The NYC Arts Cypher is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2006 by

Charlie Balducci Charlie Balducci (August 29, 1975 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor. He appeared on a 2002 episode of MTV's ''True Life'' entitled "I'm Getting Married," which documented his wedding to Sabrina. Balducci also owned a non-profit A no ...

with the intention of creating a safe place for the youth of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

to express themselves and detour them from crime. Since its inception the NYC Arts Cypher has hosted various events that have raised awareness to issues such as bullying, prescription drug abuse, 9/11,

vandalism Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property. The term includes property damage, such as graffiti and defacement directed towards any property without permission of the owner. The term ...

, and more. The organization offers creative services, from video production to event planning. The center is a 501c3 non-profit organization and is funded primarily from the creative services they offer. Their second largest source of revenue is their annual Halloween haunted house.

Location

The NYC Arts Cypher services all of

, but it is located in the Stapleton neighborhood of Staten Island on Broad Street.

Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

Due to

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

in 2012, the center was unable to host their annual Halloween fundraiser, which raised questions of whether the center would be able to continue to keep its doors open. The center was able to come together and hosted “I Heart NYC Arts Cypher” on Valentine's Day 2013 to offset the loss from Hurricane Sandy.

Awards

In 2010, the NYC Arts Cypher was awarded “best documentary short” at the Staten Island Film Festival for their documentary, "M.U.R.A.L". The film took a glimpse into the world of graffiti art, the artists behind it, and addressed the misconceptions and stereotypes behind the art form.

References

External links

*{{Official website, http://www.nycartscypher.com/ Youth organizations based in New York City Arts organizations based in New York City Non-profit organizations based in New York City Arts organizations established in 2006 2006 establishments in New York City