February 8, 2024
Prospect Park Alliance wants to hear from you! The Alliance is working with noted signage designers Two Twelve to create a master plan for wayfinding, stewardship, information and education signage in Brooklyn’s Backyard to improve the visitor experience and better serve the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home.
Share your feedback and ideas to help inform the plan’s design:
Morgan Monaco has wrapped up an eventful first year leading Prospect Park Alliance to advance and sustain the park, engage the community and care for Brooklyn nature. We chatted with Morgan about her presidency and vision for the park’s future, including what most surprised her about the role and memorable moments in Brooklyn’s Backyard.
What are some of your favorite parts of leading Prospect Park Alliance so far?
Getting to meet our diverse community of park users. The number one thing that unites them is how beloved this park is to them. I’ve heard so many stories from people who are nearly brought to tears when they talk about how the park really saved them during the pandemic. The park was a safe haven and a place of joy during a very dark time in the world. It’s inspiring to come to work everyday knowing that we are providing such an essential public service.
But this is more than just a park: it’s a canvas for the many cultures of Brooklyn. Just walk through the Long Meadow or Lincoln Road picnic area on any given Saturday, you can hear the music and smell the delicacies of Brooklyn. I’m honored that this is a place where people feel comfortable expressing themselves and their cultures—all facets of life are happening here.
What Prospect Park Alliance accomplishments from your first year are you most proud of?
Most people don’t know that there is so much happening in Prospect Park. The Alliance offers programming all year round. Last year, I was especially proud of our signature ReImagine Lefferts Initiative, including Pinkster Day and Juneteenth events, and the wildly successful immersive J’ouvert exhibit. We also provide a venue for countless events that add to the richness and the experience of the park, from music events like Celebrate Brooklyn, to athletic events, fundraising walks and so much more.
I’m also excited about the many robust capital projects we have in progress. We’ve completed the design of the Vale in the park’s northeast corner, and have begun the redesign of the Lincoln Road and Third Street playgrounds and the Shirley Chisholm Welcome Center. We’ve really honed our ability to incorporate community feedback into our design process and I’m looking forward to sharing our designs for these projects soon.
We conducted a series of listening tours in five neighborhoods surrounding the park to better understand the role it plays in each of those communities, which resulted in some very meaningful dialogue.
I’ve gotten to know some of our volunteers and see the work they do and the knowledge they’ve gained by giving back to the park. They are amazing extensions of our staff, and our Volunteer Services and Landscape Management teams really rely on them. It’s been incredible to witness not only the admiration that our community holds for the park, but also people rolling up their sleeves to help us care for the park.
Did anything about your role especially surprise you in your first year?
Tropical Storm Ophelia in September was a big surprise: both the impact that it had and our team’s incredible ability to respond to it. Our team jumped into action and was able to quickly assess the damage, and our supporters were equally at the ready to respond and contribute funds and volunteer hours. We were able to weather the storm because we have so many amazing supporters.
The celebrated opening of Fallkill Trail was another surprise! People across our community came together to experience a beautiful part of the park that had been previously closed off to the public. It was a testament to how much people crave access to nature and want to make the most of their time here in Prospect Park.
What are you most looking forward to in the year to come?
Now that I’ve had time to listen to our community, learn about how they use the park, and explore the role the park plays in their lives, I’m really excited to tackle some of the big strategic questions we’ve been exploring over the past year. What is our role in a post-pandemic world that is facing increasing threats from climate change and uncertainty around the city budget? We need to ensure that we are able to withstand those threats and remain resilient. We’re about 75% of the way through the developing the strategic plan, and I look forward to sharing a very clear set of priorities that answer the big questions of who we are and our focus in the park. .
How has the past year informed your vision for the future of the park?
I came in with a specific vision to explore the ways in which the park can be a venue for health and wellness services and public art. I am so grateful that that vision has been well received by members of the public, park users and by potential partners both in academia and clinical practice who see that there are some barriers to entry for people accessing health and wellness services.
The storm in September was an important learning experience for me to understand the investments that need to be made to prepare the park for climate change.
Are there any new park destinations you’ve visited or activities you’ve taken up in your first year at the Alliance?
I definitely feel like I know the park so much better than I ever have before. I’ve had the pleasure of exploring almost every acre and I think our woodlands are such a treasure. It’s been really rewarding for me to learn more about our trails and the dedicated work our Landscape Management team does day in and day out to sustain these beloved woodland areas.
