SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK INC

As filed

Subsection

03

NTEE code

S41Z

Classification

1000

Street

3201 VERNON BLVD

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2023

• EXHIBITIONSIN 2023, THE PARK'S PROGRAMMING FOCUSED ON ISSUES THAT HAVE REMAINED A CORE CONCERN FOR SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK SINCE ITS INCEPTION AS AN ARTIST-LED EXHIBITION SPACE CREATED ON A RECLAIMED WATERFRONT LANDFILL. THE PARK CONTINUES TO EMPHASIZE CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE BOTH IN ITS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING AND IN ITS EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING. FROM MAY - SEPTEMBER 2023, MARY MATTINGLY'S EXHIBITION EBB OF A SPRING TIDE WAS ON VIEW AT THE PARK AND TOOK THE WATER OF THE EAST RIVER AS ITS INSPIRATION. WATER CLOCK, A 65-FOOT LIVING SCULPTURE, WAS FABRICATED ON-SITE AND CARED FOR BY MANY PEOPLE AT SOCRATES AND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY WHO CAME BY TO FORAGE FROM THE SALT-TOLERANT PLANTS. THIS WORK WAS SO SUCCESSFUL AT INTEGRATING INTO THE PARK'S ECOSYSTEM THAT THE SALTWATER PLANTS THAT ARE NATIVE TO NEW YORK WILL REMAIN IN ORDER TO CONTINUE REROUTING FLOOD WATER BACK TO THE EAST RIVER. MATTINGLY'S EXHIBITION AND COLLABORATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PARK AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITY REPRESENTS OUR CONTINUED DEDICATION TO ADDRESSING CLIMATE CONCERNS IN A PUBLIC AND INCLUSIVE WAY.THE SOCRATES ANNUALOUR FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, THE SOCRATES ANNUAL 2023, SUPPORTED SIX ARTISTS INCLUDING, ASHLEY HARRIS, NDIVHUHO RASENGANI, BAT-AMI RIVLIN, KATE RUSEK, MARYAM TURKEY, AND STEFANIA URIST, WITH FINANCIAL, FABRICATION AND PRODUCTION ACCESS, AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. THE CENTRAL THEME OF LAST YEAR'S EXHIBITION REVOLVED AROUND TRANSFORMATION, ECHOING THE PARK'S EVOLUTION - FROM AN ABANDONED LANDFILL TO A FLOURISHING GATHERING SPACE. THESE FIVE PROJECTS REFLECT ON DIVERSE STAGES OF GROWTH, CHANGE, AND RENEWAL WHILE ALSO INVOKING A KEEN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW VISITORS USE THE SPACE, INFORMED BY THE ARTISTS' FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE FABRICATING THESE WORKS ON-SITE OVER THE SUMMER. MANY OF THESE WORKS WERE CONSTRUCTED WITH FOUND AND RECYCLED MATERIALS THAT HAVE BEEN INGENIOUSLY REPURPOSED, BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO OBJECTS THAT WERE ONCE DISCARDED OR CONSIDERED UNDESIRABLE. COLLECTIVELY, THESE ARTISTS COMPELLED VIEWERS TO VALUE THE HISTORIES EMBEDDED IN MATERIALS AND THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE. THE SOCRATES ANNUAL 2023 EXHIBITION OPENED TO THE PUBLIC ON OCTOBER 1 AND FEATURED AN EVENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SKOWHEGAN ALLIANCE. SKOWHEGANPERFORMS 2023 WAS A DAY OF NEW, SITE-SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE ART BY SKOWHEGAN ALUMNI THAT SHARED A THEMATIC PROMPT WITH THE SOCRATES ANNUAL. THE PERFORMANCES THIS YEAR RELATED TO "TRANSFORMATION" IN MANY FORMS, WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND HISTORY. THE SOCRATES ANNUAL 2023 CULMINATED WITH A CLOSING CELEBRATION ON MARCH 23, 2024 THAT INCLUDED A POETRY READING BY EMILY TODER IN DIALOGUE WITH UNTITLED (12 TUBS) BY BAT-AMI RIVLIN THAT MEDITATED ON NOTIONS OF DEBRIS, EXCESS, AND DISCARDED MATTER.PUBLIC AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMINGAS AN ARTIST-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION, WE SUPPORT ARTISTS IN THE CREATION OF AMBITIOUS CONTEMPORARY PUBLIC ART PROJECTS WHILE ALSO STRIVING TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY. CENTRAL TO OUR APPROACH IS AN EXTENSIVE ROSTER OF INCLUSIVE PUBLIC AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING THAT IN 2023 SERVED OVER 8,000 INDIVIDUALS. EVENTS AND LIVE PERFORMANCES, KAYAKING, YOGA CLASSES AND MEDITATION SESSIONS, OUR PUBLIC PROGRAMS CREATE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL. EDUCATION PROGRAMS INVITE INDIVIDUALS OF ALL AGES, ESPECIALLY FROM OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, TO ENGAGE WITH ART AND THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE. PLEASE SEE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF OUR 2023 OFFERINGS BELOW:IN 2023, THE PARK CONTINUED TO OFFER ITS CORE FOUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS: 1) FIELD