Tag: Community Engagement

c. Paul Martinka

New BBQ Grills Kick Off Summer Fun

May 24, 2019

Council Member Mathieu Eugene, Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue and community members kick off grilling season.

This morning, Prospect Park Alliance and Council Member Dr. Mathieu Eugene celebrated the start of summer and barbecue season by unveiling new communal barbecue grills on the east side of Prospect Park, funded through District 40 participatory budgeting. These are the first of a new model of triple, ADA-compliant grills to be installed in Prospect Park, and two triple grills are located at the lawn area across from the Lincoln Road entrance to the park, and another two are located at the lawn area next to the Parkside and Ocean Avenue entrance to the park.

“Barbecuing is a long-held summer tradition in Prospect Park. From the high number of votes in the participatory budgeting process, we know these grills are a welcome, new addition to the park for the east side communities,” said Sue Donoghue, President of Prospect Park Alliance. “We are grateful to Council Member Mathieu Eugene and District 40 participatory budgeting for funding this effort. These new communal grills will make it even more inviting to enjoy summer in Prospect Park.”

“I want to commend Prospect Park Alliance for renovating this section of Prospect Park so that our constituents can enjoy this BBQ area during the summer months,” said Council Member Mathieu Eugene. “I am pleased to fund this project, because I want residents to feel at home here, and to know that they are a major part of my ongoing commitment to the community. By adding these stations, we are providing hardworking New Yorkers with a variety of options for nutrition while they are relaxing with their families, as well as contributing to the immense value that is part of the Prospect Park experience. It is my hope that by working together, we will continue to improve Brooklyn’s backyard for future generations.”

The $80,000 project included the purchase of two triple-barbecue grills at each site of a model similar to the popular and well-received grills installed at Brooklyn Bridge Park. In addition the lawn areas were restored and regraded to accommodate the grills, and new hot coal bins and trash receptacles were installed. The two new areas are intended for small barbecue gatherings, and for communal grills among park patrons.

For larger gatherings, visit the Prospect Park website to learn about barbecue areas that can accommodated gatherings of 20 people or more. Please also visit the Alliance website for more information on barbecue rules and safety in Prospect Park at prospectpark.org/bbq.

The installation of the new communal barbecue grills were completed this fall. Learn more about other Prospect Park Alliance restoration projects taking place throughout the park at prospectpark.org/capital.

 

 

NYC Parks

NYC Parks Cuts Ribbon on Alliance-Designed Stroud Playground

May 22, 2019

Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue joined NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver and City Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo to celebrate the opening of the restored Stroud Playground in Crown Heights. The design of the playground was undertaken by Prospect Park Alliance pro bono as part of the City’s Community Parks Initiative (CPI). The Alliance also contributed designs for two additional CPI projects: Epiphany Playground and Penn Triangle, both in Williamsburg.

“Prospect Park Alliance has an award-winning team of landscape architects and designers, and were pleased to be able to share our expertise to help create this playground in the Crown Heights community,” said Sue Donoghue, President of Prospect Park Alliance. “Stroud Playground features many of the amenities desired by the community, and also improves the environment by adding more trees and absorbing stormwater runoff. We hope it will serve as a model for future New York City playgrounds.”

The renovated playground features new play equipment for children of all ages and abilities; an interactive spray shower; a synthetic turf area for open play; basketball and handball courts; and a walking track and fitness equipment. The landscape was enhanced with a number of additional trees and plantings that provide shade for new seating areas and, with new lighting and lower fencing, beautify the space. A garden serves as an area for relaxation and an outdoor classroom for PS 316 and MS 383 students.

“Stroud Playground was one of the original five sites in Brooklyn announced as part of the Community Parks Initiative, and it is rewarding to finally see the community enjoying the very space they dreamed up,” said Commissioner Silver. “The transformation of Stroud Playground is remarkable, and we could not have done it without our partners at the Prospect Park Alliance, City Council Member Laurie Cumbo, and of course, the many passionate community members who supported the project and contributed to its design.”

