure to ensure the work of BOFFO artists continues to grow and develop. We also hope to maximize the potential and reach of our projects by working with institutions that can expand our reach to new audiences.