GUIDE: ART, ECOLOGY & MINDFULNESS WORKSHOPS - ALL-LEVEL WORKSHOPS OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC SATURDAYS FROM MAY- OCTOBER AND TO LOCAL SUMMER CAMPS IN JULY AND AUGUST; 2) SCULPTURE STUDIO - A THREE-SESSION IN- SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS; 3) SOCRATEENS - A BY-APPLICATION TEEN MENTORING PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS; AND 4) SOCRATEENS RESILIENCE LAB (FORMALLY AH YES) - A PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR GROUNDS DEPARTMENT ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED FOR YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN NYCHA PROPERTIES IN WESTERN QUEENS TO LEARN ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.1. OUR FIELD GUIDE WORKSHOPS ARE FREE, HANDS ON, OPEN TO ALL AGES, FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS, AND ANY SKILL LEVEL. THEY EXPLORE SOCRATES' UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT WITH A SERIES OF EXPERIMENTAL WORKSHOPS THAT COMBINE ART MAKING WITH NATURAL MATERIALS, GARDENING, AND EXPERIMENTS IN SUSTAINABILITY THAT CELEBRATE THE SENSES. PART OF THIS YEAR'S SEASON PROGRESSES SEQUENTIALLY, FROM PLANTING TO HARVESTING TO COOKING A SHARED MEAL OR CREATING PLANT-BASED MEDICINES. THESE WORKSHOPS ALSO INCLUDE COLLABORATIONS WITH MANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS SUCH AS THE NOGUCHI MUSEUM, IDIG2LEARN, AND HELLGATE FARMS. OFFERED EACH WEEKEND, MAY THROUGH OCTOBER, THE REGULARITY OF THESE WORKSHOPS ALLOW PARTICIPANTS TO ENGAGE IN THE ENTIRE CYCLE, INTERACTING WITH OTHER REPEAT ATTENDEES AND TEACHING ARTISTS.2. SCULPTURE STUDIOTHE SCULPTURE STUDIO PROGRAM OPERATES AS THE "IN SCHOOL" COMPONENT OF SOCRATEENS, EFFECTIVELY SERVING AS ITS FEEDER PROGRAM. IT FUNCTIONS THROUGH A SERIES OF SEQUENTIAL VISITS: INITIALLY, A SOCRATES TEACHING ARTIST VISITS A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL TO INTRODUCE THE BASICS OF 3D ART AND SCULPTURE. NEXT, TEENS VISIT A PARK TO OBSERVE AND PLAN THEIR PROJECTS. FINALLY, DURING THE THIRD VISIT, THEY ENGAGE IN HANDS-ON CREATION EITHER AT THE PARK OR IN A CLASSROOM, DEPENDING ON THE AVAILABILITY OF SPACE. THIS STRUCTURED APPROACH INTRODUCES PARTICIPANTS TO THE ESSENCE OF THE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM, SOCRATEENS, ILLUSTRATING HOW IT ATTRACTS AND PREPARES ITS MEMBERS FOR FURTHER INVOLVEMENT. 3. SOCRATEENS SOCRATEENS IS A YEAR-LONG EXPERIMENTAL ART-MAKING PROGRAM FOR TEENS SELECTED FROM VARIOUS NYC HIGH SCHOOLS. MEETING WEEKLY AT THE PARK, THE SOCRATEENS WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER TO DEVELOP SCULPTURE-MAKING, DRAWING, PERFORMANCE, AND PHOTO/VIDEO SKILLS. THE PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES VISITS TO ARTIST STUDIOS, MUSEUMS, AND GALLERIES. SOCRATEENS EXPLORE ART MAKING IN NEW WAYS AND RECEIVE A MONTHLY ARTIST'S STIPEND OF $100. 4. SOCRATEENS RESILIENCE LABAFTER SOCRATEENS, THE NEXT SEQUENTIAL STEP WOULD BE TO SOCRATEENS RESILIENCE LAB WHERE PARTICIPANTS WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE THE PARK'S BUILT ENVIRONMENT, AND MAKE IT MORE SUSTAINABLE. IN 2023, PARTICIPANTS ADDED LIVING WALLS TO A THE GREEN ROOF THEY DESIGNED AND PRODUCED IN 2022. THE ROOF AND LIVING WALLS ARE NOW HOME TO HUNDREDS OF NATIVE PLANTS GROWING ON 28 TONS OF SOIL. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO PROVIDE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE, MENTORSHIP AND ENCOURAGES INDIVIDUAL GROWTH, WHILE WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM. OUR DEDICATED TEENS LEARN TO PROBLEM SOLVE, GET CREATIVE, AND USE THEIR HANDS TO CREATE A GREENER AND MORE CONSCIOUS WORLD, ACQUIRING THESE SKILLS ALONG THE WAY: LEARNING HOW TO HANDLE AND BUILD WITH TOOLS; BRAINSTORMING, DESIGNING, AND IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS; LEARNING ABOUT GREEN JOBS AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE; LEARNING ABOUT BANKING AND FINANCIAL LITERACY; AND LEARNING ABOUT WELLNESS AND MINDFULNESS.IN 2023, SCULPTURE STUDIO, SOCRATEENS, AND SOCRATEENS RESILIENCE LAB HAD APPROXIMATELY 380 ATTENDANTS WHILE THE FIELD GUIDE PROGRAM WELCOMED AROUND 540 PARTICIPANTS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. OVERALL, INTEGRATING PUBLIC AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING PARTICIPANTS, SOCRATES SERVED OVER 200,000 VISITORS TOTAL THROUGHOUT 2023, WHICH REMAINS FREE OF CHARGE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