Prospect Park Alliance wants to hear from you! Through funding from New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and the Brooklyn Delegation, led by Council Members Crystal Hudson, Rita Joseph, Shahana Hanif and former Council Majority Leader, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo, the Alliance is transforming an existing building at the Parkside and Ocean entrance to Prospect Park into a space that complements the new Shirley Chisholm Monument planned for this entrance to the park. The Center will orient visitors to the life and legacy of the Brooklyn trailblazer, while providing visitor amenities.
View the Community Visioning Presentation to learn more about the project, then take our online survey to share what you’d like to see in the new Welcome Center.
Want to share your feedback in person? Join an upcoming community engagement opportunity:
Shirley Chisholm Monument + Welcome Center Presentation: St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church
Sunday, February 25, 12 – 1 pm, St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church (331 Hawthorne Street, Brooklyn, NY 11225)
Flatbush Library Tabling Session
Thursday, February 22, 3 – 7 pm tabling session at the Brooklyn Public Library Flatbush Branch (22 Linden Blvd. at, Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226)
*7 7* Community Event: Bleu Nuk BK
Tuesday, February 27, 7 – 8 pm tabling session at Bleu Nuk BK (1150 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225)
Prospect Park Alliance and Art For Change, which connects socially conscious art collectors with in-demand contemporary artists and their work, have unveiled a large-scale public art exhibition in Grand Army Plaza: Park Of Dreams, on view through Spring 2024. The project is installed on the construction fencing of the iconic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, which is currently being restored, along with the Plaza and Berms, by Prospect Park Alliance through $8.9M in Mayoral funding.
Park Of Dreams was made possible in part through a $25,000 grant from Assembly Member Brian Cunningham, with additional funding from Council Member Crystal Hudson. The project was undertaken through the City Canvas initiative of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and in partnership with NYC Parks.
“The beloved Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch at Grand Army Plaza is a Brooklyn icon and its plaza is an important space for community dialogue and gathering. Art and creative expression is part of what makes Prospect Park so special, and we are honored to partner with Art For Change to present a new generation of artists in Brooklyn’s premier civic space while restoration is underway,” said Morgan Monaco, Prospect Park Alliance President.
“Park Of Dreams is one of Art For Change’s most exciting projects to date and we are thrilled to be working with Marcus Brutus, Kelly Beeman, Amy Lincoln, Jules de Balincourt, and Danielle Orchard amongst others,” says Art For Change Founder, Jeanne Masel. “Parks are a crucial part of any community and Prospect Park in particular holds a special place in my heart as a Brooklynite. Parks not only connect city dwellers to nature and offer a respite from the hustle and bustle, they support an incredible ecosystem of flora and fauna. Environmental conservation is a central tenet of Art For Change’s mission. Curating and producing this project enables us to leverage our deep relationships with artists and, in turn, show our respect for a park that is both a vital aspect of the Brooklyn community and an important ecosystem in itself.”
Park Of Dreams is a curated presentation of contemporary artworks by Marcus Brutus, Kelly Beeman, Alyssa Klauer, Danielle Orchard, Cydne Coleby, Jules De Balincourt, Amy Lincoln, Bianca Nemelc, Maria Calandra, Jon Key, Kirsten Deirup, and Na’ye Perez, which celebrates and supports Brooklyn’s beloved Prospect Park. The installation is accompanied by limited edition prints of each image available for purchase on the Art For Change website, with a portion of proceeds benefiting Prospect Park Alliance.
“The restoration of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch at Grand Army Plaza spotlights the majesty of Prospect Park, enabling all visitors to be in touch with nature and take in the art that permeates these vital public spaces. I am proud to allocate $25,000 to Prospect Park Alliance’s Park Of Dreams exhibit, which showcases Grand Army Plaza’s revival, highlighting some of New York’s most talented, local artists that inspire creativity among the thousands of visitors who pass by each week,” said Assembly member Brian Cunningham.
“The social good that the arts and public parks bring to our communities is indisputable,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson. “The partnership between the Prospect Park Alliance and Art For Change is an ambitious project that will combine these civic goods and allow our neighbors to not only engage with their built environment in a special way but experience the work of renowned and burgeoning artists in an equally innovative way.”
Visit the Art for Change website for more information on this exciting project.
Prospect Park Alliance has announced the first Artist in Residence at Lefferts Historic House Museum. Brooklyn Artist Adama Delphine Fawundu will create a monumental, site-specific installation informed by new research from the Alliance’s ReImagine Lefferts Initiative, which seeks to focus interpretation at the museum on the resistance and resilience of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking whose unceded ancestral lands the house rests upon and the Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family. The installation will debut in Spring 2024 in timing with the seasonal opening of the museum, and is funded through a Humanities in Place grant from the Mellon Foundation.
