A construction site scrapbook : Making Public Art for NYC DOT

In July 2023 I painted my largest mural yet. At about 5,000 sq ft, Black Huckleberry transformed an intersection identified by the NYC Department of Transportation as dangerous, into a pedestrian friendly, colorful public space (part of NYC DOT Vision Zero initiative in Downtown Brooklyn) that paid homage to an important plant native to the area - the black huckleberry.

When I was designing this mural, I had a lot to consider. How to cover such a large area? What limited palette would work best together? How can the design be organic enough to incorporate the granite seating / barriers (wherever they might end up)? How will I paint this at 32 weeks pregnant?

Thankfully, this was my second project with the NYC DOT Art team and they were true partners through it all. I was able to hire many of the artists who have volunteered with me throughout the years on murals and also have volunteers from the community (and across the city!) stop by to lend a hand. We were rained out a few days, but somehow managed to finish this in just 4 working days.

Just one of the many interesting stats about this mural’s process:

Key Stats

4,893 square feet

76 gallons of paint

14 assistants and community volunteers

4 days

32 weeks pregnant (me)

6 trips to Home Depot

1 new public space for downtown Brooklyn

One of the many things I loved about this project was the community involvement. People were so excited to see this transformation come alive in their neighborhood. From Long Island University Students to folks who have lived on this corner for 45 years - people were excited to see public art in their neighborhood. Specifically, to see an space that had been misused (i.e., too many people parking / abandoning cars / dangerously pulling out on to the road) turn into a clearly marked public space using art - and granite barriers for safety - excited people to the possibilities. So many people talked about the peace of mind this gave them, how they could now take lunch outside, and feel good about crossing the intersection with their kids in tow, and see this lovely mural from their windows (thanks to all who shared these wonderful photos of our progress!).

People were excited for change.