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1. Unveiling: Los Círculos

   October 1, 2025 10:08 am Comments Off on Unveiling: Los Círculos

   CLOTH and Van Alen Institute Unveil Los Círculos, New Lighting Installation in Washington Heights

   LED canopies illuminate Plaza de las Americas and Duarte Triangle through July 2026

   

   

   

   View and download photos here.

   (New York, NY—October 1, 2025) — Van Alen Institute and Community League of the Heights (CLOTH) are pleased to announce Los Círculos, on view October 1, 2025 through July 2026, and made possible through a $100,000 Public Realm Grant from the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS). Inspired by how people form circles for dancing, celebration, and gathering, this multi-site lighting installation aims to increase a sense of joy, unity, and belonging in Washington Heights. Los Círculos is designed by multidisciplinary design studio Marvel, in collaboration with an interdisciplinary coalition of neighborhood organizations and design experts.

   Los Círculos illuminates two locations in Washington Heights:

   • Plaza de las Americas, located at 175th Street and Broadway, directly in front of Washington Heights’ landmarked theater United Place — through NYC DOT Art Partners, a collaboration with the New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program, NYC DOT Art

   • David Friedland Square (also known as Duarte Triangle), a small public park located at 170th Street and Broadway — through the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation’s Art in the Parks Program

   Soft illumination from two large undulating circles transforms these spaces, creating an inviting space for interaction while increasing visibility at night. The piece harnesses the kinetic energy of the neighborhood, embodying a sense of movement within the design. Los Círculos emphasizes the significance of public space and its critical role in the social and cultural life of the Washington Heights community. Made with LED lights and aluminum, Los Círculos has a lightweight design and minimal footprint, ensuring uninterrupted access to these public spaces and their ongoing events, such as the seasonal GrowNYC farmers market at Plaza de las Americas.

   On Tuesday, September 30, CLOTH and Van Alen Institute hosted a public unveiling event. The project team illuminated both locations of Los Círculos, accompanied by a drum line led by Manhattan Samba and salsa music by María y Simón.

   In the coming months, CLOTH and United Palace will also host a series of public events centered under Los Círculos, including salsa evenings, silent dance parties, and holiday activities. Visit cloth159.org and unitedpalace.org for information about upcoming events.

   PROJECT TEAM

   • Producers: Community League of the Heights, Van Alen Institute
   • Designer: Marvel
   • Lighting Designer: Buro Happold
   • Structural Engineer: TYLin 
   • Fabricator: A05 Studio
   • Community Partners: Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation, NewYork-Presbyterian, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, United Palace
   • City Partners: NYC Department of Small Business Services, NYC Department of Transportation, NYC Department of Parks

   Yvonne Stennett, Executive Director, Community League of the Heights, said: “We are thrilled to once again partner with Van Alen Institute on this unique and inspirational project! The professionalism and experience integral to this process resulted in a stunning lighting installation for our Washington Heights community and beyond to enjoy. We look forward to seeing the awestruck expressions on everyone’s faces. A special recognition to all of our community partners for their diligence, dedication and patience, and hats off to Marvel for their one-of-a-kind designers’ eye.”

   Hayley Eber, Executive Director, Van Alen Institute, said: “Los Círculos exemplifies Van Alen’s commitment to creating a welcoming, vibrant public realm in New York City. Encouraging togetherness and joy, Marvel’s design is a true spotlight on these important public spaces serving Washington Heights. We’re honored to continue our longstanding partnership with CLOTH, and sincerely thank our coalition of designers, local leaders, and city agencies for their dedication to community-building through collaboration.”

   Tim Fryatt, Partner, Marvel, said: “Los Círculos is inspired by communal celebration in the public square, a cultural tradition deeply embedded in the neighborhood’s Latin American diaspora. We hope Los Círculos fosters interaction and promotes a sense of belonging, adding light and joy to the neighborhood — perhaps inspiring people to dance! Marvel is grateful to be working with such a dedicated team: the incredible vision and leadership at Van Alen, the insights of our community partners, the ingenuity of the fabricator A05 Studio, and our creative and thorough design colleagues at TYLin and Buro Happold.”

   NYC Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Dynishal Gross said: “SBS’s Public Realm Grants are about making our neighborhoods brighter and more livable for the New Yorkers living, working, and visiting them. This public art project, Los Círculos, at Plaza de las Americas does exactly that, and will serve as an example of what our shared spaces can be. We are proud to support both Van Alen Institute and CLOTH as they do the work to strengthen our commercial corridors with real, tangible improvements to the public realm.”

   NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said: “Everyone loves a good September ‘glow up,’ and thanks to Los Círculos, the iconic Plaza de las Americas and David Friedland Square will shine bright for all New Yorkers to enjoy. Our agency is proud to administer one of the largest municipal public art programs in the nation and we are grateful to Van Alen, CLOTH, and Marvel for their partnership.”

   NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa said: “Public art has the power to transform our shared spaces, enhancing our parks and plazas and creating moments of wonder and reflection. With Los Círculos, New Yorkers are invited to interact with our urban environment in new and engaging ways, shining a new light — literally — on these beloved neighborhood spaces. We’re grateful to our partners at CLOTH and Van Alen Institute as well as our sister agencies for their work to bring this beautiful art to Washington Heights.” 

   Domingo Cruz, Executive Director, Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation said: “We are proud to contribute to a project that literally and figuratively lights up our community. The flowing, skirt-inspired lights echo the traditions and stories carried by our people, while creating an open, inclusive space where neighbors can connect. Together with our partners, we are illuminating both our heritage and our shared future.”

   Mike Fitelson, CEO, United Palace said: “The United Palace has long hoped Plaza de las Americas would grow into the welcoming community space we all know it can become. We hope Los Círculos inspires a new cohort of artists and community organizers to imagine how they can help transform the Plaza into a welcome mat for all of Washington Heights.”

   Sandra Harris, Vice President, Academic and Community Partnerships at Columbia University Irving Medical Center said: “We’re proud to partner with our community to help revitalize Duarte Triangle. Los Círculos will stand as a beacon of life and safety. Special thanks to Yvonne Stennett and CLOTH for their unwavering leadership and commitment to uplifting our neighborhood.” 

   Niria E. Leyva-Gutiérrez, Executive Director, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance said: “NoMAA is delighted that this innovative public light installation is coming to Plaza de las Américas. Los Círculos promises to not only visually enliven the plaza but also to reinvent its purpose as a dynamic, immersive, and collective arts space.”

   John Sloane, Senior Lighting Designer, Buro Happold said: “Too often, our cities are flooded with intense illumination whose primary purpose is to light roadways, sidewalks, and provide lighting for surveillance. When applied thoughtfully, light can be an agent for gathering and interaction in our shared public spaces. The organic forms and soft illumination from Los Círculos adds a human scale to these two sites, encouraging gathering, social interaction and dance.”

   Anne Sperling, Vice President of Government and Community Affairs, NewYork-Presbyterian said: “When we brighten public spaces, it enhances the health and well-being of our community. NewYork-Presbyterian is proud to support our northern Manhattan community and celebrate projects like Los Círculos.”

   Maya Stuhlbarg, Associate, TYLin said: “As part of TYLin’s Building Equity Initiative, we’re very excited for the opportunity to apply our structural engineering experience to this project. The design process has been collaborative from start to finish, and we’re sure the installation will be valuable in providing lighting and engagement in this community. We hope the project will help to activate these public spaces and encourage community interaction and celebration. Thank you to Van Alen Institute, CLOTH, Marvel, and Buro Happold for such a wonderful partnership on this project.”

   Los Círculos is supported by the NYC Department of Small Business Services and, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Van Alen Institute’s work is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts.

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   About Community League of the Heights (CLOTH)

   CLOTH is a multi-service, non- profit community development organization dedicated to supporting and empowering the economically disadvantaged residents of Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood. CLOTH’s holistic approach to community development provides a comprehensive framework of services to stabilize and strengthen family life.

   CLOTH was founded by Lucille Bulger in 1952 as a neighborhood volunteer organization. Ms. Bulger led the organization until 1994 and was succeeded by Yvonne Stennett, the current Executive Director. The organization impacts hundreds of people each day and for many, CLOTH is their last resort for housing, food, or other basic human needs. CLOTH offers programs in four key areas: Affordable Housing, Education, Workforce Development, Health and Wellness. Learn more about cloth159.org.

   About Van Alen Institute

   Van Alen Institute is a driving force behind community-led urban design, which believes that local knowledge and care enrich the design process. Since 1894, Van Alen has invested in people with a passion for improving cities through the power of architecture and design. Our public space projects build unconventional coalitions of designers, local stakeholders, and city leaders, and we support their visions through project scoping, hands-on guidance, and seed funding. From our home in New York City, our work confronts longstanding power imbalances in citymaking, showcases the vanguard of community-led design, and supports the next generation of designers in creating more just cities. See all work at vanalen.org.

   About Marvel

   Marvel is a comprehensive collective that embraces the challenges of a design process driven by collaboration and curiosity, where every voice matters, producing meaningful places that reflect the responsibility to our communities and environment. Learn more at marveldesigns.com.

   About the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS)

   SBS helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building vibrant neighborhoods across the five boroughs. For more information on all SBS services, go to nyc.gov/sbs, call 888-SBS-4NYC, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

   About NYC DOT Art 

   The New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program (NYC DOT Art) partners with community-based, nonprofit organizations and professional artists to present temporary public art on NYC DOT property throughout the five boroughs for up to eleven months. Artists transform streets with colorful murals, dynamic projections and eye-catching sculptures. Sidewalks, fences, triangles, medians, bridges, jersey barriers, step streets, public plazas and pedestrianized spaces serve as canvases and foundations for temporary art. Since 2008, NYC DOT Art has produced over 500 temporary artworks citywide. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dotart and @nyc_DOTArt on Instagram.

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   Media Contacts

   Alisha Kim Levin, press@vanalen.org

   Elisa Smilovitz, elisa@elisasmilovitz.com

2. NYC Design Orgs Launch Public Design Alliance

   June 25, 2025 10:15 pm Comments Off on NYC Design Orgs Launch Public Design Alliance

   New York City Design Organizations Launch the Public Design Alliance

   An evolving network of the city’s cultural nonprofits seeks to expand opportunities for shared resources and collective impact.

