Here’s What’s Happening This Week In & Around Chelsea

West Side Community Fund Grant Applications / The Greater Good Series / From 50 the Future: A Hip-Hop Exhibit at Chelsea Market / Apply to serve on your Manhattan community board / NYC Council Member Erik Bottcher in Conversation with NYS Attorney General Letitia James / Town Hall on the Impact of Casinos

West Side Community Fund Grant Applications Accepted Through Friday, March 15 | The West Side Community Fund (WSCF) is a consortium of companies based on the west side of Manhattan who’ve found a common cause in their committent to financially support worthy initiatives based in Chelsea, Hudson Yards, and Hell’s Kitchen. Since its founding in 2018, WSCF has distributed over $925,000 in grants. Eligible applicants for their bi-annual grant program include neighborhood organizations, block and tenants’ associations, nonprofits, city agencies, schools, health clinics, NYCHA projects, police-community programs, religious institutions, and homeless facilities, as well as individuals who deliver services, such as teachers. WSCF grants prioritize projects serving youth, seniors, unhoused individuals, and disabled residents. The applicant as well as their proposed initiatives must be based in Chelsea, Hudson Yards, or Hell’s Kitchen; the applicant’s total annual budget must be below $15 Million; and grants cannot fund religious or partisan activities, nor programs that promote any form of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability. Applications are due by Friday, March 15, and grant recipients will be announced in mid to late April. For more information—and to apply—visit westsidecommunityfund.org. To access our coverage of a celebration acknowledging 2023’s grantees, click here.

The Greater Good Series: Four Forums on February 13, 20, 27, & March 5, 6pm Online via Zoom and at The People’s Forum (320 W. 37th St. btw. 8th & 9th Aves.) | Midtown South Community Council presents this Tuesday night series of lively conversations from health and housing advocates, economists, planning experts, engineers, community groups, concerned citizens, and elected officials. On Feb. 13, Health Before Profits is moderated by Stuck Nation author Robert Hennelly, with panelists including Wendell Potter (President, Business Leaders for Health Care Transformation and the Center for Health & Democracy), Marianne Pizzitola (President, NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees & FDNY EMS Retirees), and Lois Uttley (Co-Founder of Community Voices for Health System Accountability). Feb. 20, The Rent is Too Damned High! is moderated by Ted Houghton (Former Executive Deputy Commissioner of NYS Homes and Community Renewal), with panelists including Vittoria Fariello (Democratic District Leader, Coalition for 100% Affordable WTC5) and Charlie Dulik (Housing Conservation Coordinators). Feb. 27, Saving Public Housing is moderated by Layla Law-Gisiko (Co-Chair, CB5 Land-use Committee), with panelists including Ramona Ferreyra (organizer and public housing advocate) and David J. Goldstein (CEO, Hydronic Shell Technologies). The series concludes on March 5 with Urbanizing for the People. It’s moderated by Sam Stein (Housing Policy Analyst for Community Service Society), with panelists including Rob Robinson (economics professor and Human Rights Activist), Sam Turvey (RethinkNYC, Empire Station Coalition), and Lynn Marie Lewis (educator and community organizer). To attend any or all of these events via Zoom, click here to register.

From 50 to The Future: An Art Exhibit On View Through Mid-March, at Chelsea Market (W.15th St. & Ninth Ave.) | Life-sized mixed-media paintings of influential, iconic hip-hop artists such as Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, and The Notorious BIG—and other biggies—populate this art exhibit all along the main concourse of Chelsea Market. The show celebrates Hip-Hop culture, its pioneers, contemporary artists, and how the genre will continue to evolve in the future. Curated by Creative Director, Zaire Baptiste, “From 50 to The Future” features artwork from Renaissance artist Voodo Fe’, renowned street artist UnCutt Art (creator of the “Protect Yo Heart” movement), and Tyson Hall, an actor and visual artist whose artwork represents the future of Hip Hop artists and their cultural impact. Adding to the visual appeal, an immersive component recreates the performances of famous artists. This event takes placce along the Market’s main concourse, which makes it a free, at-your-own pace event.

Through Friday, February 23, Applications Accepted to Join Your Local Manhattan Community Board | Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine has opened Community Board applications at this link. For our recently published news item providing more details about the application process, click here. Note: Chelsea Community News recently conducted a Q&A with Jessica Chait, the new Chair of Manhattan Community Board 4. To read it, click here. Among our questions: “What should potential applicants know about the challenges and rewards of this volunteer position?” To see what it really takes to serve, click here and click here to visit, respectively, the YouTube channels of Manhattan Community Board 4 and Manhattan Community Board 5. There, you’ll find recordings of past committee and full board meetings, where the months-long (sometimes years-long) process of bringing a topic from first discussion to hard-won fruition has been preserved in Internet amber, accessible to you and yours 24/7/365. To visit, respectively, the CB4 and CB5 websites, click here and click here.

Listing Lifted Wholesale from NYC Council Member Gale A. Brewer’s Excellent Newsletter | Thursday, 2/22, 6:30–8:30 pm, Virtual:  Town Hall on The Impact of Casinos on Urban Communities sponsored by State Sen. Liz Kruger and Brad Hoylman Sigal. Learn about the casino siting process, the fiscal and economic impacts of gaming institutions, and their impact on individuals, businesses, and the surrounding community. RSVP at the link. NOTE: Each week, Council Member Gale A. Brewer distributes a newsletter to keep you informed about ongoing projects, upcoming events, and ways to get involved in the District 6 community. CLICK HERE and complete the form to have the newsletter sent right to your inbox!

—event listings compiled by Scott Stiffler

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Chelsea Community News is an independent, hyperlocal news, arts, events, info, and opinion website made possible with the help of our awesome advertisers and the support of our readers. Our Promise: Never a paywall, no pop-up ads, all content is FREE. With that in mind, if circumstances allow, please consider taking part in our GoFundMe campaign (click here). To make a direct donation, give feedback, send a Letter to the Editor, or contact our founder/editor, send an email to Scott Stiffler, via scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.

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—Listings Compiled by Scott Stiffler

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Chelsea Community News is an independent, hyperlocal news, arts, events, info, and opinion website made possible with the help of our awesome advertisers and the support of our readers. Our Promise: Never a paywall, no pop-up ads, all content is FREE. With that in mind, if circumstances allow, please consider taking part in our GoFundMe campaign (click here). To make a direct donation, give feedback, send a Letter to the Editor, or contact our founder/editor, send an email to Scott Stiffler, via scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.