And the 2014 Awardees are…

As is tradition, every year at the DUMBO Improvement District’s Annual Meeting, we honor individuals and organizations in DUMBO who have contributed to the neighborhood in a significant way with a Magic Feather, and highlight those doing fascinating and impactful work in their industries with a DUMBO Dozen Award.

The 2014 Magic Feather Award will be bestowed upon:

• David, Jane, and Jed Walentas. This family has a long list of community contributions including the Two Trees Cultural Space Subsidy Program, more than $200,000 in grants to Neighborhood Schools in NYC, funding and commissioning public art throughout DUMBO, sponsorship of the DUMBO Arts Festival for the last five years, and the donation of Jane's Carousel to Brooklyn Bridge Park.

And the following will be crowned the DUMBO Dozen:

• Automatic Studios. Named aone of the "30 Best After School Programs For Kids” by Time Out New York, Automatic Studios is a fantastic DUMBO-based program teaching kids to become filmmakers. Check out our Q+A here.
• BioLite. As of this year, BioLite camp stoves can be found in REI, L.L.Bean, EMS, BassPro, Montbell, Field & Stream, Cabela's and around the world. This year, BioLite BaseCamp went on to be one of the most successful campaigns in Kickstarter history in just 30 days, joining the ranks of projects that crossed the $1M dollar mark. BioLite also won the Fast Company Innovation By Design Award in the Social Good category for HomeStove work in India and Sub-Saharan Africa. Check out our Q+A here.
• Brooklyn Arts Council. In 2014 alone, BAC awarded over 160 grants totaling nearly $300,000 to artists and arts organizations in Brooklyn. BAC’s Creative Coalitions program combines community organizing and technical assistance to build arts infrastructure and spur community development in Brownsville, East New York, and southern/eastern Bushwick.
• Brooklyn United. A culture-led, results-driven digital agency. Their broad range of clients include Brooklyn's first public graduate school for filmmakers, the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, non-profits, educational institutions, and DUMBO denizens Guerin Glass Architects and Alloy Development. Check out our Q+A here.
• Inaba. It was an epic 2014 for this architectural design firm. Inaba received several awards for Red Bull Music Academy including: AIANY Design Merit Award, Architizer Architecture + Workspace A+ Award, International Association of Lighting Designers Award of Excellence, GE Edison Lighting Merit Award, and Core 77 Design Merit Award. They also completed Red Bull's NY Offices, won a design competition for the Flatiron BID, completing a public art installation in Flatiron Plaza, and Principal Darien Williams was selected as Finalist in Curbed National's Young Guns Awards.
• Todd Masters, Folioleaf + Masters Projects. Todd now has two gallery spaces in DUMBO. One hosts shows for Folioleaf, an online platform that provides affordable fine art collectors editions by the art world's rising stars. The other, Masters Projects, actively represents an international group of renowned contemporary artists.
• John Ensor Parker. Local artist and projection rock star— presenting work from Dallas to a solo show in Barcelona to the rotunda of the Guggenheim and working with brands like Tiffany & Co. and Martha Stewart. DUMBO has long been the beneficiary of John's amazing talent.Red Antler.
• Red Antler. In addition to solidifying their DUMBO roots by quadrupling their space at 20 Jay, opening a co-working community, and building an in-office bar, branding company Red Antler spent 2014 partnering with some of the world’s most exciting startups. They helped launch Aloha, a healthy living company; worked with Tyra Banks to create a brand, packaging, and e-commerce experience for her new cosmetics line; built a new identity for Foursquare; and launched Casper, a direct-to-consumer mattress brand that hit its first year sales projections in two months. Check out our Q+A here.
• Frank Riley, Norton Edwards. Production company Norton Edwards has emerged as the go-to firm for high quality major productions in New York City public spaces. Frank has orchestrated everything from art installations to large-scale Superbowl events for clients from our very own DUMBO Arts Festival to AT&T, Bank of America, and One Bryant Park.
• Dread Scott. Local artist Dread Scott has been making waves with his interdisciplinary art around the world. His art has been exhibited/performed at MoMA/PS1, Pori Art Museum (Finland), Brooklyn Academy of Music, and galleries and street corners across the country.  This year, Scott performed "On the Impossibility of Freedom in a Country Founded on Slavery and Genocide" with More Art in the Archway Under the Manhattan Bridge.
• DJ Kai Song. This year, 10-year-old DJ Kai (son of Randi Song, owner of DUMBO's Half Pint Citizens) became the youngest DJ to perform at Pacha NYC, hosted his first radio show (which was broadcast on KTU here in NY and 37 radio stations globally), won a competition to become the opening DJ at the Thank You Festival in Maryland, DJing alongside Tiësto, Above & Beyond, and Krewella, and became an ambassador for the Childhood Foundation. Read more about DJ Kai here.
• Trunk. DUMBO's fabulous indie fashion HQ, Trunk celebrated its 5th year of outfitting some of New York's most stylish. Owners Natasha, Radka, and Aimee have created a warm and welcoming space for friends, neighbors, and visitors from around the world. Check out our Q+A here.