Carefully Curated: BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn’s Own Diane Eber

Diane Eber/ photo courtesy of Linked In

As summer begins to kick off in Brooklyn, there is only one season-long outdoor Festival concert and performance series that highlights and celebrates musical talent everywhere from New York City, from around the world and around the block for 45 years: – BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!

Diane Eber, Artistic Director & Executive Director of the event told Brooklyn Roads about all things festival, music and more.  Growing up listening to jazz and classical music, Eber was on track to become a professional and classically trained clarinetist from a young age. It wasn’t until her time in college, however, that she realized booking shows was her passion. Now, in her 15th summer with the festival, Eber has worn many hats over the years in order to get the show on the road.

Phoebe Bridgers On Stage / © photo by Ellen Qbertplaya

Eber cited one of her main goals as Artistic Director this year was to open up the curatorial process, as she allowed for the festival’s first ever Artist Curator, Taja Cheek (L’rain).  “Adding her voice to the programming team has opened new avenues and I hope is working to break down some of the barriers between ‘curator’ and ‘artist,’ “ said Eber.

The crowd at Celebrate Brooklyn! / photo courtesy of BRIC Arts Media

Also having worked very hard to intentionally pair openers with headliners throughout the course of the festival is something Eber is very proud of, as each connection tells a deep story.  Eber even credits Brooklyn as a reason for the shaping of her musical creativity. After living in the borough for over 20 years, she says she has an appreciation for the sounds of the streets and the subways. 

“I love hearing music in every crack — it inspires me everyday.”  Speaking on what festival goers can expect this year at Celebrate Brooklyn! Eber says the big picture question here is “how do artists envision the future?” “Expect to be transported to other worlds by the sounds wafting from our stage,” Eber tells BK Roads. “The lineup reflects the rich diversity of Brooklyn and truly will take you around the globe. Our curatorial vision for the season is “Looking into the future while honoring our past” so we are reflecting on this throughout the lineup.”

One takeaway Eber hopes all audience members will take away from the summer-long celebration is artistic depth. She hopes that the audience recognizes how much time, effort, and care was put into the selecting and programming of this year’s shows.  

Now in its 45th year, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! 2023 will run through August 24 in Prospect Park.