BAM FISHER: 21st Century Expansion of BAM Campus in Brooklyn

BAM Fisher is part of the growing arts complex under the umbrella of the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Fort Greene, which some are calling the new cultural district in Brooklyn. The opening of "BAM Fisher" in 2012 was the first expansion of this cultural icon in over a quarter of a century.

The 40,000 square-foot, seven stories tall structure, hailed as “a new model for the 21st-century performing arts center," when it opened, features intimate and flexible non-proscenium performance space for both emerging and established artists.


And, it’s “green,” having been designed for LEED Gold certification. Atop the attractive brick building (formerly a Salvation Army site) sits a roof garden. Parts of the building can also be rented by nonprofit organizations, and for corporate functions and special occasions such as weddings (get rental info).

For the Public: What Kinds of Programs Will be Held at BAM Fisher"

BAM Fisher hosts a robust array of educational and humanities programs, including:

• A literary and lecture series
• Educational performances: Presentations by international artists for weekday school audiences and weekend family audiences
• Family fare: Weekend live performances, puppet, and film programs and workshops for families.
• For Kids: Special teen programming, and school break and summer intensive programs

Affordability is Key

For audiences, this venue's affordable programming is one of its biggest attractions. Most tickets cost fraction of the price of a ticket at some BAM productions held at the BAM Opera House or Harvey Theater.

The new Fisher facility enables the ever-more-popular BAM to serve even larger audiences through an expanding community and arts education program.

For Artists: Flexible BAM Fisher Studies, Workshops, Stage

The new facility is expressly designed to bring in young artists, provide opportunities for community based arts and performance organizations to practice, and to cultivate a new generation of both performers and audiences in Brooklyn. The range of spaces invites experimentation:

• Judith and Alan Fishman Space: a flexible 250-seat theater designed to accommodate a range of performance and art forms and audience arrangements.
• Rita K. Hillman Studio: a 1,600-square-foot space that serves as a rehearsal or performance space or place to develop new work.
• Samuel H. Scripps Stage: a flexible, moveable stage located within the Fishman Space.
• Max Leavitt Theater Workshop: a space used by BAM Education and Humanities programs
• Geraldine Stutz Gardens: designed by Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners and installed by New York Green Roofs, this rooftop space features sculpture and sustainable landscaping. It is available for weddings, corporate events, and other public and private events.
• Peter Jay Sharp Lobby: a gathering and concessions area that serves as an exhibition space for local visual artists. It is home to BAM’s first permanent piece of commissioned interior artwork—José Parlá’s 37’x7’ painting Gesture Performing Dance, Dance Performing Gesture.

Getting There: Where is Brooklyn's BAM Fisher Building?

The BAM complex, for first timers, can be a tad confusing.
It is located at:

• 30 Lafayette Avenue
• Phone:(718) 636-4100

BAM Fisher is situated around the corner from BAM’s Opera House (also known as the Peter Jay Sharp Building) at 321 Ashland Place. It occupies what was the site of the Salvation Army’s former Brooklyn Citadel Corps.
Get directions.

Credits: Who Designed BAM Fisher, Who Funded BAM Fisher — and Who Is Fisher?

• The BAM Fisher renovation was designed by Hugh Hardy/ H³ Hardy Collaboration Architecture.
• The building funding was a combination of private and public funding, the latter including including the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Council, the Brooklyn Borough President, and the Brooklyn delegations of the New York State Assembly and Senate.
• The building was named in honor of BAM Endowment Trust Chairman Richard B. Fisher (1936—2004).

2012 Opening Ceremony Draws Major Public Figures & Actor Jeremy Irons

The BAM Fisher Building opened with fourteen Next Wave Festival engagements beginning September 2012 with ECLIPSE—a dance and visual art piece by Jonah Bokaer and Anthony McCall.
Public officials at the September 6, 2012 opening ceremony for the new BAM building ranged from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Borough President Marty Markowitz to "surprise" guest Jeremy Irons.

For the record, some notable comments from the opening ceremony:

“Over the past 150 years, BAM has become a cornerstone of New York City’s cultural life—attracting audiences from around the world with innovative festivals and performances and engaging students from across the City with dynamic arts education programming,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. He noted that this public-private partnership was a contribution to the growing "Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District" (though locals continue to call the area Fort Greene.)

The fact that this is a "totally flexible performance space, an experience that will be realized on a non-proscenium intimate scale,” was noted by BAM Executive Producer Joseph V. Melillo, who said the mission of this new space was "adventurous exploration into new approaches to visual imagery, movement, technology, and storytelling.”

BAM’s Education and Humanities programs reached more than 30,000 people annually, according to BAM officials citing 2012 data.