BRUJAS is a heritage skateboard brand and arts based activism collective based in NYC.
Founded in 2014 in the Bronx, BRUJAS NYC was the first popular alternative women’s skateboarding crew of their generation in NYC. BRUJAS collective published stories on the internet and in the popular press, working to support a worldwide movement for feminist change not only in skateboarding, but popular culture at large.
Every year BRUJAS has explored new themes, mediums, and organizing strategies, making our work “freeform” by nature. Each special project engages a specific theme dedicated to our founding community. BRUJAS is comprised of activists, skateboarders, musicians and healers ! In 2020 BRUJAS NYC founded BRUJAS World Syndicate to grow our movement and strengthen our relationship to organizers around the world ! This formal membership program inspired by union organizing presents engagement opportunities to the public. Check out BRUJAS World for opportunities to join and get involved !
Check out our archive and press timeline to get a better feel for our method, what we’ve done, and where we are going !
2014 – Founding Summer !
photo: Apneet Kaur
2014 was a wildly exciting summer for Sheyla and Arianna, two best friends who founded the collective. Inspired by their good friends George and Julio who were filming a video for Washington Heights based skateshop “Casino,” they came up with the name “BRUJAS” and decided to film a video themselves. That summer they would host a few house parties in The Heights as well, bringing the skate community together to dance. Read the first ever article published on BRUJAS in the Browntourage archive !
2015 ! – Calling all Women Uptown !
photos: Stephanie Griffin
in 2015 BRUJAS crew grew to include women from all over New York City. Most membership, however, was based uptown in Washington Heights and The Bronx. BRUJAS hosted “SUCIA” at Elvis Guesthouse in the East Village, offering the public access to their legendary parties !
Picking up some press on The Cut and Dazed Digital , BRUJAS began to become inspired by the possibility of changing popular culture.
“They began throwing parties together, branding themselves Brujas — the witches. Before long, they’d formed a loose collective of young, mostly Latinas with a set of common interests: skateboarding, gender and race politics, New York City, anti-imperialism, partying, inclusivity.” — Carrie Battan
“Skateboarding is inherently political: intertwined with the structures of public space, questioning ownership of private property, creating small moments of performed resistance. So it makes sense that through skating, the Brujas open up conversations about gentrification and colonialism. The fact that skateboarding is often stereotyped as an act of wreaking havoc on public spaces is a notion loaded with histories to be unpacked.” — Liz Pelly
2016 ! – BRUJAS TO THE WORLD ! DIY Art & Activism !
Activists and family members joined BRUJAS in 2016 to facilitate global public activism amongst the collective. 2016 included the launch of the “1971” project online and at Art Basel in Miami in partnership with Future Archives. The “BRUJA War” tour in California, the first Anti Prom party in Brooklyn, and the beginning of their GHE20G0TH1K residency ! A slew of fashion and popular culture published press featuring BRUJAS work !
“Brujas are known for being a radical force of organizers promoting femme power in skate parks, championing diversity in music line-ups, and creating gender-inclusive spaces for the youth of New York City.” — Barbara Calderon
Early Press: Vogue, New York Times, Hypebae, Hypebeast, VICE, W Magazine
1971 Press: Dazed, GQ Style, W Magazine
Anti Prom: Viceland Anti Prom Recap
BRUJA War: Remezcla
2017 ! – More Special Collections, and the Infamous Boat Party !
2017 was a big organizing year for BRUJAS including the release of 2 special collections. Starting with “Soft Serve” SS17, which they released at an Ice Cream Social event at Ray’s Candy Store in the East Village. BRUJAS were awarded their first art residency in May of 2017, the Recess Gallery “Session” in collaboration with Željka Blakšić.
Summer included Anti Prom 2 hosted on the Circle Line Cruise with up and coming talent from NYC including Cardi B, Yaeji, and Gloss Gang. BRUJAS then released a syllabus called “Each One Teach One” alongside the FW18 collection, activating the concept at a community “Teach-In” during fashion week. Read more press on the project here: GQstyle, Snobette Lookbook, DazedDigital, & BillBoard
Anti Prom 2 Boat Party Press: Office Magazine Cover: Brujas & Gypsy Sport Anti Prom, Fader, Out, MTV, PaperMag
2018 – Seize Bellevue, Anti Prom 3, and a show at Performance Space New York !
In 2018 we independently published a breakthrough text and collection called “Seize Bellevue,” with contributions from experts in mental health and harm reduction. The collection premiered at “Bring Down The Walls” produced by artist Phil Collins and Creative Time. BRUJAS also produced our third Anti Prom event with RedBull music festival opening a groundbreaking art installation with Performance Space New York. In collaboration with skateboarder and industrial designer Jonathan Olivares the show/installation titled “BRUJAS Training Facility” ran for 3 weeks as an public performance piece and installation with workshops, a library/book-swap, and unique, one of a kind skate obstacles.
