Archive

1. Exhibition: The House Transformed

   February 24, 2026 3:11 pm Comments Off on Exhibition: The House Transformed

   About

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   The House Transformed
   On view February 24–May 22, 2026
   303 Bond Street, Brooklyn

   Exhibition hours:
   Mondays–Thursdays, 10 am–6 pm
   Fridays–Saturdays, 12–6 pm

   Following its debut at the Princeton University School of Architecture (SoA), The House Transformed presents new ideas for domestic architecture. Featuring participants from local and global contexts, the exhibition rejects conventional notions of nuclear family and a “one-size-fits-all” approach to the house. These models and drawings explore alternative concepts for collective living, multigenerational households, and caregiving.

   Curated by Mónica Ponce de León, Princeton School of Architecture, with Shoshana Torn and Massimo Giannone.

   Upcoming Events

   April 23, 2026

   Summit: District Design Fellowship

   Join us to celebrate the culmination of our District Design Fellowship, developed in collaboration with the NYC Department of Small Business Services’ Building Creative Capacity initiative.

   District Design Fellowship

   

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   April 21, 2026

   Unveiling: Friends from the Canal

   ​Join us for the debut of Friends from the Canal. Created by artist duo Mookntaka, these inflatable, illuminated sculptures serve as a playful welcome to Gowanus.

   Friends from the Canal

   

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   April 17, 2026

   Pratt Institute Research Open House 2026

   Van Alen joins Pratt’s flagship event, showcasing faculty and student research and highlighting collaborations.

   Design Sprints: Building Creative CapacityFriends from the Canal

   

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   April 13, 2026

   Gallery Talk: Domestic Takes

   ​How do members of Gen X, Y, and Z think about home? Join us for a talk with the curators of The House Transformed and Tiffany Jow of Untapped.

   Exhibition: The House TransformedUrban Room

   

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   April 25, 2026

   Gowanus Community Festival

   At the annual Gowanus Community Festival, meet the artists and designers creating Friends from the Canal and Gowanus Yearbook.

   Friends from the CanalUrban Room

   

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   April 28, 2026

   Gallery Talk: Designing for Caregiving

   How can we design homes for non-nuclear families? Cynthia Davidson leads a talk with The House Transformed exhibitors Tei Carpenter, Rocio Crosetto, Erica Goetz, and Rossana Hu.

   Exhibition: The House TransformedUrban Room

   

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   May 13, 2026

   CB6 Full Board Meeting

   Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 holds their monthly Full Board meeting at Van Alen Institute. Open to the public.

   Urban Room

   

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   June 4, 2026

   Bond Street Bash 2026

   Convene with Van Alen’s community to celebrate our shared values and work toward more equitable citymaking.

   Urban Room

   

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   June 10, 2026

   CB6 Full Board Meeting

   Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 holds their monthly Full Board meeting at Van Alen Institute. Open to the public.

   Urban Room

   

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   Updates

   Updates

   Photos: The House Transformed opening reception

   Friends new and old ventured out after a historic blizzard to celebrate the exhibition The House Transformed. 

   See More

   

   In the News

   Press

   Bloomberg Citylab

   Single-Family Homes Aren’t Just for Nuclear Families

   Read More

   Press

   The Architect’s Newspaper

   The House Transformed, an exhibition curated by Mónica Ponce de León, opens at Van Alen Institute

   Read More

   Press

   World Architects

   4 Architecture Exhibitions To See in New York City This Spring

   Read More

   Press

   Archinect

   10 can’t-miss architecture & design events to see this April in NYC, LA, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Buffalo, Shenzhen, and Milan

   Read More

   Exhibition Participants

   adamo-faiden, Agency—Agency, Akima Brackeen, Al Borde, all(zone), BALSA CROSETTO PIAZZI, Black Box Research Group / Atelier Office, Cameron Wu, Cazú Zegers, Chenchow Little Architects, clara sola-morales studio, Common Accounts, COMTE/MEUWLY, Current Interests, Daisy Ames, Diagonal Thoughts, Equipo de Arquitectura, Erin Besler, ERGO Architects, Florencia Pita & Co., Förstberg Ling, French 2D, Heide & von Beckerath, Now Here, The LADG, LLOSA CORTEGANA arquitectos, LTL Architects and Guy Nordenson and Associates, MALL, MOS with E. Coccia, MPdL Studio, Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, Oshinowo Studio, Preston Scott Cohen, Stan Allen Architect, Steven Holl Architects, Studio Barnes, studio:indigenous, Studio Sean Canty, Tato Architects, TEN, Tham & Videgård, VTN Architects, WILLIAMSONWILLIAMSON

   Exhibition Team

   Curator: Mónica Ponce de León

   Assistant Curators: Shoshana Torn and Massimo Giannone

   Graphic Design: Christina Huang

   Exhibition Design: MPdL Studio: Mónica Ponce de León, Massimo Giannone, Shoshana Torn

   Public Programming: Courtney Coffman and Emily Conklin

   Exhibition Production: Kira McDonald

   Exhibition Fabrication: Marie Baretsky, Sean Rucewicz, Olivia Ahmadi, Bill Tansley, John Hunter

   Exhibition Assistants: Tyler Gray; Aidan Lozano; Saaya Perera; Nicole Teichner; Aonor Washington; Jon Charette; April Dong; Foivos Geralis; Ming Rou Han; Jordan Loofs; Chenkun Ma; Antónia Pachéco; Ian St. John; Lucia Tian; Samet Yilmaz

   Model Assistants: Elina Chen; Zoe King Man Cheung; Vaida Kidykaite; Loretta Koch; Kyra McLaughlin; Lia Mondavi; Stephanie Rosas; Beatriz Saldana; Chandler Yicong Shan; Robert Williams

   Special thanks to: Princeton University SoA Interim Dean Sylvia Lavin, Allison Wenner, Courtney Coffman, Jeanette Turner, Kate Harmon, Preston Scott Cohen, Cynthia Davidson, Sylvester Black, and Hayley Eber, as well as the Princeton University SoA staff and Van Alen Institute staff.