   June 25, 2025, New York, NY — In response to shifting national pressures and increasing challenges, a coalition of public design organizations based in New York City has joined forces to form the Public Design Alliance. For decades, the leaders of these organizations have found informal ways to stay connected through public and private meetings, shared programs, and joint initiatives, resulting in a sustained yet fluctuating cooperation. Past collaborations—ranging from co-curated exhibitions and charrettes to tool launches and community programs—demonstrate the strong network and shared values among the city’s architecture and design institutions. Whether focusing on public space activation, emerging design professionals, or cross-disciplinary dialogue, these organizations have consistently worked together to elevate design’s role in the city.

   Amid the rise of recent unprecedented federal challenges and pressures on civil society, including the widespread loss of public funding and the stigmatization of DEI values, these peer institutions agree that a more structured platform for partnership will strengthen their collective impact.

   Mission and Purpose

   The Public Design Alliance is born out of a need for deeper engagement, shared resources, and collective action. This growing network aims to be responsive, aims to foster collaboration and solidarity across the city’s design sector, responding to an increasing call for cooperation in uncertain times. Knowing that goals will evolve as the group grows and changes, its current priorities include:

   • Knowledge Sharing: Building a robust shared knowledge base across organizations
   • Program Collaboration: Coordinating efforts to create and implement impactful public design programming
   • Community and Audience Building: Expanding outreach to foster diverse community engagement and support
   • Message Amplification: Promoting individual and collective voices on key public design issues in local and national media

   The establishment of this network is intended to build trust and model solidarity between organizations, prioritizing opportunities to make the design community stronger, more visible, and better connected.

   Tizziana Baldenebro, Executive Director, Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) said: “Design is never neutral; it is a reflection of our values and priorities. Building bonds across organizations that reinforce intersectional values makes us stronger. The Public Design Alliance comes at a critical time when equity in the public realm must be fiercely protected. BWAF has long been an instigator in this effort and we stand arm in arm with our peers.”

   Keri Butler, Interim President, Municipal Art Society of New York said: “As the federal government slashes funding for nonprofits across the country, it is a critical time for our organizations to come together and share resources so that we can continue to serve our communities. MAS’s work helps residents have a voice in the decisions that shape the future of their neighborhoods. Our programs bring together New Yorkers to celebrate design and culture, building social cohesion and boosting local businesses. Through this alliance, there is an opportunity to raise awareness about the impact these short-sighted federal cuts will have not only on our organizations but on the public and our city’s economy.”

   Matthew Clarke, Executive Director, Design Trust for Public Space said: “Thirty years ago, the Design Trust for Public Space was founded on the principle that the public realm needed a more collaborative model across community groups, government agencies, nonprofits, and private-sector experts to reach its full potential. We are proud to be forming the Public Design Alliance and through solidarity in uncertain times, strengthen[ing] our impacts on New York City’s quality of life.”

   Hayley Eber, Executive Director, Van Alen Institute said: “It’s clear we’re facing unprecedented challenges, making the Public Design Alliance a critical platform for collective action. Van Alen Institute is excited to collaborate with our peers, allowing us to unify our efforts and amplify our shared commitment to a more just and resilient public realm.”

   José Esparza Chong Cuy, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Storefront for Art and Architecture said: “At Storefront, we believe that public life is not a given—it is continuously shaped through acts of imagination, resistance, and solidarity. The Public Design Alliance reflects our long-standing commitment to collective work that expands the role of art and architecture in civic life. In a moment when collaboration is not only urgent but necessary, this alliance strengthens our shared capacity to imagine new forms of public culture.”

   Janet Fink, Executive Director, Institute for Public Architecture (IPA) said: “As a collective of design-focused non-profit organizations with shared values and similar approaches to improving the quality of life in the public realm, we are stronger together. The IPA is delighted to be part of this exciting moment and we look forward to continued and future collaborations with our partners!”

   Pilar Finuccio, Executive Director, Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) said: “At the core of CUP’s work is a belief and knowledge that, through values-aligned collaboration, we are able to best express and deepen our values. I’m eager to work with this group of leaders to develop a shared understanding of how we might sustain and strengthen the resources, capacity, and relationships we have. It’s in times of uncertainty and grief that we often see more clearly what room we still have to be our best with and for each other, as peers, to care for the people and communities that brought us to our work in the first place.”

   Kristin LaBuz, Executive Director, Open House New York (OHNY) said: “While Washington slashes funding for arts and culture, New York nonprofit leaders know that resilience is rooted in collaboration. Open House New York is proud to be part of the Public Design Alliance, deepening relationships with our colleagues in ways that amplify our respective missions and strengthen the civic fabric of our city.”

   Jesse Lazar, Assoc. AIA, Executive Director of AIA New York and the Center for Architecture said: “The challenges facing our cities—climate resilience, housing equity, public trust—are too complex for any one organization to tackle alone. More than ever, the political and economic moment we are in demands deeper collaboration, connectivity and solidarity. It’s a privilege to work together with colleagues at such important and innovative organizations to strengthen one another and advance our shared values, and we look forward to expanding this group in the future.”

   Daniel McPhee, Executive Director, Urban Design Forum said: “It has been my pleasure to collaborate with the leaders of these organizations for years and I’m glad to formalize our long partnership. Each of these organizations champion a better New York in its own way, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.”

   Jacob R. Moore, Executive Director, Architectural League of New York said: “Recognizing the persistent and unique nature of the challenges in front of us, The Architectural League of NY is excited to contribute to a strengthening of the bonds between organizations for whom, in the past, competition has sometimes overrode collaboration. Anchored in shared values, we needn’t know the precise shape of the projects we might take on to know that there is more we can do together than apart in these uncertain times.”

   Ilene Shaw, Executive Director, NYCxDESIGN, said: “As a citywide initiative that unites all design disciplines—from architecture and landscape architecture to industrial and product, graphic, interior, and experience design—NYCxDESIGN is committed to support the Public Design Alliance. In times of uncertainty, design must be more visible, more valued, and more powerfully communicated. We aim to amplify the collective message that design is not a luxury—it is vital infrastructure for civic life, equity, and economic resilience. By joining this alliance, we hope to strengthen public understanding and appreciation of the role design plays in shaping a better, more inclusive future for all New Yorkers and beyond, particularly through times of challenge.”

   Gregory Wessner, Executive Director, National Academy of Design said: “As an organization founded by visual artists and architects, the National Academy has long recognized that collaboration is not just a strategy–it is a necessity. With cultural organizations under threat and funding being indiscriminately cut, the Public Design Alliance is a step towards working collectively to advocate for the importance of cultural organizations in sustaining and protecting civil society.”

   Tom Wright, President and CEO, Regional Plan Association said: “Decisions being made today about the form and function of some of the City’s most significant landmarks and public spaces will shape the future of our city and region for the next century and beyond. The planning and design of public spaces across our City must express a combination of utility, ambition, and creativity. RPA is proud to join the Public Design Alliance—whose membership includes many of our great civic partners—to help guide robust urban design and cross-disciplinary collaboration.”

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   Founding Organizations (list as of June 25, 2025):

   AIA New York
   Architectural League of New York
   Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation
   Center for Architecture
   Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP)
   Design Trust for Public Space
   Institute for Public Architecture
   Municipal Art Society of New York
   National Academy of Design
   NYCxDESIGN
   Open House New York
   Regional Plan Association (RPA)
   Storefront for Art and Architecture
   Urban Design Forum
   Van Alen Institute

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   About AIA New York

   Established in 1857, AIA New York is the oldest and largest chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), serving as the collective voice of nearly 5,000 licensed architects, allied professionals, students, and design enthusiasts in New York City.

   The Center for Architecture, inaugurated in 2003 as the AIA’s first-ever cultural institution, engages local and international audiences with the value, impact, and wonder of architecture. Together, we advance the value and practice of architecture to promote just and sustainable communities. Both AIA New York and the Center for Architecture advocate for the importance of design in enhancing urban life, offering programming that fosters engagement among architects, professionals, and the public. We prioritize values such as civic engagement, equity, environmental sustainability, resiliency, technological innovation, and inspiring design.  aiany.org

   About The Architectural League of New York

   The Architectural League of New York supports critically transformative work in the allied fields that shape the built environment. As a vital, independent forum, the League stimulates thinking, debate, and action on today’s converging crises of racism, inequity, and climate change, in service of a more livable and just world. Founded in 1881 as a forum for discourse among architects, designers, urbanists, and artists, as well as enthusiasts and the general public, the League continues to carry out its mission-driven work through lectures, publications, prizes, digital media, design studies, exhibitions, and research. Our award-winning online publication, Urban Omnibus, is dedicated to observing, understanding, and shaping the city. Learn more at archleague.org and urbanomnibus.net.

   About Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation

   Initially organized as a grant giving non-profit, BWAF now operates as a public nonprofit that advocates for gender equity in leadership and recognition in the architecture, design, landscape, engineering, real estate and construction industries. BWAF achieves its mission by researching and documenting women’s contributions and achievements in the built realm, educating the public, and transforming industry practices. bwaf.org.

   About the Design Trust for Public Space

   The Design Trust for Public Space is a non-profit organization that unlocks the potential of New York’s public spaces. Our unique model catalyzes design ideas into action for a more just and equitable city. Founded in 1995 by Andrea Woodner on the tenet that New York City’s cultural and democratic life depends on viable public space, today, the Design Trust is a nationally recognized incubator and thought leader that transforms New York City’s shared civic spaces—streets, plazas, parks, public buildings, transportation, and housing developments—to create a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable city.