“Prospect Park Alliance’s first ReImagine Lefferts Artist in Residence is a step towards healing deep-seated wounds from our nation’s past,” said Prospect Park Alliance President, Morgan Monaco. “Art is a key medium for storytelling and this installation will help tell the stories of those who have traditionally been silenced. I look forward to park visitors engaging with and reflecting on Delphine’s installation as a form of healing, learning and community building.”
“When the Alliance reached out it was so special because we were both on a specific trajectory. My whole existence is based in this neighborhood. The smell of the grass when it rains in the park means so much to me…I have such a history here. It felt very much like a 360 degree event to connect with the ReImagine team here in Prospect Park,” reflects Artist in Residence Adama Delphine Fawundu on initial conversations with the Alliance.
Fawundu’s connection with Prospect Park is long standing. A born-and-raised Brooklynite, Fawundu has a personal history in the park. Her work with the Alliance was sparked by her 2020 performance piece, In the Face of History Freedom Cape, which was filmed in part in Prospect Park and Lefferts Historic House. Fawundu’s relationship with the park continued in 2021 through Joyful Blues, an installation with BRIC at the Lena Horne Bandshell that combined photographs taken in the late 1990s of Black girls in Brooklyn as well as garra fabric designs from Sierra Leone, West Africa.
Artist in Residence, Fawundu is creating a new site-specific work that is informed by the research Prospect Park Alliance has conducted into the lives of Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family. To date, the Alliance has identified 25 people enslaved by the Lefferts family at the house between its construction in 1783 and the abolition of slavery in New York in 1827. Fawundu’s installation will include 25 textile pieces, each paying homage to the everyday heroism of these 25 individuals, installed across the historic house’s Flatbush Avenue facade.
“Delphine’s work builds upon research to honor the humanity of those whose stories were previously not told,” said Maria Carrasco, Prospect Park Alliance Vice President, Public Programs. “Her vision and work fit seamlessly with the ReImagine Lefferts Initiative in centering the resistance and resilience that enslaved Africans and generations of descendants have embodied throughout history.”
Fawundu’s work is rooted in humanism: “Knowing these names leads us to think about the stories of each person enslaved here, and to see each others’ humanity. We know of course that every enslaved person had intelligence and expertise, but we humanize them further when we ask ‘what else?’ about their story. Who was the scientist? Who was the herbalist? The fact that we tell these stories and the way that we tell them is so important,” says Fawundu.
Fawundu’s work is shaped not only by her personal history with the park and surrounding neighborhoods, but also by her over 10 years of experience as an educator in New York City public schools. “Resistance is so important for the younger generation. Black people have always been resisting from generation to generation, and telling stories that make our youth feel less-than is violent. Stories of the past clearly impact how younger people see themselves. The way we understand the past informs the present and future. This is something I have grappled with throughout my career as an artist and educator.”
About Adama Delphine Fawundu
Adama Delphine Fawundu is a photographer and visual artist of Mende, Krim, Bamileke and Bubi descent. Her distinct visual language centered around themes of indigenization, and ancestral memory, enriches and expands the visual art canon. Fawundu co-published the critically acclaimed book MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora. She is an Assistant Professor of Visual Art at Columbia University. Learn more at delphinefawundu.com.
About ReImagine Lefferts
Prospect Park Alliance has launched ReImagine Lefferts, an initiative to re-envision the mission and programming of the Lefferts Historic House museum, an 18th-century Flatbush farmhouse and New York City landmark, to focus its interpretation and programming on exploring the lives, resistance and resilience of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose unceded ancestral lands the park and house rests upon, and the Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family. The Alliance seeks to engage the public in thoughtful dialogue about the legacy of enslavement and the exploitation of marginalized communities in Brooklyn and beyond. Learn more at prospectpark.org/lefferts.
About Prospect Park Alliance
Prospect Park Alliance is the non-profit organization that sustains “Brooklyn’s Backyard,” working in partnership with the City of New York. The Alliance was founded in 1987 to help restore Prospect Park after a long period of deterioration and decline. Today, the Alliance provides critical staff and resources that keep the park green and vibrant for the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home. The Alliance cares for the woodlands and natural areas, restores the park’s buildings and landscapes, creates innovative park destinations, and provides free or low-cost volunteer, education and recreation programs. Today, Prospect Park is an international model for the care of urban parks, and one of the premier green spaces in the United States. Learn more at prospectpark.org.