   This exhibition is made possible by the Princeton University SoA Jean Labatut Memorial Lectures in Architecture and Urban Planning Fund.

   Contact

   

   Van Alen Staff

   Emily Conklin

   Network and Public Programs Manager

   Email

2. Los Círculos

   February 17, 2026 10:06 am Comments Off on Los Círculos

   About

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   On view October 1, 2025–July 2026.

   Winner of the 2025 Beacon Award of Excellence for Lighting Design of an Experiential Project!

   Los Círculos is 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 Marvel and produced by Community League of the Heights (CLOTH) and Van Alen Institute, in collaboration with a 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 NYC 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.

   This project was funded by the NYC Department of Small Business Services (NYC SBS) through the Public Realm Grant and, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

   Project Leads

   

   Community Partner

   Community League of the Heights (CLOTH)

   

   Network

   Marvel

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   Design Team

   

   Network

   A05 Studio

   

   Network

   Buro Happold

   

   Network

   TYLin

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   Community Partners

   

   Community Partner

   Columbia University Irving Medical Center

   

   Community Partner

   Juan Pablo Duarte Foundation

   

   Community Partner

   NewYork-Presbyterian

   

   Community Partner

   Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance

   

   Community Partner

   United Palace

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   City Partners

   

   Supporter

   NYC Department of Small Business Services

   

   Network

   NYC Department of Parks

   

   Network

   NYC Department of Transporation

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   In the News

   Updates

   Los Círculos Wins Beacon Award

   We’re honored to announce that Los Círculos has received the Beacon Award of Excellence for Lighting Design of an Experiential Project. Now in its second year, the Beacon Awards honor outstanding achievements in lighting.

   Read More

   

   Press

   AIA New York

   New Lighting Installations in Washington Heights Celebrates Public Space

   Read More

   Press

   Harlem World

   Washington Heights Debuted ‘Los Círculos,’ A Illuminated Public Art Installation

   Read More

   Supporters

   

   Supporter

   NYC Department of Small Business Services

   

   Supporter

   New York State Council on the Arts

   

   Supporter

   New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

   Related Projects

   

   Neighborhoods Now

   Archive

   Neighborhoods Now: Community League of the Heights

   Conducting a needs assessment of businesses to help create a thriving and vibrant commercial corridor.

   See Project

3. Friends from the Canal

   February 10, 2026 1:13 pm Comments Off on Friends from the Canal

   About

   

   Created by local artist duo Mookntaka, Friends from the Canal is a multi-site public art installation coming to Gowanus in Spring 2026. These inflatable, character-driven sculptures are inspired by the aquatic fauna of the Gowanus and will serve as friendly neighborhood ambassadors. Designed to make Gowanus’ public spaces feel more welcoming to all, they will playfully greet residents by day and radiate soft light after sundown.

   Mookntaka was selected through an open call held in Fall 2025, and chosen by a committee of local residents and community leaders in collaboration with Van Alen Institute.

   Friends from the Canal is made possible by a $100,000 Public Realm Grant for Commercial District Lighting awarded through the NYC Department of Small Business Services.

   

   Network

   Mookntaka

   Related Events

   April 23, 2026

   Summit: District Design Fellowship

   Join us to celebrate the culmination of our District Design Fellowship, developed in collaboration with the NYC Department of Small Business Services’ Building Creative Capacity initiative.

   District Design Fellowship

   

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   April 21, 2026

   Unveiling: Friends from the Canal

   ​Join us for the debut of Friends from the Canal. Created by artist duo Mookntaka, these inflatable, illuminated sculptures serve as a playful welcome to Gowanus.

   Friends from the Canal

   

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   April 17, 2026

   Pratt Institute Research Open House 2026

   Van Alen joins Pratt’s flagship event, showcasing faculty and student research and highlighting collaborations.

   Design Sprints: Building Creative CapacityFriends from the Canal

   

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   April 13, 2026

   Gallery Talk: Domestic Takes

   ​How do members of Gen X, Y, and Z think about home? Join us for a talk with the curators of The House Transformed and Tiffany Jow of Untapped.

   Exhibition: The House TransformedUrban Room

   

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   April 25, 2026

   Gowanus Community Festival

   At the annual Gowanus Community Festival, meet the artists and designers creating Friends from the Canal and Gowanus Yearbook.

   Friends from the CanalUrban Room

   

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   April 28, 2026

   Gallery Talk: Designing for Caregiving

   How can we design homes for non-nuclear families? Cynthia Davidson leads a talk with The House Transformed exhibitors Tei Carpenter, Rocio Crosetto, Erica Goetz, and Rossana Hu.

   Exhibition: The House TransformedUrban Room

   

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   May 13, 2026

   CB6 Full Board Meeting

   Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 holds their monthly Full Board meeting at Van Alen Institute. Open to the public.

   Urban Room

   

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   June 4, 2026

   Bond Street Bash 2026

   Convene with Van Alen’s community to celebrate our shared values and work toward more equitable citymaking.

