Summer Leadership Institute, 2011

Location: 338 E. 5th Street, Brooklyn (Kensington)

Lead Artist: Yana Dimitrova

Assistant Artist: Adam Kidder

Youth Artists: Ariel Azore, Ra-Shawn Barino, Michael Coleman, Richie Einhorn, Yves Fatal, Nataya Friedan, Jazmine Hayes, Ivan Jacobson, Peter Kehinde, Cassandra Parbolus, Joanna Roberts, Dustin Washington, Bill Ng

Community Partners: NYC Department of Transportation

Medium: Acrylic

Dimensions:

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This mural was designed to promote traffic safety at the location of a dangerous intersection in Kensington. Teen apprentice artists worked with two professional artists to conduct studies on local traffic patterns and strategize ways to promote safety and respect amongst the many communities present in the neighborhood. They investigated what makes the intersection dangerous, tracked the speeds of passing cars, conducted a neighborhood survey, and studied local signage designed to control traffic. 

With its bright colors and large central figure (a young girl holding her hand up as if  to say “Stop!”), the mural is a visual speed bump that grabs the attention of passing drivers and reminds them what is at stake when they break traffic laws and endanger others.  This project was created in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation’s Office of Safety Education and its Urban Art Program division.

This project is made possible through the generous support of the New York City Department of Transportation. Major financial support for Groundswell's 2011 Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) is also contributed by Brooklyn Community Foundation, Catalog for Giving, Charles Lawrence Keith and Clara Miller Foundation, David Rockefeller Fund, Edelman Community Investment, Ethel and W. George Kennedy Family Foundation, Johnson Ohana Charitable Trust, Lambent Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, and Winifred Johnson Clive Foundation, in addition to numerous individuals.

Photo by Michelle Kaucic-Hueletl