As a child growing up in Flatbush and Crown Heights, actor Jamie Hector says he really didn’t discover the arts until around the age of 16.
Fast-forward two decades and Hector is a flourishing star in film and television, most known for his role as Marlo Stanfield on the HBO series The Wire and as Detective Jerry Edgar on the Amazon Prime series Bosch.
But it all got started in Brooklyn, after an acquaintance invited him to be a part of a local non-profit theater company called Tomorrow’s Future. That is where the seed was planted and his love for acting began to flower.
“I knew pretty immediately that this was the place where I belonged,” said Hector of the first few times he attended classes at Tomorrow's Future. “I suddenly had the space to learn how to be a creative person and a critical thinker.”
Now, as the founder of Moving Mountains, a Crown Heights-based nonprofit that offers free drama, dance, voice and acting classes, Hector is providing a similar space to hundreds of youth looking for the same artistic sanctuary.
“We build on their talents with a focus on their character,” said Hector. “And the energy is explosive.”
Moving Mountains provides mentorship and training for around 250 children each year, ages six through 24, after school and on the weekends. Classes include voice, drama, dance and script analysis workshops. Many former students are currently working on television, in movies and on stage and behind the scenes at the highest level.
Moving Mountains will hold its 15th annual gala and fundraiser on Tuesday, June 11, featuring a star-studded list of local celebrities and community leaders, including local entrepreneur and iHeart radio personality Angela Yee, who will be the host.
The honoree for the gala this year is basketball legend and former-Knick Charles Oakley. Oakley, though his nonprofit Charles Oakley Foundation, helps communities tackle hunger and poverty.
This year, Moving Mountains is looking to raise funding so that the programs can expand into a larger space, Hector said.
Collaborating with the actor and director this year is Richard Beavers, owner of the Richard Beavers Gallery, a premier contemporary art gallery that represents artists that investigate social and political issues at the forefront of the Black community.
Beavers is helping the nonprofit raise funds by donating a Frank Morrison and a Marcus Jansen painting worth $80,000 to the gala auction.
Beavers, who recalled his childhood filled with trips to museums with his mother when he was younger, said it was important for him and the artistic community in Brooklyn to “leave the door open” for the next generation.
“I feel the need to keep providing exposure to the younger kids so that they know they too can be part of the art world,” said Beavers, who represents emerging and mid-career contemporary artists.
He said it was important for him to open a gallery in his own neighborhood of Bedford Stuyvesant to help the community connect with art.
“If they don’t see it in their own neighborhoods, they might not get the chance to discover it,” said Beavers, who also has a second gallery location in SoHo.
Morrison, an acclaimed painter and childrens’ book illustrator, said nonprofits like Moving Mountains provide the space many young people need “to be seen.”
“We’re often told to put your brushes away and pick up that shovel,” Morrison said. “But when you know someone appreciates you and your artistic talents, it can change everything.”
Along with the two pieces donated by the Richard Beavers Gallery, celebrity photographer Johnny Nunez has also donated his one-of-a-kind images for sale to raise funds.
Hector said it was important to him to be able to provide the space and classes that made children feel like they had their own tribe.
“You’re doing something together, creating something and there’s like-minded people around you,” Hector said. “Moving Mountains allows the youth to have the space to go, grow and express themselves creatively.”