   Urban Room

   

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   June 10, 2026

   CB6 Full Board Meeting

   Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 holds their monthly Full Board meeting at Van Alen Institute. Open to the public.

   Urban Room

   

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   Behind-the-Scenes

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Selection Committee

   

   Network

   Zaxx Abraham

   Project Manager, Neighborhood Planning, NYC Department of Small Business Services

   

   Network

   Sam Alison-Mayne

   Co-Founder, Tankhouse

   

   Network

   Tiffany Baker

   Artist

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Francesca Bastianini

   Co-Founder and Principal, Sighte Studio

   

   Network

   Emily C. Bell

   Communications & Outreach Senior Manager, Gowanus Canal Conservancy

   

   Network

   Rose Jefferson

   Community Advocate and Educator

   

   Network

   Jonathan Molloy

   Senior Associate, SO–IL

   

   Network

   Saloni Sharma

   Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Le Roi Capital

   

   Network

   Johnny Thornton

   Executive Director, Arts Gowanus

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   Timeline

   Jul – Aug 2025

   Open Call

   110 artists and designers responded to the Open Call.

   Sep – Oct 2025

   Request for Proposals

   Three shortlisted artists/designers were chosen by a committee of local residents and community leaders, and asked to create a proposal. Each shortlisted participant received $2,000 upon submission of their proposal.

   Oct – Nov 2025

   Winner Selected

   The winning proposal was selected by a committee of local residents and community leaders. The winning designer received a $23,000 fee for development and delivery of the project.

   Dec 2025 – Mar 2026

   Production and Fabrication

   The winning design is awarded $75,000 for direct expenses of the project’s production, fabrication, and installation.

   Apr 2026 – Aug 2027

   Display Period

   Program Manager

   

   Van Alen Staff

   Shiloah Coley

   Program Manager

   Email

   Related Projects

   

   Common Build

   Ongoing

   The Dear Neighbor Project

   On long-term view, Tiffany Baker’s public art project increases public awareness of flooding in Gowanus.

   See Project

   

   Common Build

   Archive

   With Your Voice

   On view July 11—September 9, 2024, With Your Voice envisioned major changes coming to Gowanus, Brooklyn.

   See Project

   Supporters

   

   Supporter

   NYC Department of Small Business Services

   

   Supporter

   New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

4. District Design Fellowship

   January 27, 2026 4:09 pm Comments Off on District Design Fellowship

   About

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Small businesses are the heartbeat of vibrant neighborhoods, but many nonprofits supporting NYC’s commercial districts lack access to creative tools that champion local merchants. To strengthen these efforts, the District Design Fellowship — developed in collaboration with the NYC Department of Small Business Services’ Building Creative Capacity initiative — partners employees of community-based development organizations (CBDOs) with designers to develop creative, impactful, and innovative “Buy Local” toolkits for their districts.

   From Oct 2025–Apr 2026, Fellows will enhance their commercial corridors through design, storytelling, and public engagement. Throughout the program, Fellows are collaborating with dedicated teams of Design Advisors — professionals with relevant expertise in fields such as architecture, graphic design, or urban design. Fellows will also think creatively about design solutions and public space activations in their corridors.

   By the end of the fellowship, Fellows will launch “Buy Local” campaigns that celebrate neighborhood identity and harness the power of art and design to boost visibility and foot traffic for small businesses. This suite of materials will enable Fellows to pilot new strategies that strengthen the connection between design, culture, and economic development in their corridors.

   Components will include:

   • Buy Local Toolkit, which may include cohesive, neighborhood-specific collateral such as brochures, digital graphics, signage, or zines.
   • Corridor Design Concept, strategies to leverage a commercial corridor’s public realm. One concept should be implementable as a pilot project during the program duration to test temporary installations, markets, events, or other activation opportunities in their districts.

   Upcoming Events

   April 23, 2026

   Summit: District Design Fellowship

   Join us to celebrate the culmination of our District Design Fellowship, developed in collaboration with the NYC Department of Small Business Services’ Building Creative Capacity initiative.

   District Design Fellowship

   

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   April 21, 2026

   Unveiling: Friends from the Canal

   ​Join us for the debut of Friends from the Canal. Created by artist duo Mookntaka, these inflatable, illuminated sculptures serve as a playful welcome to Gowanus.

   Friends from the Canal

   

   ---

   April 17, 2026

   Pratt Institute Research Open House 2026

   Van Alen joins Pratt’s flagship event, showcasing faculty and student research and highlighting collaborations.

   Design Sprints: Building Creative CapacityFriends from the Canal

   

   ---

   April 13, 2026

   Gallery Talk: Domestic Takes

   ​How do members of Gen X, Y, and Z think about home? Join us for a talk with the curators of The House Transformed and Tiffany Jow of Untapped.

   Exhibition: The House TransformedUrban Room

   

   ---

   April 25, 2026

   Gowanus Community Festival

   At the annual Gowanus Community Festival, meet the artists and designers creating Friends from the Canal and Gowanus Yearbook.

   Friends from the CanalUrban Room

   

   ---

   April 28, 2026

   Gallery Talk: Designing for Caregiving

   How can we design homes for non-nuclear families? Cynthia Davidson leads a talk with The House Transformed exhibitors Tei Carpenter, Rocio Crosetto, Erica Goetz, and Rossana Hu.

   Exhibition: The House TransformedUrban Room

   

   ---

   May 13, 2026

   CB6 Full Board Meeting

   Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 holds their monthly Full Board meeting at Van Alen Institute. Open to the public.