Learn more about Prospect Park Alliance’s award-winning landscape architecture and design office.

c. Elizabeth Keegin Colley

Spring Fling Weekend Checklist

May 15, 2019

Ready to ring in spring? On May 17–19, Prospect Park Alliance celebrates the season in Prospect Park with Spring Fling, a full weekend of special events and activities that brings together the entire community—and you’re invited! 

Check out the full line up + RSVP at prospectpark.org/springfling

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Not sure what to hit up? We put together a checklist of some of the events you won’t want to miss:

  • Brooklyn Atlantics 1860s Ballgame, Saturday, May 18, 11 am–2 pm, Long Meadow Ball Field 1: take me out to the ballgame at this 1860s exhibition “base ball” game, played as it was in 1864, the year of Brooklyn’s first undefeated championship season. The Brooklyn Atlantics will take on the Monmouth NJ Furnaces in historic uniforms and gear. Come see the ghosts of history come to life and don’t forget to root for the home team, the Atlantics! 
     
  • Harvesting Color + Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, Saturday, May 18, 1–4 pm, Lefferts Historic House: Join Prospect Park Alliance on an exploration of color from the natural world in workshops from 2-4 pm. Learn how to use natural ingredients such as flowers, berries and food scraps to naturally dye fabrics. Bring one natural fiber item (cotton, linen, canvas, or silk) to dye. Space is limited, and is on a first-come, first-served basis. At 1 pm, enjoy a performance by the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre of Bessie’s Big Shot, about a cow dreaming of joining the circus (45 minute performance).
     
  • Spring Fling Fair, Sunday, May 19, 12–3 pm, Prospect Park Children’s Corner: Join the Alliance and community partners for music, activities and food the whole family will enjoy. At this year’s fair, among many fun activities, families can get moving with Bend + Bloom Yoga (12:30-1:30 pm), celebrate National Scooter Day with a Micro Kickboard scooter giveaway, enjoy a pop-up soccer clinic with Super Soccer Stars, and a performance by the Brooklyn Conservatory Bluegrass Jam Ensemble at Lefferts Historic House (2-3 pm). Plus, stop by the Brooklyn Public Library Bookmobile; learn about renewable energy from Green Mountain Energy; make giant bubbles with Park Slope Parents, enjoy performing and visual arts fun with BAX, nature games at the Alliance’s Pop-Up Audubon, stained glass artmaking and subway history fun with the New York Transit Museum, face painting with Prospect Park YMCA, breakfast tacos from King David Tacos, and much more! 
     
  • Art + Architecture Tour of Prospect Park, Sunday, May 19, 10:30 am–12:30 pm, $20, advance registration required: For over 150 years, Prospect Park has been a showcase for beautiful public buildings and artwork, with representations from eras including Beaux-Arts, City Beautiful, the New Deal Modernism and contemporary LEED-certified projects. This tour, presented by Turnstile Tours in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance, will examine some of the fine architectural details and current restoration work, from the era of Vaux and Olmsted to the present day. 
     
  • Trail Run, Sunday, May 19, 10–11:30 am, Prospect Park Wellhouse: Enjoy a relaxed pace five-mile route through the park’s trails with the Prospect Park Track Club, incorporating historic points of interest along the way.
     
  • Molière in the Park, The Misanthrope, May 19 + 20, 7 pm, LeFrak Center at Lakeside: You’re invited to watch a staged reading of Molière’s masterpiece, The Misanthrope, with original music by Tony and two-time Obie Award winner STEW, presented by Molière in the Park in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance. In a time of fake news, fake politicians and the increasing normalization of hypocrisy, Molière’s classic comedy is a refreshing, timely, biting satire and love story with humor tailor-made for a contemporary Twitter account. A second reading will take place Monday, May 20, at 7 pm, and both are free and open to the public. For reserved seating visit www.moliereinthepark.org, or bring a blanket and grab a patch of grass! Refreshments will be available at Lakeside’s Bluestone Cafe.

