Recess Activities Inc

What Recess Activities Inc does

Recess Activities Inc is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit arts organization founded in 2010 (firmographics date 2009) that operates free public art programs connecting contemporary artists, system-impacted youth, and community audiences. Its core offerings are four interlocking programs: Session, an artist-in-residence program using its public storefront as combined studio, exhibition venue, and experimental space; Assembly, a 40-week youth arts program for system-impacted young people aged 18-26 that serves as an alternative to incarceration; Critical Writing, an essay and reflection program paired with Session projects; and a Printshop for experimental printmaking and community workshops. Recess also produces recurring events such as the annual Brooklyn Art Book Fair (60+ publishers in 2026) and landmark exhibitions including 'Evidence of Becoming' (July 2026).

The organization operates from a single storefront headquarters at 46 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, with public hours Thursday through Saturday, and extends programming offsite through institutional partnerships with NYU Gallatin, the Whitney Museum, Pratt Institute, the Red Hook Community Justice Center, and For Freedoms, among others. There is no proprietary technology platform; Recess distributes its work through its website (recessart.org), social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X), email newsletter, Eventbrite for RSVPs, and earned media in outlets including The New York Times, Wired, and Artforum. Merchandise is sold via a Big Cartel storefront.

Its business model is that of a donation-supported 501(c)-style nonprofit: all core programming is free, with revenue derived from donations (accepted via the website) and modest merchandise sales. The organization carries no disclosed debt, equity, or grant funding in the source data, and is independently operated with no parent company or institutional investors on record.

Name

Recess Activities Inc

Legal name

Recess Activities Inc

Website

https://recessart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Recess Activities Inc is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit arts organization that runs free public programming combining artist residencies (Session) with a youth diversion program (Assembly) for system-impacted young people aged 18–26, alongside critical writing and printmaking programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations through their website and operates a store on Big Cartel for merchandise sales.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling art-related merchandise through Big Cartel platform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Recess Activities Inc is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that runs free public art programs combining artist residencies (Session), youth diversion programming (Assembly), critical writing, and printmaking from its storefront gallery. All exhibitions, workshops, and youth programs are offered free of charge to the public, supported by donations and a small merchandise store.