   Urban Room

   

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   June 4, 2026

   Bond Street Bash 2026

   Convene with Van Alen’s community to celebrate our shared values and work toward more equitable citymaking.

   Urban Room

   

   ---

   June 10, 2026

   CB6 Full Board Meeting

   Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 holds their monthly Full Board meeting at Van Alen Institute. Open to the public.

   Urban Room

   

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   Melrose, Bronx

   

   

   

   

   

   Jamila Diaz of WHEDco teams up with BD Feliz, Perkins Eastman, and Zhiyao Zhang to improve the pedestrian experience and activate public space around the newly-opened Bronx Music Hall. The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco)’s mission is to create and bridge access to resources that support thriving neighborhoods: from stable, affordable housing to high-quality early childhood and school-age youth education programs, comprehensive family and community services, business and entrepreneur assistance, and cultural programming.

   

   Community Partner

   Jamila Diaz

   Deputy Director, Community Development, WHEDco

   

   Network

   BD Feliz

   BD FELIZ, Principal

   

   Network

   Cristian Mare

   Principal, Perkins Eastman

   

   Network

   Silvia Vercher Pons

   Senior Associate, Perkins Eastman

   

   Network

   Zhiyao Zhang

   Port Richmond, Staten Island

   

   

   

   

   

   Evelin Omana Caballero of La Colmena teams up with ORG Permanent Modernity, Thought Matter, and Rosanna Valencia to celebrate the rich history and immigrant community of Staten Island’s Port Richmond Avenue. La Colmena is a nonprofit community-based organization working with day laborers, domestic workers, and other low-wage immigrant workers in Staten Island through organizing, education, culture, and equitable economic development.

   

   Community Partner

   Evelin Caballero Omana

   N360° Project Manager, La Colmena

   

   Network

   Garine Boghossian

   Senior Urban Designer, ORG

   

   Network

   Molly Coletta

   Project Manager, Thought Matter

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Jessie McGuire

   Managing Partner, Thought Matter

   

   Network

   Dylan Stiga

   Senior Strategist, Thought Matter

   

   Network

   Rosanna Valencia

   Artist, Architectural Designer, and Urbanist

   Upper West Side, Manhattan

   

   

   

   

   

   Becca Bran of Landmark West! teams up with Brynn Anderson, Buro Happold, and Pentagram to surface histories of the buildings and shop owners along the Upper West Side’s 72nd Street corridor. Landmark West! is dedicated to building an inclusive community and championing a positive neighborhood quality of life for the Upper West Side of Manhattan. They are an architecture, arts, and culture non-profit that has achieved landmark status for individual buildings and historic districts since 1985. They engage in extensive education outreach, diverse programming and wide-ranging research and preservation advocacy to continue to protect and celebrate the Upper West Side’s unique historic environment. 

   

   Community Partner

   Becca Bran

   Preservation Associate, Landmark West!

   

   Network

   Brynn Anderson

   Graphic Designer

   

   Network

   Ashley Dominguez

   Senior Consultant, Buro Happold

   

   Network

   Luke Hayman

   Partner, Pentagram

   

   Network

   Isa Marcotulli 

   Senior Consultant for Space Planning and Strategy, Buro Happold

   Program Advisors

   

   Network

   Roxanne Earley

   Independent Consultant, Earley Strategies

   

   Network

   Elisa Smilovitz

   Publicist

   Member, Gowanus Mutual Aid

   Program Managers

   

   Van Alen Staff

   Joseph Messana-Croly

   Program Manager

   

   Network

   René Cuenca

   Senior Program Manager of Capacity Building,

   NYC Department of Small Business Services

   Email

   Components

   This time-bound fellowship offers a mix of structured learning, one-on-one design support, peer exchange, and public engagement:

   Design Team: Each fellow will work in a team with dedicated professional Design Advisors from the fields of architecture, graphic design, and/or urban design.

   Learning Exchanges: Fellows will attend monthly learning and neighborhood exchange sessions led by design experts, showcasing NYC-based projects that exemplify best practices in corridor activations and community-driven design. Workshop topics will include:

   • Creative Community Development
   • Working with Designers
   • Public Realm Activations
   • District Marketing and Branding Strategies

   District Visits: Fellows will receive support in planning an event in their district to showcase their commercial corridors and local businesses.

   Final Presentation: Fellows will present their plans and lessons learned at a culminating summit and celebration, designed to engage peers, funders, and citywide stakeholders.

   Resources

   Timeline

   Aug – Sep 2025

   Fellow Application and Selection

   Fellows were selected by September 30.

   Oct 2025

   Design Advisor Teams Formed

   Van Alen Institute pairs each Fellow with a team with dedicated professional Design Advisors from the fields of architecture, graphic design, and/or urban design.

   Nov 2025 – Mar 2026

   Design Advisor Meetings + Monthly Workshops

   In addition to weekly meetings with their Design Advisors, Fellows will attend monthly learning sessions led by design experts, showcasing NYC-based projects that exemplify best practices in corridor activations and community-driven design.

   Mar 2026

   Toolkit + Design Concept Completed

   With their Design Advisors, Fellows will complete the components of their “Buy Local” campaigns that celebrate neighborhood identity and harness the power of art and design to boost visibility and foot traffic for small businesses.

   Apr 2026

   District Visits + Summit

   Fellows will receive support in planning an event in their district to showcase their commercial corridors and local businesses. In late April, Fellows will present their plans and lessons learned at a culminating summit and celebration, designed to engage peers, funders, and citywide stakeholders.