   About the Center for Architecture

   The Center for Architecture, inaugurated in 2003 as the American Institute of Architect (AIA)’s first-ever cultural institution, engages local and international audiences with the value, impact, and wonder of architecture. Through exhibitions, public programs, educational initiatives, and our Archtober festival and platform, the Center for Architecture brings together architects, designers, students, and the public to foster collaboration within the design community while creating accessible opportunities for the public to experience and learn about architecture. Whether you’re an industry professional, a curious visitor, or a student exploring the field, the Center for Architecture offers a space for connection, creativity, and critical conversation—empowering everyone to engage with the transformative power of architecture. centerforarchitecture.org

   About the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP)

   The Center for Urban Pedagogy’s (CUP’s) mission is to use the power of art and design to increase meaningful civic engagement in partnership with marginalized communities. Founded in 2001, CUP’s work is based in the belief that art and design are key to creating a world where every New Yorker, regardless of their identity and income, has access to the trustworthy information they need to assert their rights, benefit from social services, and create equitable systems.

   To date, CUP has collaborated with over 150 organizations and schools and 300 visual designers and artists to create over 200 resources that explain city policies in support of advancing social justice and racial equity. Our work has supported over 500,000 New Yorkers in advocating for fair policies across housing, labor, immigration, and healthcare. To learn more, visit welcometocup.org.

   About the Institute for Public Architecture

   The Institute for Public Architecture, based in the historic Block House on Governors Island, uses design to address social, physical and environmental inequities in the city through its signature Selected Topic Fellowship and Independent Project Residency programs, and related public lectures, exhibits, film screenings, workshops, and publications. The IPA believes in a future in which design is used as a tool for facilitating social justice and the public has a voice in all decisions that shape our built environment.

   About the Municipal Art Society of New York

   The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) was founded in 1893 to work towards the creation of a livable city, to enhance the lives of all New Yorkers and to use the municipal arts of architecture, landscape architecture, planning, preservation, and public art to improve and protect the built environment of New York. MAS envisions a future in which all New Yorkers share in the richness of city life—where growth is balanced, character endures, and a resilient future is secured. For over 130 years our advocacy efforts have led to the creation of the New York City Planning Commission, Public Design Commission, Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the Tribute in Light; the preservation of Grand Central Terminal, the lights of Times Square, and the Garment District; the conservation of more than 50 works of public art; and the founding of such civic organizations as the Public Art Fund, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, P.S. 1, the Historic Districts Council, the Park Avenue Armory Conservancy, and the Waterfront Alliance. Learn more at mas.org.

   About The National Academy of Design

   The National Academy of Design promotes art and architecture in America through exhibition, education, and research. Founded in 1825, the National Academy is the leading honorary society for visual artists and architects in the United States. We advocate for the arts as a tool for education, celebrate the role of artists and architects in public life, and serve as a catalyst for cultural conversations that propel society forward. At the core of our mission are the National Academicians, a vibrant community of 500 artists and architects elected by their peers in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to art and architecture in America. Representing a wide cross-section of practice, the Academicians embody our shared belief in the power of art and architecture to change society and enrich lives. Through their individual work and collective initiatives, the Academicians support their communities, their peers, and the next generation of creative thinkers.

   About NYCxDESIGN

   Design is central to New York City’s identity and civic life. Founded by the City of New York, NYCxDESIGN unifies and amplifies the voices of the city’s diverse design community—the largest in the world. Since 2012, our internationally recognized NYCxDESIGN Festival has served as the city’s official design week, showcasing the talent and innovation of designers, makers, businesses, and institutions across all five boroughs. The Festival draws 160,000+ local and international visitors to hundreds of events celebrating creativity, equity, sustainability, and culture. As a nonprofit 501(c)(3), NYCxDESIGN also leads year-round programs advancing visibility, opportunity, and inclusion across all design disciplines. Learn more at nycxdesign.org.

   About Open House New York

   Open House New York is a nonprofit organization that promotes broad, unparalleled access to the city—to the places, people, projects, systems, and ideas that define New York and its future. Through year-round programming and the annual OHNY Weekend festival, Open House New York offers a citywide platform that invites the public to explore the built environment and understand how New York looks, feels, and functions. To learn more, visit ohny.org.

   About Storefront for Art and Architecture

   Storefront for Art and Architecture amplifies the understanding of the built environment through artistic practice. Founded in 1982 by artists and architects in downtown New York, Storefront has chronicled the changing landscape of the city for over forty years and remains committed to producing and presenting work about diverse notions of place and public life. Learn more at storefront.nyc.

   About Urban Design Forum

   Urban Design Forum connects and inspires New Yorkers to design, build and care for a better city. We are a member-powered organization of 1,000+ civic leaders committed to a more just future for our city. We believe the built environment—our neighborhoods, buildings, public spaces and infrastructure—shapes our city’s health, culture and economy. We bring together New Yorkers of diverse backgrounds and experiences to learn, debate, and design a vibrant city for all. We envision a city where every New Yorker can thrive in a healthy neighborhood, with a stable home, dignified workplace, safe commute, lively public spaces and dynamic arts and culture—and we believe everyone has a role to play in creating that city. Learn more at urbandesignforum.org.

   About Van Alen Institute

   Van Alen Institute is a driving force behind community-led urban design, which believes that local knowledge and care enrich the design process.  Since 1894, Van Alen has invested in people with a passion for improving cities through the power of architecture and design. Our public space projects build unconventional coalitions of designers, local stakeholders, and city leaders, and we support their visions through project scoping, hands-on guidance, and seed funding. From our home in New York City, our work confronts longstanding power imbalances in citymaking, showcases the vanguard of community-led design, and supports the next generation of designers in creating more just cities. See all work at vanalen.org.

3. Van Alen and NYC SBS Unveil Storefront Activations

   June 3, 2025 1:12 pm Comments Off on Van Alen and NYC SBS Unveil Storefront Activations

   Van Alen Institute and NYC Department of Small Business Services Announce Two Community-Led Exhibitions Activating Vacant Storefronts

   Design Sprints: Building Creative Capacity program pairs community organizations with design professionals to create storefront installations highlighting Lower East Side and East Williamsburg histories

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   View and download hi-res photos here.

   (New York City—June 3, 2025)—Van Alen Institute and the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) are pleased to unveil two community-led storefront activations: Placeholders, on view at 165 & 169 Loisaida Ave, Manhattan; and The People Make The Place!, on view at 237 & 246 Graham Ave, Brooklyn.

   These exhibitions are the outcomes of Design Sprints: Building Creative Capacity — a fast-paced community-led design program pairing local organizations with design professionals to activate vacant storefronts. Launched by Van Alen in 2024, Design Sprints has mobilized 60+ community leaders to date, equipping them with design training, technical assistance, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. This current cohort addresses storefront vacancy in creative ways and reinforces the vital role of culture in maintaining thriving commercial corridors, and was made possible by a $100,000 grant awarded through SBS’s Avenue NYC program.

   The Spring 2025 cohort includes: Cooper Square Committee with Scott Kelly and Delphine Le Goff; and Grand Street BID with L&L Studio, ReFrame Architecture, and Sylvia Riveros. Together, the teams activated previously empty storefronts with exhibitions that celebrate the unique histories of the Lower East Side and East Williamsburg and make community stories more visible.

   “Storefronts are an essential part of NYC’s urban landscape, and now they’re also a place of creative community storytelling. It’s thrilling to see these spaces come alive with local histories, and we’re grateful to partner with SBS on Design Sprints as part of our shared commitment to dynamic, welcoming streetscapes,” said Andrew Brown, Director of Programs, Van Alen Institute.

   “New York City’s reputation as a global leader in art and culture is one of the reasons why it attracts the best talent the world has to offer, and serves as a key driver to our economic success,” said SBS Commissioner Dynishal Gross. “Design Sprints recognizes that neighborhood-based arts are key to the strength and vibrancy of our city’s commercial corridors, driving investment and tourism, and attracting the best and brightest from far and wide. I am proud that we are supporting this initiative through our Avenue NYC program, and am eager to see Van Alen Institute’s two community-led storefront activations.”

   Participants | Projects

   COOPER SQUARE COMMITTEE

   Placeholders: Revealing the Hidden-in-Plain-Sight World of Storefronts in Affordable Housing Coops

   Location: 165 & 169 Ave C — Loisaida Ave, Manhattan

   Dates: On view through June 30, 2025

   Public Events:

   Info Session: Available Storefronts & Support for Potential Tenants | Wednesday, June 11, 6:30–7:15 pm on Zoom

   Placeholders Closing Reception | Friday, June 27, 6–8 pm, 367 E 10th St (co-hosted with Piragua Art Space & Relative Arts)

   Due to decades of grassroots organizing, the Lower East Side is home to many Housing Development Fund Corporation cooperatives (HDFCs), a unique type of affordable housing collectively owned and operated by residents. HDFCs often rent their storefronts to small businesses, artists, and nonprofits that serve local needs, nurture creativity, and express culture. Collectively, HDFCs offer a stable model for residents and small businesses facing the threat of displacement.

   Offering a glimpse into this vibrant community, Placeholders showcases items from local businesses located in HDFCs in a site-specific installation created by local artist Delphine Le Goff. Items include a camera from Fourth Street Photo Gallery, the city’s oldest Black-owned photography studio; a hand-painted mortar and pestle from Puerto Rican restaurant Casa Adela; and handmade Mexican folk art from La Sirena. The exhibition will be supplemented by a map of local businesses. 

   “This project is the first step in a longer journey towards bringing together HDFC coops and commercial tenants. I’m excited to apply the insights from this experience to Cooper Square Committee’s enduring work to preserve space for housing and culture on the Lower East Side,” said Abigail Ellman, Director of Planning and Development, Cooper Square.

   Team Members:

   • Abigail Ellman, Director of Planning and Development, Cooper Square Committee
   • Scott Kelly, Graphic Designer
   • Delphine Le Goff, Artist

   Participating Businesses: 3rd & B’zaar, A&C Kitchen, Archie’s Press, Bungee Space, Casa Adela, Clove Hair Salon, El Rinconcito, Ergot Records, Fontanez Martial Arts Success Center, Fourth Street Photo Gallery, Green Map System, Jane’s Exchange, La Sirena Mexican Folkart, Lower East Side People’s Federal Credit Union, Michele’s Cleaners & Laundry, Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space, Piccola Strada, Piragua Art Space, Relative Arts.

   More information on Cooper Square Committee: coopersquare.org

   GRAND STREET BID

   The People Make The Place!

