Community Folk Art Center

The Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) is a gallery and cultural arts center affiliated with Syracuse University’s Department of African American Studies, dedicated to promoting and preserving the art of the African Diaspora. Located on East Genesee Street, the center pairs a public exhibition gallery with a Black Box Theatre used for performance, film and community events.

Atmosphere and Setting

CFAC reads as a community cultural hub first and a performance venue second — the Black Box Theatre is an intimate, flexible space rather than a traditional concert room, which suits the spoken-word-and-music format of its signature open mic. The center draws a mix of Syracuse University students, faculty and Syracuse residents, and its free-admission policy keeps the room accessible to first-time performers and audiences alike.

Snaps & Taps Open Mic Night

CFAC’s recurring open mic, Snaps & Taps, is held on selected Wednesday evenings from about 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Black Box Theatre. It is free and open to the public, and welcomes poetry, spoken word and music in roughly equal measure. Hosting duties rotate among community artists — recent editions have been led by Randum and by Doclogik with guest performer Cheeki Williams — which keeps the night’s tone and format shifting slightly from month to month.

Other Programming

Beyond Snaps & Taps, CFAC runs a full calendar of gallery exhibitions, film screenings, gallery talks and studio classes covering disciplines such as dance and ceramics, reflecting its broader mission as a cultural institution for the Syracuse area.

For Performers

Because Snaps & Taps is free, all-ages and rotates hosts, it functions as one of the more low-pressure rooms in Syracuse for poets and musicians to try new material in front of a supportive crowd.

Good to Know

Community Folk Art Center is located at 805 E Genesee St, Syracuse, NY 13210. Since Snaps & Taps runs on selected Wednesdays rather than a fixed weekly schedule, check the Syracuse University events calendar or CFAC’s own listings to confirm the next date.