   Related Projects

   

   Design Sprints

   Archive

   Design Sprints: Building Creative Capacity

   In Spring 2025, our third Design Sprints cohort partnered with NYC’s Department of Small Business Services to activate vacant storefronts.

   See Project

   Supporters

   

   Supporter

   NYC Department of Small Business Services

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5. Gowanus Yearbook

   January 20, 2026 5:06 pm Comments Off on Gowanus Yearbook

   About

   

   

   

   

   Gowanus Yearbook is a living portrait of Gowanus. The project invites neighborhood residents to be photographed, mark their photos with the year they arrived or were born in Gowanus, and draw a symbol answering the prompt: “What makes Gowanus Gowanus?”

   This work is grounded in a simple but urgent idea: everyone experiences and perceives where they live differently. In neighborhoods undergoing rapid development, local histories are often at risk of being lost or diminished. Gowanus Yearbook responds to that pressure by treating memory as something communal, lived, and worth protecting.

   The project team has collected portraits at community events held at Van Alen Institute, NYCHA’s Gowanus Houses Community Center, and Wild East Brewing Co. To date, more than 50 portraits have been collected. The project will culminate with a Yearbook Signing Party at Van Alen Institute — details to be announced!

   Gowanus Yearbook is created by Rida Chaudhry, Ananaya Singh, and Kaye Yuvallos, who met in Parsons’ Resilient Mutual Development graduate course taught by Juanli Carríon. Juanli previously collaborated with Van Alen Institute on the multi-site installation With Your Voice, leading to an ongoing partnership with Van Alen to conduct community research in Gowanus.

   Project Leads

   

   Network

   Rida Chaudhry

   Creative Strategist

   

   Network

   Ananaya Singh

   Design Strategist and Researcher

   

   Network

   Kaye Yuvallos

   Designer and Researcher

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   Contact

   

   Van Alen Staff

   Shiloah Coley

   Program Manager

   Email

   Related Projects

   

   Ongoing

   Urban Room

   Using our HQ to host public programs and as a flexible community space.

   See Project

   

   Common Build

   Archive

   With Your Voice

   On view July 11—September 9, 2024, With Your Voice envisioned major changes coming to Gowanus, Brooklyn.

   See Project

   Supporters

   

   Supporter

   New York State Council on the Arts

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6. Van Alen Vanguard

   January 13, 2026 12:24 pm Comments Off on Van Alen Vanguard

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Launched in 2026, Van Alen Vanguard is a dynamic network of emerging leaders committed to civic life and design. Over one year, they’ll engage in learning and collaborative projects that further their practices and professional development. Activating Van Alen’s space at 303 Bond Street, they’ll also develop public programs and exhibitions that reimagine designers’ roles in civic life and center equity, resilience, and local knowledge.

   Updates

   Updates

   Photos: Death: A Salon on Ethics of Technology

   On March 5, 2026, Justin Den Herder, TYLin hosted a debate on the use of AI, machine learning, and data-driven workflows in the built environment professions.

   Read More

   

   Updates

   Photos: What Language Leaves Behind

   An evening of conversation and discourse on interdisciplinary design practice with Studio Loutsis, REX, and Snøhetta.

   Read More

   

   2026 Cohort

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Farida Abu-Bakare

   Associate Principal and Director of Global Practice, WXY

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Annie Barrett

   Founding Principal, Aanda Architects

   Senior Critic, Yale School of Architecture

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Francesca Bastianini

   Co-Founder and Principal, Sighte Studio

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Ekin Bilal

   Co-Founder, NOT NOT

   Visiting Critic, Cornell AAP

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Diana Budds

   Journalist

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Pamela Cabrera

   Senior Associate, Transsolar KlimaEngineering

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Celia Chaussabel

   Co-Founder, NOT NOT

   Reyner Banham Teaching Fellow, University at Buffalo

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Justin Den Herder

   Vice President and Principal, TYLin

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Curry J. Hackett

   Clinical Assistant Professor, NYU Steinhardt

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Jerome Haferd

   Founder, JEROME HAFERD Studio

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Ekene Ijeoma

   Founder, Black Forest

   Founder, Studio Ijeoma

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Dione Lee

   Senior Designer, HUSH Studios

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Taylor Loutsis

   Creative Director and Founder, Studio Loutsis

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Jessie McGuire

   Managing Partner, Thought Matter

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Benjamin Meade

   Senior Design Director, Alloy Development

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Daniel Pittman

   Partner, TAD

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Sanjukta Sen

   Landscape and Architectural Designer, Field Operations

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Clara Syme

   Co-Director, a83

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Hermona Tamrat

   Founding Principal, hgt studio

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Paula Vilaplana

   Curatorial Associate, MoMA

   Instructor, Syracuse University School of Architecture

   

   Network

   Vanguard

   Charlotte Wessell

   Director of Development, GSAPP

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   Contact

   

   Van Alen Staff

   Emily Conklin

   Network and Public Programs Manager

   Email

7. Education Partnerships

   January 2, 2026 11:39 am Comments Off on Education Partnerships

   Van Alen Institute has a long history as an educational institution. Founded in 1894 as the Society for Beaux-Arts Architecture, the organization provided free design education for American architects for decades, with teaching methods originally modeled after France’s École des Beaux-Arts. With these roots in education, we continue to work with teachers and students through in-depth collaborations, independent research projects, and classroom field trips.

   To inquire about educational partnerships, contact Shiloah Coley, Program Manager at scoley@vanalen.org.