   Le Persone Fanno Il Luogo! ¡Las Personas Hacen El Lugar!

   Storefronts: 237 & 246 Graham Ave

   Dates: On view through June 30, 2025

   Public Event: Grand Street Neighborhood Bash | Monday, June 9, 5-7 pm

   Featuring art and archival materials from neighborhood partners, The People Make the Place! spotlights East Williamsburg residents, honors the neighborhood’s leaders, and reflects its culture of co-creating public spaces. On the nearly block-long storefront at 237 Graham Ave, a photo-collage mural by L&L Studio celebrates the past, present, and future of East Williamsburg. Inspired by 1960–70s speculative design, the mural weaves together community-sourced images highlighting key places and people. It is framed by questions in Spanish, Italian, and English — languages historically spoken in the neighborhood — that prompt reflection on how viewers shape their community.

   The mural is complemented by two window activations at Grand Street BID’s headquarters, located across the street at 246 Graham Ave. Re: Place, a series of geometric sculptures by ReFrame Architecture, references the forms of storefronts. Reflective surfaces place the image of viewers within the sculptures, emphasizing the vital role of community in sustaining place. Sylvia Riveros’ photo series Toñita provides an intimate look at the Caribbean Social Club — a long-time gathering space for Puerto Rican and Latin American communities — and its remarkable founder, Maria Antonia “Toñita” Cay.

   “The Grand Street BID is excited to explore storefront activation as a community resource. Despite being private spaces, storefronts can serve critical public functions, from creating a sense of security and engaging the public, to promoting and civic life. We welcome this opportunity to highlight our local artists, leaders and histories with this project, while activating these impactful community spaces,” said Francesca Bruce, Executive Director, Grand Street BID.

   Team Members:

   • Francesca Bruce, Executive Director, Grand Street BID
   • Yaz Mansi, Community Engagement Manager, Grand Street BID
   • Leigh Mignogna, Principal & Founder, L&L Studio
   • Liz Seibert Turow, Principal & Founder, L&L Studio
   • Paula Volchok, Senior Designer, L&L Studio
   • Drianne Laliberte, Senior Designer, L&L Studio
   • Yalda Keramati, Founder, ReFrame Architecture
   • Sylvia Riveros, Community Activist & Artist

   Participating Artists: Vanesa Álvarez Díaz; Los Muralistas de el Puente; Danielle Mastrion; and SON-CORO, SINNED + Ria Burns-Wilde

   Participating Organizations: El Puente, Evergreen Exchange, St. Nick’s Alliance, Powers Street Garden

   More information on Grand Street BID: grandstreetbk.org

   PROGRAM ADVISORS

   Throughout the sprint, a team of designers has provided strategic vision and guidance for both teams: Hilary Sample, Co-Founder, MOS Architects, has advised on the cohort’s long-term plans to address storefront vacancy, with graphic design support from Stacey Geller, Founder & Creative Director, American Design Language. Farzana Gandhi, Founder, Farzana Gandhi Design Studio is helping the teams prepare public programs and community engagement activities.

   More information can be found on vanalen.org.

   Van Alen’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Design Sprints: Building Creative Capacity is supported by the NYC Department of Small Business Services.

   About Van Alen Institute

   Van Alen Institute is a driving force behind community-led urban design, which believes that local knowledge and care enrich the design process. Since 1894, Van Alen has invested in people with a passion for improving cities through the power of architecture and design. Our public space projects build unconventional coalitions of designers, local stakeholders, and city leaders, and we support their visions through project scoping, hands-on guidance, and seed funding. From our home in New York City, our work confronts longstanding power imbalances in citymaking, showcases the vanguard of community-led design, and supports the next generation of designers in creating more just cities.

   See all work at vanalen.org.

   About the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS)

   SBS helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building vibrant neighborhoods across the five boroughs. For more information on all SBS services, go to nyc.gov/sbs, call 888-SBS-4NYC, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

   About Avenue NYC

   SBS’s Avenue NYC Organizational Development Grants are specifically intended to fund nonprofit organizations to provide services and technical assistance to enhance the project and fiscal management, program execution, legal compliance, leadership, and strategic capabilities of community-based development organizations (CBDOs) implementing commercial revitalization activities benefitting low- to moderate-income communities across the five boroughs. Avenue NYC is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. More information on Avenue NYC can be found at nyc.gov/avenuenyc.

   Media Contacts

   Alisha Kim Levin, press@vanalen.org

   Elisa Smilovitz, elisa@elisasmilovitz.com

   Joseph Jourdan, JJourdan@sbs.nyc.gov

4. New Public Art: The Dear Neighbor Project

   April 22, 2025 11:18 am Comments Off on New Public Art: The Dear Neighbor Project

   Van Alen Institute Announces The Dear Neighbor Project, New Public Art Installation in Gowanus, Brooklyn

   Created by artist Tiffany Baker, multi-site murals showcase stories of Gowanus residents impacted by flooding

   

   View and download photos here.

   (Brooklyn, NY—April 22, 2025) — Van Alen Institute is pleased to announce The Dear Neighbor Project by artist Tiffany Baker. On view April 22–July 2025, this multi-site mural installation turns the voices of Gowanus residents into public art and illustrates their experiences with flooding in the neighborhood.

   To create The Dear Neighbor Project, Baker connected with community leaders, local organizations, business owners, and residents to learn more about the impact of flooding in Gowanus. She then organized interviews with residents about their personal experiences with flooding, ranging from long-time residents to newer arrivals, and middle schoolers to older adults. Baker’s murals illustrate and directly quote from these residents’ stories — sharing their experiences, advice, and stories of community support during flood events. Each mural prompts viewers to visit dearneighborproject.com, where they can listen to audio recordings of these interviews.

   “I went into The Dear Neighbor Project with a lens of learning. I’ve found that when doing any community-based work, it’s important that the work be grounded in real stories. It’s up to the people who live here to communicate their lived experience in Gowanus,” said Tiffany Baker. “I’m so grateful to all those who contributed their stories and the incredible local organizations hosting these murals — Brooklyn Public Library, FDNY EMS Station 32, MS 447, the Old Stone House & Washington Park, and Powerhouse Arts.”

   “Gowanus is undergoing a rapid transformation, and it’s essential we gather and share the stories of people who live and work here — particularly those who have been here a long time,” said Andrew Brown, Co-Interim Executive Director, Van Alen Institute. “Tiffany Baker’s eye-catching murals and stirring audio archive don’t just raise awareness of the significant impacts of flooding in Gowanus, they’re also a loving testament to the resilience of our neighbors.”

   The Dear Neighbor Project has also been incorporated into the Art for Social Justice curriculum at local middle school MS 447 – The Exploratory School. With instruction from educators Cheryl Grau and Davielle Morton, the students designed symbols exploring themes of flooding and community support. Baker then incorporated these symbols into her design for an outdoor mural at the school.

   The Dear Neighbor Project is the second installation in Van Alen’s annual initiative Points of Promise, which uses art and design to support civic engagement in Gowanus amidst the neighborhood’s redevelopment. The initiative responds to topics in the 56 Points of Agreement, a $450 million commitment made by New York City to invest in housing, infrastructure, public space, community amenities, and business programs in Gowanus.

   Each year, Points of Promise seeks artists and designers with demonstrated experience facilitating community-engaged work. In Spring 2024, Van Alen Institute issued an open call for artists and designers interested in increasing public awareness of flooding in Gowanus. From more than 100 responses, three artists were invited to submit proposals: winner Tiffany Baker and finalists Ali Rufrano-Ruffner and Leah Harper. Baker’s The Dear Neighbor Project was selected by a committee of seven Gowanus residents and stakeholders, including representatives of the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Gowanus Houses Tenants Association, and the Gowanus Oversight Task Force. Learn more and see all proposals at vanalen.org.

   The Dear Neighbor Project is made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, with additional support from Rebuild by Design and the Brooklyn Borough Delegation of the New York City Council. Van Alen’s programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Engineering review services were provided by TYLin.

   Learn more: dearneighborproject.com / @dearneighborproject on Instagram

   ---

   LOCATIONS

   Outdoor Murals — on view 24 hours

   • Van Alen Institute, 303 Bond St
   • FDNY EMS Station 32, 347 Bond St
   • Old Stone House / Washington Park, 4th Ave and 3rd St
   • MS 447 – The Exploratory School, 345 Dean St (Pacific Street side)

   Indoor Activations — on view during public hours

   • Brooklyn Public Library — Pacific Library, 25 4th Ave. On view during library hours: Mon/Wed/Fri, 10 am–6 pm, Tues/Thurs 10 am–8 pm, Sat 10 am–5 pm.
   • Powerhouse Arts, 322 Third Ave. On view beginning May 30; Mon–Fri 9 am–7:30 pm, Sat/Sun 10 am–5:30 pm.

   ---

   PUBLIC PROGRAMS

   The Dear Neighbor Project: Art Workshop
   Saturday, April 26, 1–4 pm
   Van Alen Institute, 303 Bond St, Brooklyn

   Artist Tiffany Baker will give a brief mural tour and talk, followed by an artmaking workshop. Participants will listen to excerpts from community interviews that informed The Dear Neighbor Project, and respond through drawing, writing, and storytelling prompts. Ages 12 and up. No artistic experience required.

   Free with RSVP.

   The Dear Neighbor Project: Artist Talk + Viewing
   Tuesday, May 13, 5:30–7:30 pm
   Brooklyn Public Library — Pacific Library, 25 4th Ave, Brooklyn
   

   Join the Brooklyn Public Library for a viewing of The Dear Neighbor Project at the Pacific Library branch. Artist Tiffany Baker will give a brief talk on the project, followed by a Q&A.

   Free with RSVP.

   The Power of Story: An Intro to Oral History
   Friday, May 16, 6–7 pm
   Brooklyn Public Library — Library of Arts and Culture, 10 Lafayette Ave, 2nd Floor, Brooklyn

   In this workshop led by Emmy-nominated storyteller and photographer Naeem Douglass, learn how to craft compelling interviews, develop thoughtful questions, and record stories. This workshop welcomes artists, neighbors, and anyone curious about preserving lived experiences through story. Access to a smartphone with a recording app is encouraged for participation.