About the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at mellon.org.
January 3, 2024
Ward off the winter blues this season by exploring your park and getting active. Spending time in nature has known positive impacts on mental and physical health–and winter is no exception. Research shows that being in nature in all seasons can improve focus, lower blood pressure, improve sleep quality, boost your immune system, accelerate recovery from illness, and increase energy levels so you can kick off 2024 feeling like your best self.
Enjoy opportunities to get active, take in the serenity of the season and explore your park with a variety of free fun wellness opportunities for all ages:
Upbeat Pop! Dance Fitness at the Boathouse
Saturdays through February
Prospect Park Boathouse
Join Prospect Park Alliance and Shape-up NYC for a 45-minute dance fitness class! Come prepared to shake, roll, grapevine, and clap to your favorite upbeat pop songs. We will use this time to cultivate joy and silliness while getting a great workout and reaping the benefits of cardiovascular fitness. All levels are welcomed and encouraged. Whether you want to learn some new choreography or need a space to step-touch and sing, this class is for you!
Introduction to Birdwatching Outings
Saturdays through May
Prospect Park Boathouse
Whether you’re just starting out or have already joined the birding ranks, this introductory outing is for you! Every Saturday, join Prospect Park Alliance and a member of the Brooklyn Bird Club on an introductory walk to learn the basics of birding and search for the dozens of species that visit Prospect Park through all seasons. All levels are welcome and walks will begin at the Prospect Park Audubon Center. No registration necessary. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Please bring binoculars if you have them.
Take a Winter Walk in Prospect Park
Winter brings a serene stillness to the park that makes this season unlike any other. Check out the Alliance’s recommendation for the perfect winter walking route: one that will take you to Lookout Hill, one of the highest points in Brooklyn, with unparalleled views of the city and beyond. Plus, see some scenic sights on your route? Share them with us by tagging us in your winter walking photos on social media @prospect_park!
Open Daily
LeFrakCenter at Lakeside
Get your heart rate up, brush up on skills, or pick up a brand new hobby at LeFrak Center at Lakeside’s two open air ice skating rinks! Whether you’re interested in skating lessons, hockey, or trying out curling, there is something for everyone to glide into 2024 with health, wellness and fun in mind.
Wednesdays through February
Locations Vary
Get active while lending a hand to your park at a Winter Corps volunteer session! Join Prospect Park Alliance every Wednesday through February 28 for a fun filled way to give back and explore Brooklyn’s Backyard. Volunteers will assist in raking, minor shoveling, trail mulching, and other landscaping needs throughout Prospect Park.
December 14, 2023
On September 29, historic rains wreaked havoc citywide, and Prospect Park was not spared. Tropical Storm Ophelia’s historic rains severely impacted Brooklyn’s Backyard. Across the park, the rain and flood waters caused major damage to our natural areas and infrastructure. In the days following the storm, our assessed the park conditions, determining what requires immediate attention. During the storm, well-loved paths around the Lake, Boathouse and Long Meadow became high-powered streams: washing away soil, dislodging boulders and leaving pedestrian hazards in their wake. Areas where flood waters pooled for several days overwhelmed our aging drainage.
Thanks to our community’s response to support storm recovery efforts in Prospect Park, essential repairs have been completed and continue to be underway throughout the park. Prospect Park Alliance has already made great strides thanks to generous support from our community, from repairing damaged pathways to restoring beloved landscapes for our community to enjoy.
As our work continues, know that these improvements are happening thanks to your support and dedication to our park.
December 11, 2023
Prospect Park Tennis Center Director Adrian Clarke was recently featured by BK Reader. Get to know Adrian, learn about what drew him to tennis and what sparked his longtime passion for steel pan drumming.
An excerpt from the December 8 story Steel Pan Drums and Tennis: The Double Life of Brooklyn’s Adrian Clarke:
Growing up in Barbados, Adrian Clarke surrounded himself with two things: tennis and music. When he moved to Brooklyn in 1973 as a young adult, he took his two passions with him. The 67-year-old East Flatbush local now works as the director of the Prospect Park Tennis Center by day. But by night, he’s a steel pan drum player.
“When you’re playing music, usually everyone is smiling,” Clarke said. “You usually bring joy to a lot of people, and that’s the best part of it.”
