Your support keeps
Open Arts Studio
Open for ALL.

Rehearsal video of Beyond. Sept 2025 Ching_I Chang and Meredith Fages

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SUPPORT OPEN ARTS STUDIO

Open Arts Studio provides low-cost opportunities for all people to participate in art and movement. Our organization’s developing programs include accessible arts education, subsidized rehearsal space, and direct support for performing artists.

When you give to Open Arts Studio you support the open exchange of ideas, accessible arts programming for all ages and abilities, education, choreographers, composers, experimentation, and an open community. 

A BRIEF HISTORY

In 2021, choreographer/dancer Laura Peterson was wrestling with the role of arts in our culture - she had seen firsthand how art can change people and the trajectory of their lives, but also felt that too many didn’t have access to the arts. So Laura decided to found an organization centered on the concept that every person should have access and be able to participate in the arts. She then chose to invest her whole savings of $13,000 to start Open Arts Studio. 

During the last four years, Open Arts Studio launched a new creative space for dances, theater and music, low and no-cost youth programs and classes, and supported the development of countless new works. We have enacted ‘access for all’ through our programs, and have seen meaningful impact on young artists, dancers, and musicians, and their futures. In the last year we have had more than 1600 people walk through our doors!Since opening in April 2021 Open Arts Studio has accomplished so much.

  • Provided thousands of hours of affordable rehearsal space.

  • Hosted workshops, studio showings, intensives, and low-cost classes.

  • Created and provided scholarships to the Open Arts Studio + Dance Italia Young Artist Program., which brought teen dance students to Italy in summers 2022 - 2023.

  • In 2024, with the support of a grant from Brooklyn Arts Council, we established the Open Arts Studio Company, a new teen dance company. Our first season culminated in sold-out studio performances March 16-17.

  • In 2025, with support from the Brooklyn Arts Council Laura Peterson Choreography began developing BEYOND, a new ensemble dance and collaboration with composer Christina Campanella

  • Supported development of Artistic Director Laura Peterson’s full-length company work Interglacial. which was commissioned by Dixon Place and toured to Florida.

EXPENSE DETAILS

In order to provide the amazing programs we have developed it takes multiple income sources.
We keep this going not only through grants and studio income, but also YOUR donations.
Here are a variety of costs that you can support through a contribution - some are super boring.
We value transparency.

  • $100 supports the real cost of 6 hours of rehearsal space.

  • $50 pays our garbage removal fee for one month. Boring, right?

  • $80 pays for one month of business internet service.

  • $125 pays for an average month of electricity.

  • $800 pays for the studio space for our teen dance company

  • $900 supports 2 full company rehearsals of Laura Peterson Choreography.

Open Arts Studio 2022

Your donations make all the difference…

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Open Arts Studio is a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible charitable organization.