LOVE IS THE MESSAGE
Award-winning NYC grant exhibition combating bias and hate.
HOW CAN WE SHAPE A CITY WHERE EVERYONE FEELS THEY BELONG?
How do we create spaces where others feel safe, valued, and connected? What’s your solution to help make our communities feel kinder, and more just?
Your word matters! Take a moment to read through the five questions. Head over to the mural. Add your word to the collective artwork.
How do we create spaces where others feel safe, valued, and connected? What’s your solution to help make our communities feel kinder, and more just?
Your word matters! Take a moment to read through the five questions. Head over to the mural. Add your word to the collective artwork.
- In one word, how can you help others feel safe?
- What’s one word that shows someone they belong?
- In one word, how can you help others feel valued?
- What’s one word that builds trust across differences?
- What’s one word that invites connection?
April 27 2025 | 3–6 PM | Betty Carter Auditorium, Major Owens Community Center (Brooklyn)
June 13 2025 | 6–9 PM | By Alexander (Manhattan)
Final Community Project Canvas Donated to NYC Office Fr The Prevention of Hate Crimes
LOVE IS THE MESSAGE: SYNOPSIS
LOVE IS THE MESSAGE is an interactive art and dance experience created by artist Julia Kito Kirtley. With art, music, live painting, dance performances, and a participatory cityscape mural, Kito presents a time and space that nurtures and inspires, inviting connection through the practice of shared creativity. Each moment of the event is designed to be a spark - an interaction that resonates long after it ends, reminding us that despite our differences, we can co-create beauty and understanding.
The performances showcase NYC’s underground dance community and highlight the global impact of street dance culture, paying tribute to a wide range of dance styles and musical genres, from Jazz and Disco to Hip Hop and House. New York City, as its epicenter, and with its rich diversity and history of artistic expression, exemplifies the value and importance of building community and shared experiences.
This edition is made possible through a community project grant from the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and the NYC Commission on Human Rights, and is produced in collaboration with the Carey Gabay Foundation and Miss Athena Productions. The initiative uses the Arts to counter hate and celebrate diversity, uniting communities locally and inspiring people worldwide. With themes underscored by slogans like “NYC be kind” and “Make art not war,” this project amplifies the simple yet powerful truth: LOVE IS THE MESSAGE.
Exhibition Dates:
April 27 2025 | 3–6 PM | Betty Carter Auditorium, Major Owens Community Center (Brooklyn)
June 13 2025 | 6–9 PM | By Alexander (Manhattan)
LOVE IS THE MESSAGE is an interactive art and dance experience created by artist Julia Kito Kirtley. With art, music, live painting, dance performances, and a participatory cityscape mural, Kito presents a time and space that nurtures and inspires, inviting connection through the practice of shared creativity. Each moment of the event is designed to be a spark - an interaction that resonates long after it ends, reminding us that despite our differences, we can co-create beauty and understanding.
The performances showcase NYC’s underground dance community and highlight the global impact of street dance culture, paying tribute to a wide range of dance styles and musical genres, from Jazz and Disco to Hip Hop and House. New York City, as its epicenter, and with its rich diversity and history of artistic expression, exemplifies the value and importance of building community and shared experiences.
This edition is made possible through a community project grant from the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and the NYC Commission on Human Rights, and is produced in collaboration with the Carey Gabay Foundation and Miss Athena Productions. The initiative uses the Arts to counter hate and celebrate diversity, uniting communities locally and inspiring people worldwide. With themes underscored by slogans like “NYC be kind” and “Make art not war,” this project amplifies the simple yet powerful truth: LOVE IS THE MESSAGE.
Exhibition Dates:
April 27 2025 | 3–6 PM | Betty Carter Auditorium, Major Owens Community Center (Brooklyn)
June 13 2025 | 6–9 PM | By Alexander (Manhattan)
WHAT’S A HATE CRIME + WHY IT MATTERS
A Hate Crime is “a criminal offense committed in whole or in part because of a bias against a person or group based on race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, or disability.” -NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes.
Hate crimes are not just personal. They send a message of fear and division to entire communities.
Hate crimes leave lasting wounds. The ongoing stress, fear, and isolation damage a person’s health and well-being.
Learn more at the links below: nyc.gov/stophate
A Hate Crime is “a criminal offense committed in whole or in part because of a bias against a person or group based on race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, or disability.” -NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes.
Hate crimes are not just personal. They send a message of fear and division to entire communities.
Hate crimes leave lasting wounds. The ongoing stress, fear, and isolation damage a person’s health and well-being.
Learn more at the links below: nyc.gov/stophate
