Fourth Arts Block (Fabnyc)

Fourth Arts Block (FABnyc) was founded in 2001 by arts and community groups to preserve and promote the East 4th Street Cultural District's rich heritage and creativity. Today, FAB has expanded to become a service and advocacy organization for the Lower East Side, leading the renovation of more than 100,000 square feet of arts space; promoting the neighborhood as an arts destination; and providing support services to local arts groups through trainings, special events, public art, resource-sharing and sustainability initiatives. FABnyc was created in response to the potential loss of buildings housing dozens of theaters, dance studios, and arts spaces along E. 4th Street in Manhattan. In 2005, as a result of FABnyc’s advocacy and with the support of local elected officials, the City sold 8 properties to the block’s arts tenants for $8, stipulating that the buildings continue their nonprofit cultural use in perpetuity. Concurrently, the block was designated an official Cultural District, one of only two in New York City. The Cultural District currently serves more than 1,500 artists and attracts an audience of over 250,000 people each year. Over the past five years, FABnyc expanded its programs to encompass more artists and small businesses in the East Village/Lower East Side, and established our community-based network as a learning laboratory and testing ground for collaborative solutions to challenges faced by artists, small cultural and community groups.