   Free with RSVP.

   ---

   About the Artist

   Tiffany Baker (she/her) is a Chicago-born, Brooklyn-based visual artist, working in oil, acrylic, pencil, digital media, and glass. Tiffany works in a unique style of realist portraiture marked by vibrant palettes and considered attention to her subject’s grooming, often merging somber, regal, and mundane themes, bringing forth her subject’s essence. In her portraiture, she transmutes life experiences into emotive visual expressions that reimagine trauma, embed messages of connection, and celebrate her identity as a Black woman.

   Learn more at tiffany-baker.com.

   About Van Alen Institute

   Van Alen Institute is a driving force behind community-led urban design, which believes that local knowledge and care enrich the design process. Since 1894, Van Alen has invested in people with a passion for improving cities through the power of architecture and design. Our public space projects build unconventional coalitions of designers, local stakeholders, and city leaders, and we support their visions through project scoping, hands-on guidance, and seed funding. From our home in New York City, our work confronts longstanding power imbalances in citymaking, showcases the vanguard of community-led design, and supports the next generation of designers in creating more just cities.

   See all work at vanalen.org.

   Media Contacts

   Alisha Kim Levin, Director of Communications, press@vanalen.org

   Elisa Smilovitz, elisa@elisasmilovitz.com

5. Hayley Eber Named Executive Director

   March 25, 2025 2:42 pm Comments Off on Hayley Eber Named Executive Director

   Van Alen Institute Names Hayley Eber as Executive Director

   

   View and download headshot here.

   (Brooklyn, NY—March 25, 2025) — Hayley Eber has been selected as Executive Director of Van Alen Institute by the organization’s Board of Directors after an extensive national search. Currently Acting Dean of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at The Cooper Union, Eber will assume leadership of the 131-year-old institution in June. She succeeds Deborah Marton, whose tenure as Executive Director concluded in late 2024.

   As Executive Director, Eber will promote Van Alen’s mission to create equitable cities through inclusive design. Grounded in Van Alen’s belief that community-led design builds social resilience and more just cities, she will expand and deepen current programs Design Sprints and Common Build. Eber will also advance the organization’s commitment to excellent design in the public realm by reimagining Van Alen’s historic Paris Prize competition. First awarded in 1904, the Paris Prize was among the most prestigious prizes in architecture and has fostered bold ideas for civic spaces.

   “Hayley Eber has extensive experience leading an institution rooted in community and design excellence,” said R. May Lee, Van Alen Board Chair and Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “Her keen ability to foster a welcoming culture builds on Van Alen’s history of convening people across disciplines. She brings a depth of design expertise and intellectual rigor that will be invaluable as Van Alen continues its 130-year commitment to design and its impact on the public realm in New York City.”

   “Community-building, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a commitment to just and sustainable urban futures have been central to my leadership at The Cooper Union — principles that resonate deeply with Van Alen Institute’s core mission,” said Hayley Eber. “I am thrilled to build upon Van Alen’s rich history in shaping architectural and urban dialogue, and to advance its critical work empowering communities to create transformative public spaces in New York City and beyond.”

   Eber brings a wealth of leadership experience to Van Alen, including her role as Acting Dean of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at The Cooper Union. During her tenure at Cooper Union, which began in 2007, Eber has championed equity, spearheading the school’s most diverse incoming class and chairing its Antiracist Task Force. In 2008, she founded Studio Eber, an award-winning architectural practice based in New York. Studio Eber’s work spans buildings, interiors, objects, environments, and installations, consistently pushing the boundaries of architectural design. Projects have been showcased in the Venice Architecture Biennale, Tallinn Architecture Biennale, Shanghai SUSAS, and the upcoming Triennale Milano.

   Eber holds a Masters in Architecture from Princeton University School of Architecture, a Bachelors of Architecture from The Cooper Union, and a BAS from the University of Cape Town. She is a licensed architect in New York and has previously taught at Princeton University and Columbia GSAPP.

   About Van Alen Institute

   Van Alen Institute is a driving force behind community-led urban design, which believes that local knowledge and care enrich the design process. Since 1894, Van Alen has invested in people with a passion for improving cities through architecture and design. Our public space projects build unconventional coalitions of designers, local stakeholders, and city leaders, and we support their visions through project scoping, hands-on guidance, and seed funding. Our work confronts longstanding power imbalances in citymaking, showcases the vanguard of community-led design, and supports the next generation of designers in creating more just cities.

   See all work at vanalen.org.

   Press Contacts

   Alisha Kim Levin, press@vanalen.org 

   Elisa Smilovitz, elisa@elisasmilovitz.com

   Amanda de Beaufort, adebeaufort@libeskind.com

6. Unveiling: Albany Hive

   October 10, 2024 10:48 am Comments Off on Unveiling: Albany Hive

   City of Albany, Local Leaders, and Van Alen Institute Open Albany Hive, a Community-Led Redesign of Alley in West Hill

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Community organizers, designers, and 400+ residents co-created new shared space with public sculptures and enhanced pathway

   Press Contacts:
   Nyla McKenzie-Isaac, City of Albany, nmckenzie-isaac@albanyny.gov
   Alisha Kim Levin, Van Alen Institute, press@vanalen.org
   Elisa Smilovitz, elisa@elisasmilovitz.com

   View and download images here.

   ​​(Albany—October 10, 2024)—The City of Albany, Van Alen Institute, and Albany community leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony this past weekend for Albany Hive, an uplifting new shared space on a city-owned alley at Quail St and 1st St in the city’s West Hill neighborhood. Co-designed with West Hill residents, Albany Hive (“the Hive”) is a neighborhood hub buzzing with locally-led activities. Vibrant, illuminated honeycomb-like sculptures host community artwork and a newly-renovated path includes improved lighting, landscaping, access, and drainage.

   Albany Hive is a collaboration between Albany 518 SNUG, Albany & Troy Lions Club, Albany Victory Gardens, Bridge Tha Gap Community Resource & Outreach, the City of Albany, Grateful Villages, Rensselaer School of Architecture, Stantec, The Urban Conga, and Van Alen Institute.

   “We have transformed an underutilized alleyway in West Hill into a beacon of hope for the entire community,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “The Hive is a place where neighbors can relax, enjoy public art, and share a sense of pride in their neighborhood. I am deeply grateful to Van Alen, the Albany Community Development Agency, and Albany’s Department of Planning for their support in bringing this new space to life.”

   “Transformational change is possible when communities, designers, and city leaders come together. The Hive represents four years of incredible collaboration, and Van Alen Institute’s experience as project manager and facilitator has been profoundly meaningful,” said Andrew Brown, Interim Co-Executive Director, Van Alen Institute. “We’re deeply grateful to Mayor Sheehan, the City of Albany, and our coalition of partners and supporters for co-creating this new shared space with and for West Hill.”

   “Unity and collaboration creates positive change, and The Hive is what that looks like,” Eva Bass, CEO, Bridge Tha Gap Community Resources & Outreach. “The Hive coalition came together through our differences, and if we continue to do that, we’re going to see positive, sustainable change and bring our city to where it needs to be.”

   “The Hive is a light that has removed a dark cloud from this area,” said Gordon Davis, Albany 518 SNUG. “When we come together and show love and respect for each other, things like the Hive can happen. When we put our minds to something, we can change our communities.”

   “From early conversations around the community’s desires and hopes of the neighborhood to the alley’s final design, the community gifted us their stories, experiences, feedback, and more to create the Hive,” said Maeghann Coleman and Ryan Swanson, The Urban Conga. “Our design studio was simply a tool for the community to create what they wanted to see.”

   “The best architectural projects are those that are not only beautiful, but whose purpose is to learn more about one another and to bring people together to share in the care of their neighborhoods,” said Christianna Bennett, Assistant Professor, and Fleet Hower, Lecturer at the School of Architecture, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “We hope the Hive continues to be a space where the community comes together to continue to dream about what this corner of Albany will look like in the future.”

   Albany Hive is located in a city-owned alley adjacent to Albany Victory Gardens and Grateful Villages’ West Hill Farmers Market. Despite the success of these nearby community-led programs, the alley itself was in poor condition, with debris, inadequate drainage, and an overgrown tree canopy that blocked light. Through this collective effort and investment in city-owned space, the Hive now supports community development and provides much-needed green space.

   Albany Hive provides a new model for designing shared spaces by following the lead of those directly impacted in every step of the process. Before putting pencil to paper, project partners held dozens of conversations with community groups and 400+ residents. In these discussions, West Hill community members compared themselves to a beehive, helping and supporting each other in the neighborhood. This formed the basis of design plans featuring community artwork, words of aspiration, and places to play and reflect. Plans were shared in multiple community engagement sessions, where residents further shaped the design.

   Going forward, the Hive will host public programs and workshops responding to community needs in West Hill. Upcoming events will be posted on albanyhive.org. The project’s partners also created a long-term stewardship and maintenance plan, outlining the city and community’s continued collaboration in service of the alley.

   Albany Hive is supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” program, which supports activities that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities over the long term. Additional support was provided by the Albany Community Development Agency, America Walks Grant, the Bender Family Foundation and the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Initial project planning was done in partnership with the Mayors’ Institute on City Design.

   Additional information can be found at vanalen.org/project/albany-hive.

   PROJECT PARTNERS

   Albany 518 SNUG
   Albany 518 SNUG (‘guns’ spelled backwards) is an anti-violence program aimed at reducing gun violence by providing proactive intervention for gang activity or at-risk youth. SNUG mentors and directs youth from under-resourced communities to new healthy and formative experiences that allow them to envision a different life and future.

   Albany & Troy Lions Club
   The Albany Host Lions Club and the Troy Lions Club were both founded in 1925. The two clubs joined forces in July, 2006 to become the Albany & Troy Lions Club, which currently has 46 members – men and women who volunteer their time to perform a variety of community service activities. The group is one of approximately 45,000 clubs in Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest service club organization.