Long before learning to play steel pan, Clarke began playing tennis in Barbados at the age of 12 and went on to play professionally, competing in the 1983 U.S. Open qualifying rounds. “I wasn’t that much into school, but I needed something to be focused on. And tennis became that thing,” Clarke said.
Clarke’s two passions play a huge role in his life, and often their significance overlaps, the Brooklynite said. “You’re bringing joy to people when you’re playing music,” he said. “When you’re teaching tennis to people, you’re also bringing something to them that they really need.”
Read the full story from BK Reader and view the video below on Adrian Clarke’s Double Life.
November 14, 2023
Flatbush, a neighborhood that borders the southeast corner of Prospect Park, is a must-visit destination for delving into Brooklyn history, art, food, fashion and more. Prospect Park Alliance spoke with Flatbush civic leader and born-and-raised Brooklynite, Shanna Sabio, about her work in the neighborhood as well as her take on the must-visit, Black-owned spots throughout Flatbush. Sabio is co-founder of GrowHouse Community Design + Development Group and trustee of the Flatbush African Burial Ground Coalition, a Black-led, multiracial coalition that is working to preserve the Flatbush African Burial Ground and make it an accessible space for the community. Her most recent work, the Sankofa Walking Tour, is an exploration of Black and African history in Brooklyn. In her own words below, Sabio takes us through some of her most beloved spots in Flatbush.
Sabio leading the Sankofa Walking Tour. c. Shanna Sabio
Brooklyn has been an epicenter of global Blackness, with people hailing from almost every Caribbean island, the American South and the African continent. Brooklyn is also an epicenter of gentrification. Amidst the demographic shifts, Black-owned businesses throughout the borough are building a renaissance that needs the support of all New Yorkers to keep Central Brooklyn as a site of important culture, creation and evolution for generations to come. There are a few corridors that feel like the heart of this renaissance in Flatbush.
In researching for my Sankofa Walking Tour at the Flatbush African Burial Ground, I realized that Flatbush has been a melting pot of global Blackness since the mid 1600s when enslaved Africans were brought here to build the infrastructure of what would become Brooklyn. People from the Congo and Angola, Madagascar, Ghana and Nigeria all were brought here, as well as Black people enslaved in the Caribbean. The walk has been evolving as I learn new information and partner with the amazing staff with Prospect Park Alliance’s ReImagine Lefferts Initiative, which is bringing to light the history of enslaved Africans at Lefferts Historic House. As a member of the ReImagine Lefferts Advisory Board, I’m so pleased with the care and thoughtfulness with which they’re engaging our community around this important history—the epitome of allyship in practice.The J’ouvert Genesis Immersive Experience is an example of using a historic space to connect with and highlight contemporary cultural work.
Shanna’s Guide to Flatbush
One favorite spot is Natural Blend juice bar and restaurant. When members of the Flatbush African Burial Ground Coalition get together to clean up the perimeter of the burial ground, we often fuel up at Natural Blend.Their patties are delicious and they have a wide variety of beverages including smoothies and house-made ginger beer and sorrel.The yucca pone there also reminds me of the kind my grandmother made during the holidays.
Natural Blend Vegetarian Cafe and Juice Bar c. Prospect Park Alliance
Flatbush Central Market is another key Flatbush destination. The spaces here are gorgeous, especially the Lakay Lounge. The commercial kitchen/tasting room is also really affordable to book and is state-of-the-art. Part of what I love most about Central Brooklyn is the community, and this space has tremendous potential to grow as a hub for Black folks to gather and experiment. Bunnan is also here, and if you love plantain, their sandwich (which uses fried plantains as the bun) is a must-try.
Lakay Lounge in Flatbush Central/Canton Market courtesy of Shanna Sabio and Prospect Park Alliance.
When I need to buy gifts, I always stop by Granru Market. Their t-shirts are really unique and I love their mix of vintage and new clothing. I also love that they’re adding housewares to the selection. A couple of doors down from Granru is Edie Jo’s (one of the partners is Black). It’s a great place to have a working lunch because the staff is so personable and they make you feel welcome and not rushed.
Lips Cafe c. Prospect Park Alliance
From the Burial Ground if you walk to Nostrand Avenue, you can walk pretty much into Bed-Stuy and find places to stop and explore. I’m not vegan, but I crave the food at Aunts et Uncles. Their All Green Everything salad is satisfying and delicious, and I always get their Ginger Cucumber Juice which feels very healing. If I want to imbibe, their cocktails are also expertly crafted and the vibe is always right. Lips Cafe is also a great place to have a working lunch. It feels like family there and I love the connection between this space and Aunts et Uncles across the street. They’re both family-owned, which is a part of our rich legacy as Black folks, and they also share with one another which is how we all grow.