   Collaborations

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Princeton University School of Architecture (2026–present)

   Inaugurating our Urban Room as a venue for thought-provoking design exhibitions, Van Alen is currently hosting The House Transformed. Organized by the Princeton University School of Architecture (SoA), this exhibition presents new ideas for domestic architecture and is accompanied by a series of public programs with exhibition participants and SoA faculty. The House Transformed is curated by Mónica Ponce de León, Princeton School of Architecture, with Shoshana Torn and Massimo Giannone.

   Baruch College (2025–present)

   For three semesters, Baruch students in the Information Sciences department have been building a data collection platform to help track the impact of Van Alen’s projects in public space. The Spring 2025 class build a proof-of-concept and demo for the application, and the Fall 2025 class successfully built out the app’s back end. The Spring 2026 class is now finalizing the front end, with plans to pilot in Spring/Summer 2026. Van Alen also plans to make this app available for our community partners across NYC, helping us all gain insight into how the public is interacting with our work.

   The New School (2025–present)

   In partnership with Professor Junali Carrión, co-creator of public design installation With Your Voice, Van Alen is collaborating with graduate students in the New School’s Resilient Mutual Development course. Students conducted field research in Gowanus and implemented mapping frameworks (such as sociograms, landscape analysis, and economic ecologies) to propose community engagement strategies for activating our Urban Room.

   They proposed Gowanus Yearbook, a living portrait of the neighborhood featuring long-time residents and newer arrivals. Students Rida Chaudhry, Ananaya Singh, and Kaye Yuvallos are now taking this project forward, and have collected more than 50 community portraits.

   MS 447 — The Exploratory School (2025)

   As part of our Common Build initiative, Tiffany Baker’s public art installation The Dear Neighbor Project was 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, 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.

   Pratt Institute (2023)

   Graduate students in the Transformation Design program at Pratt Institute worked with Van Alen to identify pressing questions for community members in the Gowanus neighborhood. Students designed and implemented three exploratory research stations at Van Alen’s 2023 Block Party and collected data to gauge impact of the event.

   Research

   

   Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2026–present)

   As part of an independent study, undergraduate students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are collaborating with Van Alen to conduct condition assessments of select materials from our archive. Focusing on design competition boards from the 1950s and 60s, they’re also exploring how AI‑assisted cataloging methods may support preservation planning and improved access to unique archival materials.

   Baruch College (2024–25)

   Then an undergraduate student at Baruch College, journalist Valerie Conklin conducted archival and qualitative research to help contextualize the current state of public housing in Gowanus with the original goals of public housing in the 1940s. Valerie had the opportunity to share her research with participants in Urban Design Forum’s Global Exchange fellowship, which held a Gowanus-focused learning day at Van Alen Institute.

   Field Trips

   

   

   

   

   Van Alen hosts field trips from classes at the K-12, undergraduate, and graduate levels. We collaborate with educators to present on our work or create more tailored learning experiences. Recently we’ve welcomed visits from Atlas Workshops, Berkeley Carroll School, Columbia GSAPP, MS447 — The Math & Sciences Exploratory School, Pratt School of Architecture, and the School of Architecture at the University of Arizona, among others.

   In the News

   Press

   The Architect’s Newspaper

   The House Transformed, an exhibition curated by Mónica Ponce de León, opens at Van Alen Institute

   Read More

   Press

   Baruch College

   ExCEL’s Newest Partner, Van Alen Institute, Expands Impact-Driven Learning

   Read More

   Press

   Brooklyn Paper

   ‘The Dear Neighbor Project’ examines flooding and community resilience in Gowanus

   Read More

   Contact

   

   Van Alen Staff

   Shiloah Coley

   Program Manager

   Email

   Related Projects

   

   Ongoing

   Urban Room

   Using our HQ to host public programs and as a flexible community space.

   See Project

   

   Urban Room

   Ongoing

   Gowanus Yearbook

   A living portrait of Gowanus, including long-time residents and newer arrivals.

   See Project

   

   Urban Room

   Ongoing

   Exhibition: The House Transformed

   On view through May 22, The House Transformed presents new ideas for domestic architecture.

   See Project

   

   Common Build

   Ongoing

   The Dear Neighbor Project

   On long-term view, Tiffany Baker’s public art project increases public awareness of flooding in Gowanus.

   See Project

8. Urban Room

   June 2, 2025 12:15 pm Comments Off on Urban Room

   Urban Room at Van Alen Institute
   303 Bond Street, Brooklyn
   Drop-in hours: Mondays–Thursdays, 10 am–5 pm

   The Urban Room at Van Alen Institute is a flexible, accessible, street-level space located at 303 Bond Street in Gowanus. It’s a place for civic-minded organizations to meet and diverse groups to come together in dialogue, and serves as an information hub for the Gowanus community.

   In addition to our public programs, we host the Brooklyn Community Board 6 general meeting and a community fridge operated by One Love Community Fridge. For values-aligned nonprofits and community groups, we offer this space and meeting tech on a sliding scale, while private rentals support our mission to create more equitable cities through inclusive design. To inquire about using our space, fill out this form.

   Van Alen is committed to ensuring that all of our events are inclusive and accessible for all participants. Our event space is on the ground floor and ADA-accessible. If you require accommodations or have any questions about access needs, please email vai@vanalen.org and we will do our best to support your participation.

   Ask about using our space

   Related Projects

   

   Urban Room

   Ongoing

   Gowanus Yearbook

   A living portrait of Gowanus, including long-time residents and newer arrivals.