   Albany Victory Gardens
   Albany Victory Gardens (AVG) is a project to upcycle vacant lots in low-income communities, transforming them into vibrant farmland that supports urban agriculture and circular economy training. The project began with the purchase of five vacant lots at the core of West Hill and quickly expanded to 20 lots for farming, training, and as their market space. The garden looks to provide trainings and resources to involved community members, turning a still-expanding swath of land into a network of individually-owned plots and a space for community organizing.

   Bridge Tha Gap Community Resource & Outreach
   Bridge Tha Gap is a community outreach program with the mission to fill the gaps in our community. We aim to supply support to families and individuals that have a need. We at Bridge Tha Gap believe that the unity within the community is the key to reviving our community as a whole. Please come together with me to lift those up who have fallen into the gaps of life. Let’s do this together so that we can thrive as a strong united community.

   Grateful Villages
   Grateful Villages is a non-profit charitable organization focused on the design and implementation of community programs to help spur development, sustainability and empowerment at the local level, with lasting global effects. We believe the answers we seek for our community cannot be found in the focus of any one institution but in the very tenets of community itself. Families don’t need houses, they need homes. We live in an environment of shared effect and our equity is woven in the fabric of our community.

   Rensselaer School of Architecture
   Situated within one of the premier technological research universities in the US, the School of Architecture at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute works in collaboration with leading scientists, engineers, technologists, artists and entrepreneurs.

   Stantec
   The Stantec community unites approximately 22,000 employees working in over 350 locations across six continents. We collaborate across disciplines and industries to bring buildings, energy and resource, environmental, and infrastructure projects to life. Our work—engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics, from initial project concept and planning through design, construction, and commissioning—begins at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships.

   The Urban Conga
   The Urban Conga is an award-winning multidisciplinary design studio based in Brooklyn, NY led by Ryan Swanson and Maeghann Coleman. The studio is focused on sparking community interaction and social activity through open-ended play. To achieve this, they utilize play methodologies as a critical tool implemented not just in the work itself but within the community-driven design process in which the work is created. Focusing on working with communities to create inclusive multiscale spatial opportunities that transform once-overlooked or underutilized situations into stimulating creative outlets that evoke our innate drive to discover, explore, and empathize with others. Their work encourages people to think about the value of play beyond the playground and how creating more play everywhere can dramatically impact our daily lives.

   About Van Alen Institute
   Van Alen Institute helps create equitable cities through community-led inclusive design. We partner with leaders of historically disinvested communities to support their immediate needs and long-term visions with our network, knowledge, and resources. We shape diverse interdisciplinary teams, build cross-sector public/private coalitions, and invest our own funds to support neighborhood priorities. By centering community in everything we do, our inclusive design method responds to the urgent need for social justice in citymaking. For 130 years, our purposeful community engagement, convening capacity, and global network have produced profound transformations in the public realm of New York City and beyond. With an interdisciplinary approach to design, the Van Alen team has backgrounds in architecture, arts and culture, community organizing, preservation, and public policy. See all work at vanalen.org.

   PROJECT SUPPORTERS

   Albany Community Development Agency
   The Albany Community Development Agency (ACDA) revitalizes Albany neighborhoods and homes in a variety of ways, through its management of funds received primarily through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

   America Walks
   America Walks is a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing communities and advocates the resources to advance safe, accessible, and enjoyable places to walk and be physically active for all. The organization provides its diverse network of over 30,000 advocates and hundreds of local, state, and national organizations, with the tools, resources, and experts needed to build capacity, gain experiences, and successfully promote walking and walkability. Learn more at americawalks.org

   Bender Family Foundation
   The Bender Family Foundation was established in 1997 and works to foster, preserve and fund the arts, culture, education, history and environment of New York State’s Capital Region. Learn more at cfgcr.org/bender.

   Mayors’ Institute on City Design
   With a belief in the power of city design to transform communities, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) educates mayors to be the chief urban designers of their cities. MICD is a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors. Since 1986, we’ve offered collaborative learning programs and resources to mayors in order to make a purposeful, positive impact on America. Detailed information about MICD programming is available at micd.org.

   National Endowment for the Arts
   Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit arts.gov.

   New York State Council on the Arts
   New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) fosters and advances the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. Albany Hive is made possible by NYSCA with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. To learn more, visit arts.ny.gov.

7. Van Alen Announces Second Design Sprints Cohort

   September 26, 2024 11:50 am Comments Off on Van Alen Announces Second Design Sprints Cohort

   Van Alen Institute Announces Second Design Sprints Cohort, Pairing Five Community-Based Organizations with Designers

   For eight weeks, community groups work closely with designer professionals to realize public realm design projects that serve their neighborhoods

   ​​(Brooklyn—September 26, 2024)—Van Alen Institute is pleased to announce the new cohort for Design Sprints, an eight-week community-led co-design program that pairs community-based organizations in NYC and design professionals. The Fall 2024 collaborations include 34th Ave Open Streets Coalition with WXY, Gotham Park with Pentagram, James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center with BD FELIZ, Red Hook Farms with Studio Loutsis, and Street Vendor Project with ThoughtMatter. Working across New York City, each community organization has a unique approach to using public spaces to create more interconnected neighborhoods. In collaboration with their design partners, they’ll develop visual identities, wayfinding systems, and advocacy campaigns that support their missions.

   Design Sprints follows the lead of people already working towards equity and justice in their neighborhoods. Community partners have identified an immediate, pressing challenge facing their area, and Van Alen has shaped multidisciplinary design teams uniquely suited to those challenges. Van Alen facilitates these collaborations through end-to-end project management and provides each team with $5000 in seed funding to implement their plans. Each challenge also feeds into neighborhood-scale efforts led by community partners, and work completed through Design Sprints supports their long-term goals.

   Design Sprints builds on Neighborhoods Now, a collaboration with the Urban Design Forum that forged interdisciplinary partnerships to support local organizations leading their communities’ recovery from COVID-19. Past Design Sprints community partners include 82nd Street Partnership + Librería Barco de Papel, Equality for Flatbush, FABnyc, Loisaida Center, and Think!Chinatown. Many of these organizations participated in Neighborhoods Now and continue to work with their design partners and Van Alen Institute.

   The Design Sprints Fall 2024 cohort will present their work at Van Alen Institute in November 2024. To request an invitation, contact press@vanalen.org.

   Participants | Projects

   34TH AVE OPEN STREETS COALITION + WXY

   Operating along Queens’ 34th Avenue between 69th St and Junction Blvd, 34th Street Open Streets Coalition facilitates an outdoor community center and micro mobility corridor along 26 blocks in Jackson Heights. Together with WXY Architecture + Urban Design, they’ll create design interventions that further activate the open street, including gateways at the main entrances and mile-markers for joggers and pedestrians.

   Team Members
   Jim Burke, Co-Founder, 34th Avenue Open Street Coalition
   Rob Daurio, Senior Associate, WXY
   Annie Peyton, Associate, WXY
   Clinton Van Arnam, Creative Director, WXY
   Claire Weisz, Principal-in-Charge, WXY

   GOTHAM PARK + PENTAGRAM AND SHAWN SCOTT

   Gotham Park is the nonprofit grassroots organization reopening, revitalizing, and reactivating the forgotten spaces under the Manhattan side of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. Together with Pentagram and Shawn Scott, they’ll create a comprehensive rebrand of the organization to be applied to its digital presence and merchandise. Pentagram will also conduct preliminary work on a new wayfinding system for the park.

   Team Members
   Megan Brosterman, Chief Operating Officer, Gotham Park
   Rosa Chang, Co-Founder & President, Gotham Park
   Shigeto Akiyama, Associate, Pentagram
   Sewon Bae, Project Manager, Pentagram
   Luke Hayman, Partner, Pentagram
   Anna LaGrone, Photo Editor, Pentagram
   Shawn Scott, emerging designer

   JAMES BALDWIN OUTDOOR LEARNING CENTER + BD FELIZ

   James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center‘s mission is to strive for inquiry and project-based solutions at the juncture of food, environmental justice, and social justice. Together with BD FELIZ, they’ll build upon their existing branding and website to better reflect the organization’s rich history and advance its programs, such as its market, garden, and edible forest.

   Team Members
   Sung Kim, Assistant to the Director, James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center
   Linda Pollak, Board Member, James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center; and Principal, Marpillero Pollak Architects
   Ray Pultinas, Director, James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center
   BD Feliz, Principal, BD FELIZ

   RED HOOK FARMS + STUDIO LOUTSIS

   Red Hook Farms is a youth-centered urban agriculture and food justice program operating one of Brooklyn’s largest farms. Together with Studio Loutsis, they’ll design a comprehensive wayfinding and signage system for their two farms, allowing local residents and volunteers alike to more easily engage with and navigate the farms.

   Team Members
   Brendan Parker, Associate Director, Red Hook Farms
   Taylor Loutsis, Founding Partner and Creative Director, Studio Loutsis

   STREET VENDOR PROJECT + THOUGHTMATTER

   Street Vendor Project (SVP) at the Urban Justice Center is a membership-based organization of over 2,900 members who are working together to create a vendors’ movement for permanent change. Together with ThoughtMatter, they’ll develop their design identity and drive public awareness of their mission, visions, and goals. Starting with a unified brand toolkit for the organization, they will apply the branding across a set of strategic communication touchpoints that uplift street vendors in New York City.

   Team Members
   Mohamed Attia, Managing Director, Street Vendor Project
   Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, Deputy Director, Street Vendor Project
   Mari Andreatta, Business Development Lead, ThoughtMatter
   D’Angelo Heyward, Designer, ThoughtMatter
   Jessie McGuire, Managing Partner, ThoughtMatter
   Diana Ross-Gotta, Account Director, ThoughtMatter
   Dylan Stiga, Senior Strategist, ThoughtMatter

   About Van Alen Institute

   Van Alen Institute helps create equitable cities through community-led inclusive design. In an equitable city, communities are engaged in the conception and creation of their built environment, regardless of income or personal circumstances. Community-driven decision-making builds resilience, social infrastructure, and ultimately, more just cities. For 130 years, our purposeful community engagement, convening capacity, and global network have produced profound transformations in the public realm of New York City and beyond. With an interdisciplinary approach to design, the Van Alen team has backgrounds in architecture, arts and culture, community organizing, preservation, and public policy. See all work at vanalen.org.

