Brooklyn got its party on last week as BRIC celebrated its first fundraising gala in five years at BRIC House in Fort Greene.
The June 12 BRIC House Party and Gala celebrated BRIC and the borough of Brooklyn — while honoring special guest DJ D-Nice, who took the stage for a DJ set at the end of the night. The rapper last performed with BRIC in 2021, when he put on his “Club Quarantine” set at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!
The event’s theme, “Raised By Brooklyn,” paid tribute to the borough’s significant impact on shaping the lives and careers of global cultural icons, public servants, artists, community activists, business leaders and more.
“It is truly an honor to be a 2024 ‘Raised by Brooklyn’ honoree,” DJ D-Nice said in a statement prior to the event. “As I reflect upon my time in this remarkable borough, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and pride. For ten wonderful years, Brooklyn was not just a place I called home, but a place that shaped me, nurtured me, and instilled in me a profound sense of community.”
Guests were welcomed to the gala by the high-energy ensemble Brooklynwala Brass, who performed on Rockwell Place. The event’s cocktail hour featured music by Brooklyn’s own DJ Tara.
Among the honorees were BRIC board member and local media host Toni Williams and natural sweetener company In The Raw. The longstanding arts organization selected honorees for their contributions to Brooklyn’s cultural and social landscape.
Artist Patrick Dougher’s exhibition, “Brooklyn Boom,” was showcased exclusively for the event. The show paid homage to the boom box, a symbol of urban American culture, highlighting its cultural significance and influence.
quintessential Brooklyn vibe of the evening.Photo by Julia Drummond
Following a gala dinner, DJ D-Nice performed a 90-minute exclusive set at the BRIC House Party.
Notable attendees included Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and BRIC board member Lynn Nottage, New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo and pioneering artist Lee Quinones.
