Arts

"We hope to raise awareness and funding for an essential and worthy non-profit," Richard Demato explained.

"You should take them as an inspiration to be that person in your everyday life," says DeFour about Lance Cpl. Jordan Haerter and Cpl. Jonathan Yale. "What they did embodied what every Marine would hope to give forth."

"By partnering with different spaces, we are able to experiment with a range of curatorial styles while exposing a broader community to a diverse range of artists and works of contemporary art, design and creative expression," Kelcey Edwards noted.

"My goal is to connect community members, ranging from children to seniors, with their local animal shelter," Theresa Maritato explained.

"These kids are really super smart and if their work is any indication, they're going to have a great panel because they have a lot of complexity going on in the imagery that I've seen so far," said April Gornik.

"Bach is the core of western musical culture; everything connects to Bach," M4M's Miloš Repicky reflected. "To take these connections to South America, with its own sounds and rhythms, is to merge worlds and unify cultures in a gorgeous way."

"We were delighted to see such enthusiastic support for our festival last year, and judging from the responses so far, this year's event will be no different," said Kirsten Lonnie.

"This series is a sort of celebration of the 35 years I've been playing music professionally," said Caroline Doctorow.

"The show aims to introduce people to the incredible world of tap from its historical roots to its many offshoots in the hopes to continue to spread the love and appreciation of this wonderful artistic dance style," Anita Boyer and Kasia Klimiuk said.

"There is an overwhelming amount of singularly strong artists that also work tirelessly to promote and advocate for other artists in New York City and the East End," noted Karen Hesse Flatow.