Press: Vogue, Artsy, Office Magazine, Performance Space New York
2019 NYC Pride, Anti Prom
In 2019 BRUJAS released 2 large collections that addressed the impact of I*C*E. “Own Goal” and “TSA” hosted innovative designs paired with community organizing. A soccer tournament, NARCAN training, PSA style short film featuring the collection, performance at the MoMA Pop Rally in The Bronx, and guerilla-style fashion intervention at the airport made 2019 a highly progressive year for BRUJAS.
BRUJAS hosted their 4th Anti-Prom in coalition with The Skate Kitchen at Lucky Cheng’s Drag Cabaret.
Press: The Face, Good Trouble , Teen Vogue
2020 Performance Space and more
In 2020 BRUJAS participated in Performance Space New York’s Residency takeover program titled “02020,” facilitated by curator Jenny Schlenzka and Sarah Michelson. This residency spanned the entire, difficult year and took on a few forms. The BWS [ BRUJAS World Syndicate ] 2021 membership orientation magazine compiled several of the project materials developed throughout the residency including a syllabus and group course titled “Wages For Housework.” During this residency BRUJAS launched BRUJAS World Syndicate and Radio Bonita, creating an entirely new membership program and platform. The idea was to create an alternative structure for cultural organizers in NYC that wasn’t dependent on corporate sponsorship and funding. BRUJAS encouraged over 500 people to join BRUJAS World Syndicate as Members, and hosted hundreds of DJS on their new airwave.
Press: New York Times, Art Forum, Cultured Mag
2021 Post Pandemic Healing
In 2021 BRUJAS World launched their Mental and Physical Health database with a special collaboration with Shine Acupuncture Clinic in Washington Heights. This database, inspired by the challenges of the pandemic represented ways in which communities might take charge of their healthcare in the face of a failing system. The collection featured an all-over acupuncture sweatsuit design, a membership card that resembled a health insurance ID, and a beautiful campaign shot across 2 different cities ( SF & NYC ) representing the expansion of small collectives of active BRUJAS World organizers. Check out the collection featured in the 2023 Membership orientation magazine and in the press !
Video: BRUJAS WORLD and Shine Acupuncture Clinic
Press: Hypebae
2022-23 BRUJAS World San Francisco
In 2022 BRUJAS Published their first original score for the Skate Dreams documentary. BRUJAS spent many months composing, mixing, and finalizing original music for this film, which premiered at SXSW in Austin Texas. BRUJAS also dropped the notorious “CAP” hoodie calling attention to the abuse of the mass retail industry on artist and factory labor. This drop, influenced by the collaboration between Kanye West and GAP, was produced and released in San Francisco, the original founding city of The Gap. BRUJAS premiered a holiday collection at Lowkey Skateshop in San Francisco called H22’O which featured the “ICE logo” design work of BRUJAS World Member George Perkins. In the summer BRUJAS supported their member Katherine Rose in her production of a Block Party titled “Big Break” sponsored by DePave in Portland, Oregon. In September BRUJAS World produced an event in NYC titled “LES CLASS REUNION” that worked to explain and understand the public event permitting process in NYC and bring together the coalition of organizations representing BRUJAS World.
Press: Dolores Magazine ( Print), Thrasher Magazine
2023 “Wages For Housework”
In 2023 BRUJAS announced the first BRUJAS World design forum titled “Wages For Housework” building off the syllabus and zine produced by the NYC membership. The idea for the forum was to allow for the membership to develop their own art and designs based on the research the collective did together. The design forum resulted in beautiful work by artist members: Cherry Bogue, Veronica St. Jane, Jacob Hennings, Sue De Beer, Arianna Gil, Lyndell Brookhouse-Gil, and Katherine Rose. BRUJAS World in SF were granted a gallery show by the SF New Deal [ Vacant 2 Vibrant ] in downtown San Francisco where they programmed Radio Shows, Workshops, and Performances inside of their installation.
Film and photos by Sue de Beer
2024 St Francis
BRUJAS held their 2024 Anti-Prom in the downtown San Francisco Civic Center in partnership with Market Street Arts. In 2024 BRUJAS World began their internship partnership with the LGBT Center, working with high school students in NYC to create artwork, public events, and to serve and engage the membership.
Brujas Art Residencies
SF New Deal [ Anti Prom 5 , Wages For Housework Design Forum ]