Hello Bloomingdale Community, 

As the fall 2023 semester gets well underway and we begin to celebrate our 59th birthday, I want to reflect on all the incredible ways our community has evolved over the last year alone. In the 2022-2023 school year, as we shifted back to almost entirely in-person classes and kicked off year 1 of our strategic plan, ROADMAP 2027, our staff focused on continued stabilization after the COVID crisis, building capacity to support our faculty and students; to continue expanding on the vital work we do. 

Some highlights include: 

• We served roughly 650 students – putting us close to pre-pandemic levels, and gave out $268,100 in scholarships. We also expanded our reach and visibility through support that allowed us to increase our marketing and outreach capacity. 
• Investments in our strategic initiatives allowed us to engage in a collaborative process of discovering ways to deepen our work, build community-oriented programs, deepen the quality of our advanced training program, and better connect our programs to engage students from ages 0 – 100 at any learning level. 
• We received funding from Baisley Powell, Assembly Member Danny O’Donnell, and Bay and Paul to continue renovating our building to create a safe, welcoming, and more accessible space for learning and community. 

In 2023-2024, year 2 of ROADMAP 2027, we’re honing in on deepening our impact & strengthening our connections to build upon 2022-2023’s capacity focus: 

• We will reach more students by allocating the highest projected financial aid yet for students in need, $300,000, and continue to expand our marketing and outreach through Northern Manhattan to increase our reach and impact. 
• We will focus on ensemble building, adult programming, and partnerships, providing more community and performance opportunities for our students of all ages. We will also build our partnership network and strengthen the connection between our programs.
• This summer and fall, we completed the renovation of our upper floors and office spaces, including a full-scale replacement of our basement pipe to ensure a safe working environment for our dedicated staff and continue our long-term planning to create a safe and inclusive learning environment for our community. 

To find out more about how we’re celebrating 59 years of Bloomingdale, visit our YOU ARE HERE page to find out more about how you can be a part of continuing this incredible journey Bloomingdale is on. You can also visit our events page to find out more about how you can join us for concerts, recitals, festivals, and other events as the year progresses. 

We could not have done any of this without our incredible Bloomingdale community. From the students we do it all for to the faculty who make the magic, the staff who keep the doors open, and the donors whose generous support makes this growth possible – you each are a part of every special moment that happens in the brownstone’s walls. 

All my best, 

Erika Atkins