   Van Alen’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

   Press contacts:
   Alisha Kim Levin, press@vanalen.org
   Elisa Smilovitz, elisa@elisasmilovitz.com

8. New Public Art Project: With Your Voice

   July 11, 2024 11:05 am Comments Off on New Public Art Project: With Your Voice

   Van Alen Institute Unveils Public Art Project: With Your Voice

   

   Interactive installations by Juanli Carrión and Rodolfo Kusulas illustrate agreements made between the City of New York and Gowanus residents as part of Gowanus Neighborhood Rezoning

   View and download images
   CONTACT: Alisha Kim Levin | press@vanalen.org

   BROOKLYN (July 11, 2024) — Van Alen Institute is pleased to announce With Your Voice, a new participatory public artwork by Juanli Carrión and Rodolfo Kusulas, on view through August 9, 2024. Located at 10 indoor and outdoor locations in Gowanus, this community engagement tool informs New Yorkers about the 56 Points of Agreement, a set of major capital and programmatic commitments made by the City of New York as part of the Gowanus Neighborhood Rezoning, backed by a $250 million investment by the City. The installation brings these agreements directly to Gowanus residents through 10 site-specific “Voicers” — colorful, megaphone-shaped viewfinders — and a VR headset located at Van Alen Institute.

   Although the 56 Points of Agreement affect tens of thousands of Gowanus residents and workers, many are unaware of their existence. Through With Your Voice, people can look into the Voicers and view slides illustrating how the 56 Points of Agreements are shaping Gowanus — including changes to the built environment and city-led programs to support residents and local businesses.

   At each Voicer, participants can scan a QR code to record voice notes responding to what they’ve learned. These notes are shared with the Gowanus Oversight Task Force, community volunteers that advance the 56 Points of Agreement by meeting regularly with city agencies. Responses support the task force’s efforts by surfacing community voices and humanizing impacts of the rezoning. To encourage participation, people can collect digital gem tokens — dubbed “Gowameralds”— by leaving a voice note at each Voicer. Those who collect all 10 Gowameralds will win gift certificates from local businesses.

   The VR headset at Van Alen Institute hosts an expansive library of additional resources, including 3D models, illustrations, interviews, and videos. The VR headset is available to the public Tuesdays–Thursdays, 10:30 am–6:30 pm, July 16–August 8.

   “With Your Voice raises awareness about major promises made by New York City to Gowanus residents as part of the neighborhood’s ongoing redevelopment, “ said Juanli Carrión and Rodolfo Kusulas. “Through the surveys posted at each Voicer, we encourage Gowanus residents to voice their opinions about what they learn and create a connection with the Gowanus Oversight Task Force members working to strengthen this community.”

   “Juanli Carrión and Rodolfo Kusulas’s installation With Your Voice exemplifies public art’s potential for approachable, effective community engagement,” said Deborah Marton, Executive Director, Van Alen Institute. “Amidst the speedy evolution of Gowanus’s built environment, the piece’s brightly colored, whimsical installations — the Voicers — demystify neighborhood changes and support the Gowanus Oversight Task Force’s important advocacy.”

   This is Van Alen’s 15th installation in its ongoing Common Build initiative, which surfaces the work of emerging artists and tests new strategies to bring people together in public space. With Your Voice is supported by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the Council’s Brooklyn Boroughwide Needs Initiative, and with in-kind fabrication from Bednark Studio and engineering review services from Silman. The project is made possible through the collaboration of Brooklyn Public Library, New York City Housing Authority, NYC Department of Environment Protection, NYC Department of City Planning, NYC Parks, Domain Companies, PMG, SCAPE, and Avery Hall.

   With Your Voice Locations

   Van Alen Institute, 303 Bond St
   Wyckoff-Bond Garden, 195 Wyckoff St
   Powerhouse Arts, 322 3rd Ave
   David Foulke Memorial Garden, 248-250 Bergen St
   Wyckoff Gardens Community Center, 280 Wyckoff St
   C-Town, 239 Bond St
   Good Morning Deli, 303 Dean St
   Brooklyn Public Library, 25 4th Ave
   Siempre Restaurant, 255 3rd Ave
   Office of Councilmember Hanif, 195 Bond St

   Maps can be found on each Voicer and online at withyourvoice.org.

   With Your Voice Selection Process

   Artists were nominated by members of Van Alen Institute’s network who have a history of working with artists who create socially engaged public art. With Your Voice was chosen by a selection committee from a shortlist of three proposals; the other shortlisted artists were Lynn Neuman and Immanuel Oni.

   The selection committee consisted of eight Gowanus residents who serve on the Gowanus Oversight Task Force or other neighborhood groups: Bahij Chancey*, WXY Studio; Frank Dubinsky, Monadnock Development; Diana Gruberg, Gowanus Canal Conservancy; Candelaria Mas Pohmajevic*, Resilient Cities Catalyst; Nilda Lino*, Assure for Life; Tony Ruiz*, Gowanus Oversight Task Force; Elisa Smilovitz, Gowanus Mutual Aid; and Andreas Tyre, Gowanus Houses Resident Association. (*Denotes member of Gowanus Oversight Task Force)

   About the 56 Points of Agreement

   In 2021, the New York City Council approved the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan, an expansive rezoning that will bring an estimated 8,200 new apartments to an 82-block stretch of Gowanus, transforming a historic manufacturing area into mixed-use. Approximately 18,000 new residents are estimated to occupy new housing developments by 2035. It is the largest rezoning of the de Blasio administration and has been in the works for over a decade. In response, a diverse and representative group of community volunteer stakeholders formed the Gowanus Oversight Task Force to ensure Gowanus residents benefit from the rezoning. The 56 Points of Agreement are an outcome of the work of the Gowanus Oversight Task Force that details a comprehensive investment from the city in housing, infrastructure, public space, community amenities, and workforce and business support programs to improve the quality of life for current and future residents as part of the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan.

   About the Artists

   Juanli Carrión’s work has unfolded over the past decade in the research, development, and education of community-engaged design and artistic practices addressing social and environmental justice. Over the past decade, Carrión has followed the Gowanus Canal’s changes and challenges up close. As Assistant Professor of Creative Community Development at Parsons School of Design, he has used the Canal as a case study for his Sustainable Systems Practices course, in which students map the pollution of waterways using pH reactive natural dyes. He is the co-founder of OSS Project Inc. and his work has been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, BRIC, ARTIUM, MUSAC, CentroCentro, MAC Lima, India’s National Gallery of Modern Art, and Serbia’s MOCA. His research has been presented at Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, AIA New York, National Academy of Sciences, and Getty Institute, among others.

   Rodolfo Kusulas is a transdisciplinary creator with a deep passion for social innovation and sustainability who uses his work as a tool to help communities thrive. With experience working internationally, he has a background in industrial design, extensive experience in branding, product and retail. After winning a global competition for the 140th anniversary of Heineken, Kusulas joined VBAT as a creative in the Latin American office. Since 2018, he has developed programmatic design and creative community development work with KOUS studio, which he co-founded in 2016, and in collaboration with artists and nonprofit organizations.

   As a duo, Carrión and Kusulas share interest in transdisciplinary research about how art and design can be used to visualize the layers of identity that compose communities. They transform stories, data, materials, actions or information into art and design strategies that serve as tools for sustainable community development. This manifests in community lead initiatives including public art that becomes urban agriculture, product design and art pieces that become small businesses as supplemental source of revenue, interactive murals and workshops that become tools for education on water pollution and jewelry that becomes therapeutic tools to confront environmental devastation.

   About Van Alen Institute

   Van Alen Institute helps create equitable cities through community-led inclusive design. In an equitable city, communities are engaged in the conception and creation of their built environment, regardless of income or personal circumstances. Community-driven decision-making builds resilience, social infrastructure, and ultimately, more just cities. For 130 years, our purposeful community engagement, convening capacity, and global network have produced profound transformations in the public realm of New York City and beyond. With an interdisciplinary approach to design, the Van Alen team has backgrounds in architecture, arts and culture, community organizing, preservation, and public policy. See all work at vanalen.org.

9. Deborah Marton to Step Down as Executive Director

   July 1, 2024 11:24 am Comments Off on Deborah Marton to Step Down as Executive Director

   Van Alen Institute Announces Deborah Marton to Step Down as Executive Director

   

   Current Director of Programs and Director of Strategic Partnerships to Serve as Interim Co-Executive Directors

   (Brooklyn, NY—July 1, 2024) Van Alen Institute, the 130-year-old urban design nonprofit, announces that its Executive Director, Deborah Marton, will step down from her role in August 2024 to focus on family and her work at the New York City Public Design Commission.

   During her five-year tenure, Marton led the organization through a major mission shift to create equitable cities through inclusive design, centering community expertise and residents’ agency over their built environment. She created programs that leverage Van Alen’s legacy, resources, and network to make it easier for communities to shape places where they live.

   “It’s been the opportunity of a lifetime to steer Van Alen Institute towards self-initiated projects that advance design justice. Now, with a suite of community-led design programs, welcoming new headquarters in Brooklyn, and a unified board and staff, Van Alen is in a brilliant place to continue growing under new leadership,” said Deborah Marton, Executive Director, Van Alen Institute. “It’s been an honor and privilege to lead these efforts and build coalitions with inspiring community leaders working towards justice, squarely situating Van Alen to foster equity in the built environment.”

   “We’re going to miss Deborah. Throughout her career as a civic leader, Deborah has been committed to elevating community voices and holding space for dialogue among the many stakeholders involved in bringing an environment to life. At Van Alen, she has consistently cultivated trust in service of the design process, the essential first step to systemic change we need for a more equitable world,” said R. May Lee, Van Alen Board Chair and Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Institutional Impact, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

   Van Alen’s Board of Trustees has begun the search for the new Executive Director and will seek an individual who shares the organization’s values and has the skills and passion to lead Van Alen in the next stage of advancing its mission. During this time, current Director of Programs Andrew Brown and Director of Strategic Partnerships Kate Overbeck will serve as Interim Co-Executive Directors, building on their extensive senior leadership experience at Van Alen.