   See Project

   

   Urban Room

   Ongoing

   Exhibition: The House Transformed

   On view through May 22, The House Transformed presents new ideas for domestic architecture.

   See Project

   

   Urban Room

   Ongoing

   Education Partnerships

   Working with teachers and students through collaborative projects, research, and field trips.

   See Project

   Upcoming Events

   April 23, 2026

   Summit: District Design Fellowship

   Join us to celebrate the culmination of our District Design Fellowship, developed in collaboration with the NYC Department of Small Business Services’ Building Creative Capacity initiative.

   District Design Fellowship

   

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   April 21, 2026

   Unveiling: Friends from the Canal

   ​Join us for the debut of Friends from the Canal. Created by artist duo Mookntaka, these inflatable, illuminated sculptures serve as a playful welcome to Gowanus.

   Friends from the Canal

   

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   April 17, 2026

   Pratt Institute Research Open House 2026

   Van Alen joins Pratt’s flagship event, showcasing faculty and student research and highlighting collaborations.

   Design Sprints: Building Creative CapacityFriends from the Canal

   

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   April 13, 2026

   Gallery Talk: Domestic Takes

   ​How do members of Gen X, Y, and Z think about home? Join us for a talk with the curators of The House Transformed and Tiffany Jow of Untapped.

   Exhibition: The House TransformedUrban Room

   

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   April 25, 2026

   Gowanus Community Festival

   At the annual Gowanus Community Festival, meet the artists and designers creating Friends from the Canal and Gowanus Yearbook.

   Friends from the CanalUrban Room

   

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   April 28, 2026

   Gallery Talk: Designing for Caregiving

   How can we design homes for non-nuclear families? Cynthia Davidson leads a talk with The House Transformed exhibitors Tei Carpenter, Rocio Crosetto, Erica Goetz, and Rossana Hu.

   Exhibition: The House TransformedUrban Room

   

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   May 13, 2026

   CB6 Full Board Meeting

   Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 holds their monthly Full Board meeting at Van Alen Institute. Open to the public.

   Urban Room

   

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   June 4, 2026

   Bond Street Bash 2026

   Convene with Van Alen’s community to celebrate our shared values and work toward more equitable citymaking.

   Urban Room

   

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   June 10, 2026

   CB6 Full Board Meeting

   Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 holds their monthly Full Board meeting at Van Alen Institute. Open to the public.

   Urban Room

   

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   Ongoing Activities

   Brooklyn Community Board 6
   Full Board Meeting
   Second Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 pm
   Click here for current calendar

   One Love Community Fridge
   Open 24/7 outside 303 Bond Street
   Restocked and maintained by One Love Community Fridge

   Event Recaps

   Updates

   Photos: Van Alen Fall Fest 2025

   At Van Alen Fall Fest 2025, we welcomed more than 450 neighbors and visitors for a lively open house held in collaboration with Gowanus Open Studios, Archtober, and Open House New York.

   Read More

   

   Updates

   Photos + Video: Van Alen Fall Fest 2024

   We had so much fun at Van Alen Fall Fest! Whether you’re a longtime Van Alen collaborator or were just passing through because of Gowanus Open Studios or Archtober, we’re so glad to have seen you there.

   See More

   

   Updates

   Photos + Video: Van Alen Block Party 2023

   The Block Party was all about our community of Gowanus — a community deeply and actively committed to ensuring that the needs of every single resident are met.

   Read More

   

   Supporters

   

   Network

   Supporter

   Jared Della Valle

   CEO & Founder, Alloy

   

   Supporter

   New York State Council on the Arts

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9. The Dear Neighbor Project

   April 22, 2025 11:53 am Comments Off on The Dear Neighbor Project

   About

   Created by Brooklyn-based artist Tiffany Baker, 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, Tiffany 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.

   Her murals illustrate and directly quote from these residents’ stories — sharing their experiences, advice, and stories of community support during flood events. An audio archive of their stories lives permanently at dearneighborproject.com.

   Select locations remain on view long-term; see below.

   

   Network

   Tiffany Baker

   Artist

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Locations

   Ongoing locations

   Brooklyn Public Library — Pacific Library, 25 4th Ave (indoor; on view during opening hours)
   FDNY EMS Station 32, 347 Bond St
   MS 447 — The Exploratory School, 345 Dean St (Pacific St side)

   Past locations

   David Foulke Memorial Garden, 248–250 Bergen St
   Thomas Greene Playground, Nevins St between Douglass and Degraw
   Old Stone House / Washington Park, 3rd St & 4th Ave
   Powerhouse Arts, 322 3rd Ave
   Van Alen Institute, 303 Bond St

   In the News

   Press

   All Arts

   How art changed visual artist Tiffany Baker

   Read More

   Press

   Brooklyn Paper

   ‘The Dear Neighbor Project’ examines flooding and community resilience in Gowanus

   Read More

   Public Programs

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

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

   Artist Tiffany Baker gave a brief mural tour and talk, followed by an artmaking workshop. Participants listened to excerpts from community interviews that informed The Dear Neighbor Project, and respond through drawing, writing, and storytelling prompts.

   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, participants learned how to craft compelling interviews, develop thoughtful questions, and record stories.

   The Dear Neighbor Project: Artist Talk + Viewing
   Tuesday, May 20, 5:30–7:30 pm
   Brooklyn Public Library — Pacific Library, 25 4th Ave, Brooklyn

   The Pacific Library hosted an evening celebrating The Dear Neighbor Project, featuring a viewing session, artist talk, and Q&A session with Tiffany Baker.

