Jeff Rothberg
We’re excited to announce the first installment of our new Community Spotlight series, where we’ll feature individuals and groups from Beam’s community of supporters. There is no better way to start than with artist Jeff Rothberg.
Jeff Rothberg is a New York street artist working across mediums and is best known for his digital work. Jeff graduated from Pratt Institute with Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design and has worked with clients such as Universal Music Group, Bad Boy Records, Rick Ross, French Montana, and many others.
Jeff first heard of Beam via our camp in New Hampshire. As a student at Pratt, he was given an assignment to design a sample website for this cool new camp in the woods - Beam Camp. After learning about Beam Camp and seeing it's impact on youth, including his own cousin, Jeff says, “Camp was amazing, and it was something I had never seen anything like before. I wish I had something like that when I was growing up. Everyone could be themselves and not have to fear the harsh reality of this world everyday.” Since then, Jeff has remained Beam’s close friend and donor.
Through his artistic practice, Jeff creates engaging and relevant pieces. Two that have received more attention are his original digital printed titled “BATTLE IN BROOKLYN” and the piece called “I SIT WITH KAEPERNICK,” both from 2016.
Sparking intense conversation, Jeff posted "I SIT WITH KAEPERNICK" on the streets of NYC in time for the NFL regular season kickoff. The piece was shared with Colin Kaepernick himself at a 2017 Know Your Rights Camp and is now on view at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures as part of a gallery focusing on Spike Lee, one of Jeff's private collectors.
Many have classified Jeff as an “activist artist” - a title he wears with pride - but he explains that his practice is all about creating art that reflects his values and what is happening around him. As a street artist, Jeff also makes the choice to tag his work with his full name. He believes that his identity as a Jewish man from Brooklyn is an important reference point for those engaging with his works - it’s important to know who it came from and what that says about the topics at hand.
To learn more about Jeff and his work, please visit his website.
We are grateful to have a strong, diverse community of supporters like Jeff that help us empower young people across NYC and who help make Beam what it is today.