BAM Mission Statement

BAM's mission is to be the preeminent, progressive performing and cinema arts center of the 21st century, engaging both global and local communities. Its enduring purpose is to provide a distinctive environment in which its audiences may experience a broad array of challenging and enriching aesthetic/cultural programs.

Principles that underlie BAM's vision

• Artistic Integrity. BAM supports innovative, high-quality, rigorous art that tests new ground.
• Professional Integrity. As a world-class cultural center, BAM balances creativity with responsibility. BAM maintains high professional standards and strives for excellence on stage and off.
• Accessibility. BAM shares art and ideas with audiences near and far through performances, education, and media.
• Diversity. BAM welcomes, encourages, and celebrates diverse arts, ideas, and audiences.
• Innovation. BAM inspires its audiences and its staff. Its work is challenging, demanding, and dynamic. BAM attracts and develops achievers who are committed to artistic innovation.

Executive Biographies

Joseph V. Melillo
Executive Producer

Joseph V. Melillo, BAM's executive producer since 1999, is responsible for the institutional artistic direction of BAM. In the years that he has held this role, BAM has enjoyed increases in both programming and audience attendance in its Harvey Lichtenstein Theater, Howard Gilman Opera House, BAM Rose Cinemas, and BAMcafé. In addition to continued critical acclaim, in 2003 BAM was awarded a special OBIE Award in recognition of a body of work in international programming and a special Drama Desk Award for bringing works of distinction from around the world to New York audiences.

In addition to his work at BAM, Melillo has had extensive experience in artistic programming, producing, and general management, including work with the New York International Festival for the Arts, the 1982 New World Festival of the Arts in Miami, the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia, among others. He was named a Chevalier (1999) and an Officier (2004) Also in 2004, Melillo was awarded an honorary OBE for his outstanding commitment to British performing arts in America. In 2007, he was appointed Knight of the Royal Order of the Polar Star, in recognition of his role in solidifying ties between the performing arts communities of Sweden and the United States.

Karen Brooks Hopkins
President

Karen Brooks Hopkins is the president of BAM, where she has worked since 1979. As President, Hopkins oversees BAM's 300 full- and part-time employees and facilities, including the 2100-seat Howard Gilman Opera House and 874-seat BAM Harvey Theater, the four-theater BAM Rose Cinemas, and BAMcafé. In May 2004, Hopkins concluded a two-year term as the Chair of The Cultural Institutions Group (CIG), which consists of 33 prominent New York City cultural institutions. In this capacity, she also served as a member of the Mayor's Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission and is currently a member of the Board of NYC & Company, New York's Convention and Visitor's Bureau. In 2005, Hopkins received the Encore Award in Arts Management Excellence from the Arts & Business Council of New York, and in 2006 was elected by the New York State Legislature to the Board of Regents for a term expiring in 2010. Additionally, Hopkins serves on the Board of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, an economic development advocacy organization devoted to promoting the growth of the greater Downtown Brooklyn area.

BAM History

Dating from its first performance in 1861, BAM has grown into a thriving urban arts center that brings international performing arts and film to Brooklyn. The first BAM facility at 176-194 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights burned to the ground in 1903. In 1906, the cornerstone was laid at 30 Lafayette Avenue, and BAM performances resumed in the fall of 1908. Since then, BAM has continued to expand and update its facilities, and now includes not only the 2100-seat BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, but also the 874-seat BAM Harvey Theater, the Lepercq Space (BAMcafé), and four-screen BAM Rose Cinemas.

BAM remains America's oldest continuously operating performing arts center, and as a not-for-profit organization is reliant on contributions to fulfill its mission. BAM presents or produces up to 220 stage performances each year in a variety of disciplines, including theater, dance, music, opera, literature, film, and visual arts-many of international origin-along with many additional free events. Committed to community partnership, BAM serves up to 24,000 students and 200 New York City schools annually, and hosts other important community events, including The Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the largest commemoration event to Dr. King in New York City. During its first century, BAM hosted political events, speeches, and rallies on the pressing issues of the day. Speakers included Henry Beecher Stowe, Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Gertrude Stein, Langston Hughes, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Amelia Earhart. Since then, artists have included Robert Wilson, Paul Simon, Cate Blanchett, William Forsythe, Merce Cunningham, Pina Bausch, and Philip Glass, among innumerable others.