Prospect Heights draws on oral histories and photographs from past and present to explore the impact of rapid change on a community’s identity and sense of place
BROOKLYN, September 24, 2015: The Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council (PHNDC), Brooklyn Public Library and urbanist studio Buscada today announced the opening of Intersection | Prospect Heights, a multidisciplinary public art project that uses photographs and oral histories to start a dialogue on the social, psychological and physical impacts of rapid change in this Brooklyn neighborhood.
In recent years, Prospect Heights has seen tremendous physical change, including the clearing of the 22-acre Atlantic Yards site, the construction of the Barclays Center arena and the development of much of the neighborhood’s vacant property. Since 2000, Prospect Heights’ population has remained close to 20,000 residents, yet there have been significant shifts in race and income, indicating the displacement of a large number of people. Since 2000, the neighborhood’s African American population declined from 55% to 30%, and the percentage of residents earning more than $100,000 jumped from 15% to 41%.
In a convergence of art, research and advocacy, Intersection | Prospect Heights will host a series of participatory events about the changes that have occurred in the neighborhood in the last 15 years. Beginning on October 3, the project will engage current and former residents of Prospect Heights -- and New Yorkers from all neighborhoods -- with a series of neighborhood guides, popup exhibitions, guided tours and public conversations. Building on Buscada founder Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani’s work in the neighborhood in the early 2000s, the “guidebooks” use her photographs and oral histories to show neighborhood places through the eyes of residents from over a decade ago.
The project encourages past and present community members to contribute their own reflections on neighborhood places though storytelling cards, the project website www.inter-section.org, participation in two public “Place Conversations” at Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library and by having their stories recorded in an interview at the library. As part of Intersection | Prospect Heights, PHNDC will also conduct a neighborhood development survey, reprising a similar study carried out in 2004.
“Dr. Bendiner-Viani’s prior work in Prospect Heights provides a unique vantage point to assess the impact of changes over the last decade to our community,” said PHNDC Chair Gib Veconi. “Construction underway today in Prospect Heights is expected to add more than 14,000 new residents over the next decade—a population increase of more than 70%. We hope the dialogue fostered by Intersection| Prospect Heights will help our neighborhood approach the changes yet to come.”
“Changes driven by development and rezoning as experienced by Prospect Heights are now faced by other New York City neighborhoods,” said Dr. Bendiner-Viani. “Valuing everyday experience and perceptions of place can help us create space for dialogue on the forces shaping our city. We hope the approachable form and personal narratives of this project will let participants laugh, cry and grapple with the experience of what is too often framed as the city’s inevitable trajectory.”
“Brooklyn Public Library is a resource for the study of Brooklyn’s past, as well as a place for a dialogue about its future,” said Melissa Morrone, supervising librarian at Central Library's Information Commons. “We’re delighted to collaborate with Buscada and PHNDC to present Intersection | Prospect Heights as part of our Brooklyn Transitions series.”
Popup exhibitions and guides around the neighborhood
From October 3 to November 15, 2015. All locations at www.inter-section.org
Place Conversations : Open to all to tell, and hear, stories about personally significant places.
Wednesday, October 7, 6:30-8:30pm: Exhibition Opening and Place Conversation @Information Commons Lab, Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza. Featuring stories from radio host Bob Law, journalist George Packer and you.
Saturday, October 24, 3:30-5pm @ Information Commons Lab, Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza. Featuring stories from NYC Public Advocate Letitia James, invited guests and you.
Guided Tour: Prospect Heights : A creative walking tour of the Intersection sites, joined by the Intersection tour guides, and led by artist Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani. Walk back in time to see the present in a new way. Participants can share their stories and add their own places to the tour.
Saturday, October 17, 3:00pm, Meet @ Met Food, 632 Vanderbilt Ave, between Park Place and Prospect Place
For a full list of events and activities, visit www.inter-section.org.
This presentation of Intersection | Prospect Heights is made possible through grants from the New York Council on the Humanities, Citizens Committee for New York City, Council Member Laurie Cumbo, the Park Place/Underhill Avenue Block Association, and the Carlton Avenue Association.
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About PHNDC: Since its founding in 2004, the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council (PHNDC) has been the leading non-profit civic organization providing advocacy for neighborhood-wide issues on behalf of the residents and businesses of Prospect Heights in areas such as housing, transportation and preservation. Its successful campaigns have included the designation of a New York City landmark district in Prospect Heights and improved public accountability at the Atlantic Yards project. Through these and other initiatives, PHNDC has engaged and received the support of thousands of community members in Prospect Heights and its environs. More information is at www.phndc.org.
About Buscada: Buscada uses art, design and social research to catalyze conversation on questions that shape our future. Buscada’s public projects work across communities and disciplines, exploring critical questions for cities and people. Our unique interdisciplinary projects bridge online and physical worlds, as well as the expressive and the practical. More information is at www.buscada.com.
About Brooklyn Public Library: Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website: www.bklynlibrary.org.