Product overview

Recess Activities Inc operates as a nonprofit arts organization offering artist-led public programming in Brooklyn, NY. The organization functions as a single unified offering centered on its physical gallery and community spaces, with four interconnected programs: Session (artist-in-residence), Assembly (youth arts diversion program), Critical Writing (essay program), and Printshop (printmaking facility). The organization presents rotating exhibitions and events, runs a Brooklyn Art Book Fair, and maintains an online store. Rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, Recess operates as an integrated arts organization where programs overlap and collaborate, with Assembly fellows frequently working alongside Session artists on collaborative projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Session Recess's signature artist-in-residence program that invites artists to use its public storefront space as a combined studio, exhibition venue, and grounds for experimentation, open to the public from the first day through the last of each residency.
• Assembly A youth arts program for system-impacted young people aged 18-26 that serves as an alternative to incarceration, empowering participants to take charge of their own life story through artistic expression and connections to working artists.
• Critical Writing A program exploring critical writing practices in conjunction with Session projects, featuring essays and reflections by writers and cultural producers.
• Printshop A printmaking facility and teaching space at Recess, operated by teaching artists, supporting experimental printing techniques and community workshops.
• Brooklyn Art Book Fair An annual art book fair presented by Endless Editions featuring independent publishers, artists, and presses. The 2026 edition is scheduled for July 10-12 and is free and open to all.
• Store (BigCartel) Online store powered by BigCartel selling merchandise, zines, and artwork produced by Recess artists and programs.
• Evidence of Becoming A landmark Assembly exhibition featuring 24 artists, 67+ artworks, workshops, performances, and a decade of collective transformation; on view July 18-August 15, 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• Diversion of both misdemeanor and felony charges through Assembly program
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYU Gallatin SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership through Assembly X NYU collaboration. NYU Gallatin Galleries hosts Assembly exhibitions and workshops. Includes collaborations since 2018 covering topics like Art and Abolition, Art | Education | Community Practice, and I Tried to Save Myself. Peer leaders and program educators co-curate programming with NYU faculty and students.
• Whitney Museum of American ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership including Assembly program workshops and performances hosted at the Whitney. Youth fellows participate in educational programming and internship opportunities. Historical collaboration dates to at least 2018.
• Red Hook Community Justice CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since Fall 2022 for Assembly programming. Assembly Fellows conduct visualization and embodiment exercises with youth enrolled in Justice Center programming. Focus on developing community safety alternatives without coercion, policing, or violence.
• Black & PinkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for Holiday Card Writing Event. Collaboration supports Black & Pink's work with incarcerated LGBTQ+ individuals through card writing and community engagement.
• The Free Black Women's LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with OlaRonke Akinmowo for writing workshop exploring afro-futurism, daydreaming, and world-building as part of Assembly programming.
• Yaa Samar! Dance TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkshop facilitation for creative tools for collective movement, led by Samaa Wakim and Samar Haddad King. Part of Assembly programming exploring Palestinian culture, history, and resilience.
• Pratt InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Political Intimacy project bringing together Recess: Assembly and Pratt Institute students to demystify and humanize local electoral candidates.
• Denniston HillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Session X Assembly collaboration (BARRO project). Shared land and knowledge for clay sourcing from Glen Wild, NY location.
• ENGN Civic Creative SpaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Session X Assembly collaboration (BARRO project). Clay sourced from Callicoon, NY location for communal potluck vessels and altar building.
• Socrates Sculpture ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in BARRO project network. Shared land and knowledge for exploring relationship with Lenapehoking/New York soil.
• ArtShack BrooklynminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in BARRO project network sharing land and knowledge for clay and soil exploration.
• For FreedomscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBillboard campaign collaboration exploring dimensions of carceral justice through creative programming and public art installations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Public Art Fund: NYC nonprofit producing temporary public art installations across the city. Highly comparable to Recess in mission (free, public-facing art), geography, and nonprofit funding model, though Public Art Fund operates at larger institutional scale.
• BRIC Arts Media: Brooklyn-based nonprofit presenting visual arts, performance, and media programming to the public for free. Geographic and operational peer — both anchor free public cultural programming in Brooklyn.
• Pioneer Works: Brooklyn-based nonprofit arts and community organization combining residencies, exhibitions, and public programs. Direct peer in the Brooklyn nonprofit arts space, with overlapping audience and community-led programming model.
• Creative Time: NYC-based nonprofit that commissions and presents public art projects. Closest direct peer to Recess's Session program — both produce free, artist-led public art programming in New York with a curatorial/edition-based model.
• The Laundromat Project: NYC nonprofit that brings arts programming into community spaces, with explicit focus on racial and social justice. Direct peer in combining art-making with social-equity mission similar to Recess's Assembly program.
• Project for Empty Space: Nonprofit art organization explicitly focused on social justice, equity, and identity. Closest peer to Recess in fusing art production with activism/abolition framing; similar scale and curatorial approach.
• Abrons Arts Center: Lower Manhattan community arts center offering residencies, exhibitions, and youth programs. Comparable as a small nonprofit arts org blending artist support, free public programs, and youth services.

Others

• Creative Capital: National nonprofit providing grants and career development to artists pursuing innovative work. Adjacent peer — Recess's Session program offers a similar artist-support function at local/community scale.

Emerging players

• More Art: NYC nonprofit commissioning socially-engaged public art. Comparable in curatorial focus and free public programming model, though smaller and less youth-program-focused than Recess.
• Free Arts NYC: NYC nonprofit providing arts-based mentoring to youth affected by incarceration and inequality. Most direct peer to Recess's Assembly program in mission and target population, though Recess focuses on ages 18-26.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/RecessArt
• Facebookfacebook.com/recessart
• Instagraminstagram.com/recessart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recessart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Recess Activities Inc