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Bushwick Youth Dance, Arts Group Looks to Expand Into Community Hub

By Serena Dai | July 1, 2014 8:49am
 A Bushwick youth arts group is looking to expand to a bigger space.
Educated Little Monsters Youth Group
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BUSHWICK — A Bushwick youth arts group that started last year is now looking to grow up.

Educated Little Monsters, or ELM, plans to graduate into a larger, first-floor space for more room to host its affordable dance, poetry, hip-hop, arts and videography classes aimed at giving Bushwick teenagers a place to hang out, said Yazmin "Jaz" Colon, 34, founder of the group.

The mother started hosting her 14-year-old son and two or three of his friends for classes last year in her second-floor jewelry and art boutique, Jazzabelss Boutique, at 1009 Broadway, after wanting to preserve the community in light of gentrifcation.

Now, nearly 20 kids show up.

But the boutique's second floor location and small space makes financially sustaining the programs nearly impossible, Colon said.

Visibility for the jewelry has been tough, and many people have wanted to rent her space for events, but its size is a hindrance, she said.

"People love it because they love the energy that comes out of here," she said. "They come to see it, and it's too little."

Her landlords are willing to help her find a new space in one of their buildings if she can get some help with upfront costs. One potential space costs $1,800 per month, and moving in would cost at least $3,000, she said.

She's been seeking help from community members to help raise initial costs on GoFundMe. Her boutique also sells art donated from street artists around the world, with costs ranging from $20 to $300.

Beyond having more visibility for her handmade jewelry business, first floor visibility helps with Colon's goal of making ELM a community space, she said.

The Brownsville native has a vision that the new location, which she would call The HUB, for "Help Us Build," can be an example of preserving community space in gentrifying neighborhoods, she said.

Though the group is not an official non-profit now, the new space would be, sustaining itself from renting out space and attracting more kids who can pay the $50 monthly fee for weekly classes, she said.

"We can cater more to the community and keep that imprint alive in Bushwick," she said. "Having places that are in full representation of community means so much. It gives people hope."