A few blocks across Linden Boulevard is Zanmi. Friday and Saturday nights are a vibe and the food is a new twist on Haitian. The portions are healthy so make sure to save space. Plus, the jerk pork at Jerk Pit is tender, juicy, perfectly spiced, and not to be missed.
In addition to restaurants, cafes and markets, Flatbush is also a hub of fashion.The fact that the legendary Fe Noel has a shop in Little Caribbean is a testament to the work that Shelley Worrell of I AM CARIBBEING has done building this community as a brand. The space is gorgeous and really creates an experience in the shop. I also recently discovered Closet Rich when I was looking for an outfit to wear out. The owner, Star, is a wealth of knowledge about Black women in fashion. I love the fitting room which has pictures of Black women fashion icons. It’s a relatively new business and the prices are so approachable for the kinds of styles she carries.
Learn more about upcoming Sankofa Walking Tours with GrowHouse and check out the above spots to craft your perfect day in Flatbush.
Prospect Park Alliance and BRIC, a leading contemporary, multi-disciplinary arts and media institution anchored in downtown Brooklyn, in partnership with NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program present a mural by Kevin Claiborne, Lost Boys, at the Lena Horne Bandshell at Prospect Park. This is the fourth annual public art collaboration between BRIC and the Alliance at the Bandshell, and the piece will be on view through April 21, 2024. Claiborne, a conceptual photographer, engages viewers in critical self-reflection and collective examination of the Black experience. With Lost Boys, Claiborne challenges established notions of cultural legibility and encourages viewers to delve deeper into the origins, embodiment, and sufficiency of Blackness, including its impact on mental health.
Where can Blackness reach
Was Blackness first
Can Blackness be worn
Where is Black enough
What is Black enough
When is Black enough
The above text is superimposed upon the repeated face of an unidentified Black male youth, sourced from a photograph captured in Harlem, New York during the early 1900s. The repeated image of the unidentified young boy carries a symbolic weight, representing not only the individual but also a broader collective experience.
Painted in vibrant shades of blue and black, the boy’s direct gaze confronts the viewer while the repeated patterning and overlay of text pushes and pulls the colorful faces between differing levels of visibility.
The mural’s artist, Kevin Claiborne, said “I’m very grateful for BRIC and Prospect Park Alliance giving me the opportunity to share my artwork with the Brooklyn community and I hope people enjoy engaging with the statements and questions posed in the work. The installation of Lost Boys at the Lena Horne Bandshell is perfect as it creates an accessible bridge between art, history, and community engagement. The poignant questions in the work serve as an invitation for introspection and also honor Horne’s legacy by fostering dialogue and reflection on themes crucial to her life’s work, including Black empowerment, identity, and inclusivity. The artwork activated by the stage and community, amplifies the park’s role beyond mere leisure, transforming it into a space for communal exchange and connection.”
Jenny Gerow, Chief Curator, Director of Contemporary Art at BRIC, said “Kevin Claiborne’s urgent message of mental health, writ large in a natural space such as Prospect Park, illustrates that not only are these topics not often addressed, but that the space in which they are delivered is taken for granted. We are excited to be partnering with Prospect Park Alliance and the NYC Parks Art in the Parks program for a fourth year to engage with this beautiful public space in the presentation of Kevin Claiborne’s artwork. ”
Morgan Monaco, President of Prospect Park Alliance, said “We are honored to be working with BRIC, the NYC Parks Art in the Parks program and artist Kevin Claiborne to welcome Lost Boys to Prospect Park. This work beautifully surfaces many of the internal monologues that generations of BIPOC people have struggled to answer for themselves as individuals and for entire communities. I look forward to park visitors engaging with the work, as we endeavor to create spaces within the park for reflection on social justice issues as well as healing. Given the prominent location of the Lena Horne Bandshell and the connection to a long history of performing art, I hope it will help people feel seen and also spark inspiration to find moments of joy.”
The mural at Lena Horne Bandshell is part of BRIC Hip-Hop, the new, permanent home for Hip-Hop education, expression, and its evolution at BRIC. BRIC’s fall programming encompasses multiple aspects of Hip-Hop culture including visual art, fashion, film, advocacy, and more. BRIC’s Hip-Hop 50 curation underscores their commitment to showcasing and institutionalizing Hip-Hop culture and preserving community connection.
