A Spring Bank Nonprofit Feature

The arts are so powerful and transformative for children, yet inaccessible to many New York City families. The costs of arts programs are often prohibitive, making it difficult for many children to foster their creativity and express themselves in a safe space.

Luckily, organizations like the Red Hook Art Project (RHAP) exist to fill the gap. Founded in 2009, RHAP is a non-profit organization that provides free visual art, music, academic and stress management instruction to children and youth who live in and around Red Hook, Brooklyn. As RHAP’s neighbor and New York banking partner, we’re so proud of their journey and are deeply inspired by their longstanding commitment to transforming lives through the arts.

Behind the Mission: Meet Tiffiney Davis

Tiffiney Davis, Executive Director, co-founded Red Hook Art Project in 2009 to provide under resourced youth with artistic opportunities, fueled by her own life experiences as a young mother in New York City. Her journey is just as beautiful and empowering as the organization’s mission and serves as a beacon of hope for children and adults alike.

Like so many other Red Hook small businesses and nonprofits, RHAP was born out of a need to fill a missing piece in the community. Despite having no art background herself, Tiffiney was committed to providing her children with an outlet to nurture their creativity and strengthen their talents – something that was inaccessible to her as a child.

“I had my children at a very young age. When my son was a child, someone recognized his talents and took him under their wing, which also exposed me to the arts. I didn’t have the opportunity to engage in the arts growing up because of the challenging and unfortunate environment I grew up in,” Tiffiney shares. “I have a great respect for the arts because of my children’s talents and their creativity.”

For Tiffiney, the arts have been monumental in her parenting journey, have influenced her career trajectory, and transformed her children’s lives. By fostering her own children’s creativity, Tiffiney saw firsthand how important the arts are for children and felt empowered to give other children the same opportunities. RHAP ultimately grew out of a deep admiration for the arts and a commitment to giving under-resourced children more tools to express themselves and navigate difficult situations.

“We’re still learning and growing together, but I think the arts have shaped me as a parent on how to communicate, how to advocate for my children and how to show up for them. I wanted to make sure that we can provide that for everyone in my community and across the whole community. I wish that this is something that we can do in all boroughs and across the world,” says Tiffiney.

With 16 years of experience under her belt, Tiffiney has grown RHAP into a trusted community organization, providing a safe space for over 90 children and youth, and advancing Red Hook’s community development initiatives.

Arts Galore: All About RHAP’s Free Offerings

Since RHAP’s doors opened, their programs have been 100% free, eliminating a tremendous barrier for many Red Hook families who cannot afford traditional art classes that can cost as much as $100 per session. 90% of the students they serve come from low-income families and 95% are living in low income housing developments in and near to the Red Hook community.

“The community here in Red Hook have held this organization up for the past 16 years, alongside all of the artists who see that there’s a huge need. We got noticed during the pandemic, and started getting grant funding and other funding from family foundations who supports us,” Tiffiney tells us.

To make sure they design programming the community wants, RHAP surveys their students to better understand their needs and backgrounds, ensuring that there’s a creative space for everyone. As a result, they have a variety of programs, including a partnership with Brooklyn Clay, where students can visit every Friday to learn ceramics. Other offerings include a partnership with Shiny Sparkle Labs, where students can learn more about glass art, photography lessons taught by professional artists, and painting murals across Red Hook. No matter the program, students have the opportunity to connect with the community and learn from various types of artists.

“These are opportunities that we sometimes unfortunately don’t have in the Black and Brown community, but they connect us to people who do have these opportunities, which helps us build impactful relationships and introduce students to a different network of friends and families in the art world,” says Tiffiney.

In addition to visual arts, RHAP also has a growing music department that is back on the mend after facing struggles during the pandemic. This past summer, they launched their very first music session in partnership with Pioneer Works.

“Students had the opportunity to learn from five different artists that were Black and represented the students we serve, which is very powerful. They created songs that represent their hair, their locs, their beauty, and their community. We’re going to continue that journey in the music department,” Tiffiney shares.

At RHAP, the opportunities for a transformative experience are endless, which is what makes them such an invaluable resource for the Red Hook community. In a city as expensive as New York, it’s uncommon to find many organizations providing a variety of free arts programming to meet diverse needs, making RHAP stand out as a unique resource.

The Road Ahead

As RHAP celebrates 16 years of impact, Tiffiney continues to dream big for the organization’s future.

“I have such big visions. I want to do so much. I want to create. I want to be able to take students on art retreats outside of just the inner city and have the funding to do those different things,” says Tiffiney. “I think students need to know what’s happening in nature and do things outside of just their four walls so they can expand their horizons.”

Down the line, Tiffiney also hopes to move into a much larger space in Red Hook and mobilize other individuals to start similar initiatives in their own community.

We have no doubt that RHAP will continue to surpass milestones and remain a trusted community resource for Red Hook’s youth.

Proudly Supporting Red Hook Art Project with New York Banking Services

Since joining the Red Hook community a little less than a year ago, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with so many local organizations, including Red Hook Art Project.

As Red Hook’s first local bank in over 10 years, we’re focused on building trust and pouring into Red Hook through community development initiatives and local partnerships. RHAP is an organization that speaks to our mission as a community bank in New York, and we’ve had a wonderful time growing our partnership over the past year. Together, we hosted a Back to School fair and earlier this year, we served as a sponsor for their annual gala fundraiser.

Tiffiney and the RHAP team have been instrumental in getting us settled into the Red Hook community, starting with our mural that one of their artists helped design. They’ve already taught us so much and in turn, we’ve also introduced them to the world of nonprofit and community banking.

“Being able to partner with a bank that understands the community, the culture that’s here, and the people that are here, while also wanting to serve them is very powerful. I’m in awe to be in partnership with Spring Bank and have moved my bank from Chase to them. I think that they’ll do a lot of important work here in Red Hook,” Tiffiney shares.

We’re in awe of the support we’ve received since opening our Red Hook branch and of all the amazing local organizations working hard in Red Hook. We look forward to the journey ahead for Tiffiney and Red Hook Art Project, and are excited to grow our partnership for years to come. Learn more about their work. Follow them on Instagram.

Spring Bank is Here For You

We offer affordable banking solutions for small businesses and nonprofits, including various nonprofit checking accounts nyc, small business checking accounts and business loans to empower small businesses across New York City. With our nonprofit checking account, organizations like RHAP can take advantage of a checking account that’s catered to their nonprofit needs.

As one of the dedicated community banks in Brooklyn, we’re excited to expand on our work and become a trusted New York banking partner for many Red Hook small businesses and individuals.

Looking for personal banking solutions? Take advantage of our personal checking and high yield savings account options.