  Expenses $1,305,346 · Grants $50,801 · Revenue $46,318

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2023

As listed in Part VII of the 2023 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

• 2023

  Revenue

  $1,597,805

  Expenses

  $1,891,364

  Contributions

  $1,485,106

  Grants paid

  $50,801

• 2022

  Revenue

  $1,339,934

  Expenses

  $1,814,115

  Contributions

  $1,313,074

  Grants paid

  $81,509

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

• 2021 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,618,350

  Expenses

  $2,712,347

  Assets (EOY)

  $3,645,679

• 2020 · 990

  Revenue

  $1,201,186

  Expenses

  $1,564,588

  Assets (EOY)

  $3,820,139

• 2019 · 990

  Revenue

  $1,559,852

  Expenses

  $1,641,117

  Assets (EOY)

  $4,091,149

• 2018 · 990

  Revenue

  $2,788,015

  Expenses

  $1,451,703

  Assets (EOY)

  $4,181,493

• 2017 · 990

  Revenue

  $1,876,307

  Expenses

  $1,330,090

  Assets (EOY)

  $2,837,735

• 2016 · 990

  Revenue

  $1,857,527

  Expenses

  $1,410,577

  Assets (EOY)

  $2,302,634

• 2015 · 990

  Revenue

  $1,223,122

  Expenses

  $1,243,498

  Assets (EOY)

  $1,799,491

• 2014 · 990

  Revenue

  $1,525,105

  Expenses

  $1,079,184

  Assets (EOY)

  $1,849,100

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

• FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

  $478,130

  2024 · For grant recipient's exempt purposes

• TIDES FOUNDATION

  $425,000

  2024 · HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES

• NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TR

  $255,000

  2024 · RELIGION

• TIDES FOUNDATION

  $143,000

  2022 · HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES

• SWISS INSTITUTE

  $130,808

  2024 · COALITION EFFORT OF MID-SIZED ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN NEW YORK CITY.

• TIDES FOUNDATION

  $125,000

  2023 · HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES

• CITY PARKS FOUNDATION INC

  $30,000

  2022 · MAINTAIN, PROGRAM AND ACTIVATE NYC OPEN SPACES

• SWISS INSTITUTE

  $21,667

  2025 · COALITION EFFORT OF MID-SIZED ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN NEW YORK CITY.

• CITY PARKS FOUNDATION INC

  $20,000

  2023 · MAINTAIN, PROGRAM AND ACTIVATE NYC OPEN SPACES

• SWISS INSTITUTE

  $18,806

  2023 · COALITION EFFORT OF MID-SIZED ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN NEW YORK CITY.

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Other IRS files