   Mapping Memory: Flood Lines & Storylines
   Friday, August 15, 6:30–8 pm
   Powerhouse Arts, 322 3rd Ave, Brooklyn

   At this guided art workshop led by artist Tiffany Baker, participants co-created a large-scale community flood map of Gowanus based on their personal narratives.

   Points of Promise

   The Dear Neighbor Project was the second installation in our initiative Points of Promise, which uses art and design to support civic engagement in Gowanus amidst the neighborhood’s redevelopment.

   In 2021, the New York City Council approved the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan, transforming (or “rezoning”) former manufacturing sites into residential and mixed-use properties, including an estimated 8,200 new apartments. Residents and community organizers have been working to ensure current Gowanus residents benefit from the rezoning. Their advocacy resulted in the 56 Points of Agreement (POAs) — commitments made by New York City to support housing, infrastructure, public space, community amenities, and business programs. In total, NYC will invest $450 million for these improvements in Gowanus. Approximately $200 million of that total will address high priority needs in Gowanus’ NYCHA developments.

   Points of Promise calls on artists and designers to create local temporary art installations or public space activations that help inform Gowanus residents about these immense changes. Artists are invited to respond to an RFP (request for proposals) that addresses a topic present in the 56 Points of Agreement. To create these public art and design tools in truly community-led and responsive ways, Van Alen seeks artists and designers with demonstrated experience facilitating community-engaged social practice work that centers the lived experiences and needs of the respective communities they collaborate with.

   This initiative was developed with the support of a selection committee of Gowanus residents and local stakeholders from the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Gowanus Houses Tenants Association, the Gowanus Oversight Task Force, and Gowanus Mutual Aid.

   An artist open call was held in Spring 2024, seeking fresh ideas for community engagement in order to provide Gowanus residents with new, enriching ways to stay informed about issues shaping the neighborhood. The open call received more than 100 responses, and approximately half of the applicants had close ties to Gowanus or personal experience of flooding in New York City. The winning artist is awarded $50,000 to complete the project, with low bono engineering review services provided by Silman.

   Finalists were asked to consider the following:

   • How do residents currently deal with living in the flood zone? What are their stories? Is it possible to make their experiences, along with the physical impacts of flooding, more visible?
   • Looking ahead, how might the threat of flooding evolve over time in Gowanus? How might the neighborhood’s communities be impacted in the future? How might your piece inform the public of efforts led by community groups and/or city leaders to help Gowanus manage water and bounce back from flooding?
   • There’s a lot of new construction in Gowanus’ flood zone – how might you reach potential future residents about flooding in Gowanus, in addition to long-time residents?

   Related Projects

   

   Common Build

   Archive

   With Your Voice

   On view July 11—September 9, 2024, With Your Voice envisioned major changes coming to Gowanus, Brooklyn.

   See Project

   

   Ongoing

   Common Build

   Surfacing the work of emerging designers and testing new strategies to bring people together in public space.

   See Project

   Finalist Proposals

   Futures Without Flooding

   Created by artist Ali Rufrano-Ruffner, Futures Without Flooding proposes a series of vibrant mural panels that vividly depict stories of flooding — and futures without flooding — in Gowanus. During community activations and pop-up events, youth participants contribute their own ideas and visions to interactive mural panels. The project’s journey is compiled into a coloring book that prompts young people to continue envisioning their own futures for Gowanus.

   

   Network

   Ali Rufrano-Ruffner

   

   

   

   Tidal Shift

   Created by Leah Harper, Tidal Shift proposes a collection of public art interventions to raises awareness of flooding in Gowanus. At the canal’s edge, colorful, phosphorescent asphalt murals — painted with local residents — draw attention to flooding threats. In the water, sails installed on flotation devices rise and fall with the tides, bringing the sea level to eye level. Additionally, Van Alen Institute’s storefront windows serve as an information hub about the future of flooding in Gowanus and solutions for mitigating floodwaters.

   

   Network

   Leah Harper

   

   

   

   Program Manager

   

   Van Alen Staff

   Shiloah Coley

   Program Manager

   Email

   Selection Committee

   

   Network

   Andrea Parker

   Executive Director, Gowanus Canal Conservancy

   

   Network

   Andreas Tyre

   Community Activist

   

   Network

   Elisa Smilovitz

   Publicist

   Member, Gowanus Mutual Aid

   

   Network

   Karen Blondel

   Executive Director, Public Housing Civic Association

   

   Van Alen Board

   Sebastian Mendez

   Co-Founder, Tankhouse

   

   People

   Steven Koller

   Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies

   

   People

   Tony Ruiz

   Communications Committee Co-Chair, Gowanus Oversight Task Force

   

   People

   Tracey L. Pinkard

   Community Liaison

   Former Vice President, Gowanus Houses Resident Association

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   Supporters

   

   Supporter

   National Endowment for the Arts

   

   Supporter

   New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

   

   Supporter

   New York State Council on the Arts

   

   Supporter

   New York City Council

   

   People

   Rainproof NYC

   

   Network

   TYLin

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10. Common Build

    April 1, 2025 4:12 pm Comments Off on Common Build

    About

    

    Since 2014, Van Alen Institute has connected longstanding local organizations with emerging and BIPOC artists to create community-led public art and design installations. Through these space activations, Common Build amplifies the advocacy work of Van Alen’s community partners, brings together local residents to connect and celebrate, and supports emerging artists and designers as they execute meaningful public realm projects.

    Common Build also explores the value of public art and design as a tool for local information sharing, community organizing, issue advocacy, and social justice.