   “Deborah joined Van Alen Institute with a laser-focused vision to put community expertise at the center of our work. It’s been profoundly fulfilling to lead Van Alen’s programs during this transformational period, and I look forward to continuing this momentum,” said Andrew Brown, Director of Programs, Van Alen Institute.

   Added Kate Overbeck, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Van Alen Institute, “Under Deborah’s leadership, Van Alen’s staff, board, and partners are wholly united in our mission to create more equitable cities. I’m excited to continue advancing the remarkable power of Van Alen’s inclusive design network.”

   As Interim Co-Executive Directors, Brown and Overbeck will carry forward community-led inclusive design programs developed during Marton’s tenure, including:

   • Design Sprints: fast-paced co-design projects that build trust between community leaders and designers
   • Common Build: public space activations that engage residents and attract neighborhood investment
   • Multiyear initiatives sparking transformational change in the way communities, designers, and city leaders build coalitions and co-create shared spaces — for example, Albany Hive is redeveloping a disinvested alley into a welcoming community space
   • Urban Room at Van Alen Institute, a dignified community meeting space to support civic participation and the work of Van Alen’s partners

   These programs build on the momentum of citywide initiatives that Marton spearheaded at Van Alen, including Neighborhoods Now, the pandemic-response initiative in collaboration with the Urban Design Forum; and Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge, an international design competition in partnership with the New York City Council.

   About Deborah Marton
   A leading voice on the intersection of environmental and social justice, Deborah Marton is the President of NYC’s Public Design Commission, where she leads its advocacy for equitable public space design. She was previously Executive Director of New York Restoration Project, where she led the private sector commitment to plant a million trees as part of New York City’s MillionTreesNYC initiative and the creation and/or renovation of more than 50 community garden spaces throughout New York City’s most under-resourced communities. In her prior role as Executive Director of the Design Trust for Public Space, Deborah launched the Taxi 07 program, resulting in a new purpose-built NYC taxi.

   About Andrew Brown
   As Director of Programs at Van Alen Institute, Andrew Brown oversees programs that mobilize designers to address pressing challenges in communities. Andrew is a researcher trained in empirical analysis of programs and public policy and his work often explores how designers, city leaders, and communities can work together to create healthier, more prosperous neighborhoods. He received his Master of Public Administration from the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at New York University and Bachelors in History from Williams College.

   About Kate Overbeck
   As Director of Strategic Partnerships at Van Alen Institute, Kate Overbeck connects people committed to equitable citymaking with the resources needed to create more livable, healthy, and resilient neighborhoods for everyone. Prior to joining Van Alen, Kate was Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships at Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities initiative, where she mobilized support to help cities survive and thrive in the face of physical, social, and environmental challenges. Kate graduated from Boston University with a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology.

   About Van Alen Institute
   Van Alen Institute helps create equitable cities through community-led inclusive design. In an equitable city, communities are engaged in the conception and creation of their built environment, regardless of income or personal circumstances. Community-driven decision-making builds resilience, social infrastructure, and ultimately, more just cities. For 130 years, our purposeful community engagement, convening capacity, and global network have produced profound transformations in the public realm of New York City and beyond. With an interdisciplinary approach to design, the Van Alen team has backgrounds in architecture, arts and culture, community organizing, preservation, and public policy. See all work at vanalen.org.

   Press Contacts
   Alisha Kim Levin, Director of Communications: press@vanalen.org
   Elisa Smilovitz: elisa@elisasmilovitz.com

10. Now on view: Ugly Beauties by Curry J. Hackett

    March 9, 2024 2:22 pm Comments Off on Now on view: Ugly Beauties by Curry J. Hackett

    Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and Van Alen Institute Unveil New Public Art Installation by Curry J. Hackett

    Ugly Beauties features AI-generated images of Black people immersed in wild flora, designed to reimagine abundant urban futures that center Black communities

    View and download images
    CONTACT: Emma Brownstein | emma@risaheller.com | 718-838-8328
    Alisha Kim Levin | press@vanalen.org

    BROOKLYN (March 11, 2024) — Downtown Brooklyn Partnership (DBP) and Van Alen Institute unveiled Ugly Beauties, a new public art installation by artist Curry J. Hackett at The Plaza at 300 Ashland. Commissioned by DBP with support from Two Trees Management Co, Ugly Beauties features a panoramic display of AI-generated images of Black people juxtaposed with the various native and invasive plant species — so-called “weeds” — that flourish in New York City, prompting viewers to consider society’s perception of beauty and belonging. Ugly Beauties will be on view until May 2, 2024.

    “Ugly Beauties expands on Downtown Brooklyn Partnership’s commitment to activating its shared spaces with art installations that enliven the public realm and capture the spirit of the neighborhood,” said Regina Myer, President of Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. “With residents, shoppers, workers, diners, and other visitors rushing around the neighborhood, we hope this piece will impart a moment of reflection and help Brooklynites to realize the beauty all around them. Thank you to Curry, Van Alen, and Two Trees for working with us to bring Ugly Beauties to the Plaza.”

    Ugly Beauties features construction netting printed with AI-generated images draping a steel scaffolding. Upon approaching the structure, viewers are presented with scenes depicting Black individuals in city landscapes surrounded by various urban growth, commonly known as weeds. Much of the vegetation that emerges in urban settings is spontaneous, often appearing between sidewalk cracks and labeled as invasive when not planted with municipal ordinance. Many gardeners and ecologists often try to banish unwanted plant growth from meticulously planned landscapes, but Ugly Beauties challenges this notion.

    Through Hackett’s lens, the piece depicts Black individuals among the weeds, highlighting a metaphorical connection between society’s perception of these species and its treatment of Black people. The AI-generated images urge the viewer to look beyond the conventional definition of pretty flowers, such as tulips, roses and daffodils, and ponder the idea that weeds should also be appreciated for their beauty, cultural importance, and ecological value. In posing this idea, Ugly Beauties champions Black resilience, celebrating the belonging of both Black people and spontaneous plant growth in urban environments.

    “Ugly Beauties brings together so many of the topics I embody and think about often: Southern Black culture, land, food, and plants,” said Curry J. Hackett. “Many of our cities bear difficult histories that have made it harder for us to develop relationships with land and food. I see this project as both a reminder of what Brooklyn’s landscapes can offer us, and a charge for us to dream wildly of what is possible in our streets, yards, and gardens.

    “Curry J. Hackett’s Ugly Beauties is an ingenious use of AI to activate one of Brooklyn’s most visible crossroads. It’s an elegant call for a future that centers inclusive joy in shared spaces,” said Deborah Marton, Executive Director, Van Alen Institute. “We’re honored for this ongoing opportunity to surface work of emerging designers, and we thank Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and Two Trees for their partnership in bringing Curry’s vision to life.”

    “Curry Hackett’s recent projects prompting AI to create alternative urban landscapes celebrating Black culture challenge us to expand our capacity to imagine more just futures. We’re thrilled to host Ugly Beauties at the Plaza at 300 Ashland and support Hackett’s provocation to envision a bold, abundant future for New York City,” said Kate Gavriel, Cultural Affairs Director of Two Trees Management Co.

    Ugly Beauties is Curry J. Hackett’s latest project to employ AI as a tool to imagine alternate realities and explore urban landscapes through a Black lens. A multidisciplinary artist and architect, Hackett uses machine learning to create vignettes of urban landscapes in which mundane Black traditions are recast in new and uncanny settings.

    Ugly Beauties is part of Van Alen Institute’s Common Build program, intended to surface the work of emerging designers and test new strategies to bring people together in public space.

    For more information, please visit downtownbrooklyn.com and vanalen.org.

    #

    About Curry J. Hackett
    Curry J. Hackett is a transdisciplinary designer, public artist, and educator. His practice, Wayside, looks to undertold histories to inspire meaningful art and critical research. Recently, Curry has been experimenting with artificial intelligence tools, with which he braids Black aesthetics, kinships with nature, and pop culture to imagine surreal scenes of Black joy. This work has been featured widely, most notably in Bloomberg and Architect Magazine. His ongoing research project, titled Drylongso, explores relationships between Blackness, geography, and land. This project has received funding the Graham Foundation, Journal of Architectural Education, and Washington Project for the Arts. Curry earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Howard University, and is currently completing his Master of Architecture in Urban Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

    About Downtown Brooklyn Partnership
    The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership is a not-for-profit local development corporation that serves as the primary champion for Downtown Brooklyn as a world-class business, cultural, educational, residential, and retail destination. Managing three Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) that cover Downtown Brooklyn — the MetroTech BID, Fulton Mall ImprovementAssociation, and Court-Livingston-Schermerhorn BID — the Partnership’s diverse activities include attracting new businesses and improving the environment for existing companies, facilitating the construction of public spaces and streetscapes that promote an active and cohesive community, supporting and promoting Downtown Brooklyn’s cultural assets, and encouraging a sense of place and an engaged civic community.

    About Van Alen Institute
    Van Alen Institute helps create equitable cities through community-led inclusive design. In an equitable city, communities are engaged in the conception and creation of their built environment, regardless of income or personal circumstances. Community-driven decision-making builds resilience, social infrastructure, and ultimately, more just cities. For 130 years, our purposeful community engagement, convening capacity, and global network have produced profound transformations in the public realm of New York City and beyond. With an interdisciplinary approach to design, the Van Alen team has backgrounds in architecture, arts and culture, community organizing, preservation, and public policy. See all work at vanalen.org.

    About The Plaza at 300 Ashland
    The Plaza at 300 Ashland sits at the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District, adjacent to the brownstone Brooklyn neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Boerum Hill, and Park Slope. Managed, programmed, and maintained by DBP, the public plaza features a robust calendar of events presented in partnership with premier Brooklyn arts organizations such as BAM, BRIC, Brooklyn Public Library, Mark Morris Dance Group, MoCADA, 651 Arts, and Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA), offering free, high-quality programming for everyone. With ample stepped seating, bistro tables and chairs, and capacity for 2,000, the 15,000-sf plaza has regularly hosted large-scale festivals, markets, and community events since its opening in 2017. Programming at The Plaza at 300 Ashland is made possible by support from Two Trees Management Co.