Believe in East New York

  • The team members’ completed mural incorporates bold colors and imagery that illustrates the history of East New York, as well as their imagined hopes for the future of their neighborhood.
  • During the first design pitch, members of the team took turns to present all of their ideas that they wished to incorporate into their mural and why they believed they were fitting to represent East New York.
  • A community partner takes a long look at the final mural design and all of its fine details.
  • With a mock-up drawing in hand, this youth member carefully uses gridding to help transfer the drawing’s outlines from a small to large scale.
  • Working together, the team paints their message about East New York in large yellow lettering which reads, “We Believe in East New York.”
  • The team included well-known figures from their community. This section of detailed image honors DONDI, an East New York native. DONDI was one of the most influential graffiti artists from the mid 70’s through the 80’s and is renowned for his stylistic characters.

Project Description

“Believe in East New York” was developed for a neglected but highly visible wall outside the Broadway Junction subway station in East New York to help revitalize the community through the creation of locally-inspired public artwork. Youth artists were recruited from throughout New York City, with a particular focus on engaging young people from the immediate neighborhood through our partnership with Aspirations Diploma Plus High School, a transfer high school which is located directly across the street from the project site. During their research, the young people investigated the history of the historic neighborhood. They also interviewed local residents to gather a series of oral histories outlining opportunities and concerns facing the community. The mural design balances vibrant historical imagery with illustrations of the young people’s aspirations and hopes for the future of their neighborhood. “We Believe In and Love East New York” is written across the expanse of the wall, with a film strip motif and a style inspired by influential East New York graffiti artist DONDI. The mural includes archival imagery uncovered by the youth muralists during the research stage and illustrates the history of transportation and recent revitalization efforts in the area.

Comments

I was honored to be part of the Summer program at Aspirations HS, even if it was only for a few hours. Keep up the great work! Also check out http://artseastny.org. They are doing the Trayvon Martin mural on the other side of ENY. I have blogged about Groundswell twice: http://ianlynphotography.tumblr.com
Really A Honor Working With Grounswell athis summer.
WE HAD SO MUCH FUN .... I Was Glad To Be Apart Of This ...

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Project Info

Fun Facts

Quote
“I am grateful for the opportunity to change a community through a mural. People pass by every day and see young kids who don’t have to be here but who want to work to better their neighborhood.” – Youth Artist Maleek Joseph
Suggested Activity
Research famed East New York graffiti artist DONDI and create an original work of street art in his style.
Research
Over half of East New York’s population of 90,000 residents lives below the poverty line and receives public assistance. At the same time, East New York is one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in Brooklyn.