April brings two exciting events from Contested City.

First, in April 3, how can public art and public history come together to create places for dialogue in support of activism in the contested city?

A diverse panel of community activists, arts practitioners, and scholars, including Kemi Ilesanmi (Executive Director of The Laundromat Project), Prithi Kanakamedala (Bronx Community College), and Gregory Jost (Director of Organizing at Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association) will respond to Contested City: Art & Public History as Mediation at New York’s Seward Park Urban Renewal Area, a new book by Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani. Contested City simultaneously reveals untold stories of fifty years of community activism in Manhattan’s Lower East Side around the highly contested Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA)—and sheds light on the importance of collaborative creative public projects in this complex place. (See more context/information on SPURA and the book below).

This event is free and open to public, but to attend, please RSVP here.

 

 

 

Second, on April 13, marks a bi-annual learning exchange in the form of a walking tour, called A Blade of Grass. The Spring 2019 Assembly will be co-presented by FABnyc and explore the diverse partnerships that make social change through art possible. Socially engaged art projects frequently bring together a unique ecosystem of community members, city agencies, business owners, and community-based organizations, among other stakeholders. What can we learn together about creating thriving and sustainable project ecosystems that positively impact communities?

Unlike conferences or panel discussions, the Assembly is structured to be intimate and dialogical rather than presentational. After introductory remarks and a keynote by magazine contributor Robert Sember, the afternoon will be devoted to a series of site visits to Lower East Side arts and culture organizations followed by small group discussion and reflection.

Tickets can be bought here.