Plus, many more activities including It’s My Park Day, Smorgasburg, a themed ’90s roller disco, bird walks, sheep shearing demonstrations at the zoo and much more. 

Take a look at all the Spring Fling events and RSVP. We’ll see you there!

c. Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous

Artists Selected for Chisholm Monument

April 24, 2019

In an exciting announcement for the Prospect Park community, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and women.nyc announced that artist team Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous has been selected to design the park’s new monument to Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to serve in Congress and a Brooklyn hero.

“Prospect Park Alliance is thrilled to welcome this important monument to Shirley Chisholm to the park,” said Sue Donoghue, president of Prospect Park Alliance. “It will be the focal point of the Alliance’s Ocean Avenue and Parkside Avenue entrance and perimeter restoration, and we look forward to working with the artist team to create a beloved destination for our diverse community to enjoy in Brooklyn’s Backyard.”

Renderings released show the team’s proposal for the monument that will grace Parkside Plaza. The design, called Our Destiny, Our Democracy, was selected through the City’s Percent for Art program. In the coming months, with additional community input and public review, the design will be developed to best suit the public and the park landscape. The monument is the first to be commissioned as part of the She Built NYC program, which seeks to expand representation of women in the City’s public art collection. The Shirley Chisholm monument will be installed in Prospect Park by the end of 2020.

“She Built NYC is transforming public art in our City by honoring the contributions of women who helped build and shape it,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s dynamic leadership and activism continues to inspire all who learn her story and her service deserves public recognition. This artwork will be bright, bold, and makes a statement – just like Chisholm herself.” 

This monument, which was announced in late 2018, will be a critical part of Prospect Park Alliance’s $9.5 million restoration of the Parkside and Ocean Avenue perimeters and entrance to the park, which is made possible through $6.7 million in funding by Mayor de Blasio, $2 million in funding from Borough President Eric L. Adams and $750,000 in funding from Council Member Dr. Mathieu Eugene. This large-scale restoration by the Alliance will include new sidewalks and paving, new historic lighting and street furniture, the planting of new trees and the addition of a protected bike lane. This project continues the Alliance’s work to restore the perimeter of the east side of the park, including the Flatbush Avenue perimeter, which is also being funded by the Borough President, as well as Council Members Laurie Cumbo and Dr. Mathieu Eugene. See more on the Capital Projects Tracker.

c. Jordan Rathkopf

2019 Earth Day Preview

April 22, 2019

Join Prospect Park Alliance and community partners for our annual Earth Day Celebration at the Prospect Park Audubon Center! This environmental extravaganza, which focuses this year on protecting Prospect Park’s beloved animal species, takes place from 1–4 pm on Sunday, April 28.

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Among the free activities at this afternoon of environmental fun:

Catch-and-Release Fishing: Did you know that Prospect Park’s waterways are filled with many species of fish including largemouth bass? Learn all there is to know about fishing in the city, and try your hand at the sport, catch-and-release style with the DEC Bureau of Fisheries. This event is geared towards all ages and participants can borrow equipment on site. 

Insect Discovery Hike: Discover Prospect Park’s not-so-creepy crawlies on an Insect Discovery Hike with the Urban Park Rangers. Don’t be afraid of getting your hands dirty as we search high and low for amazing insects to discover their connection to us, and the importance of parks to provide habitats for them.

Bird Encounter + Spring Migration Bird Walk: Prospect Park has been designated one of New York’s Important Bird Areas (IBA), which are critical for bird conservation. During spring migration season, hundreds of species of birds visit Prospect Park to rest, recuperate from their long journey and fill their bellies. At the Audubon Center, Wildlife In Need Of Rescue and Rehabilitation will have a special exhibition of live raptors rescued from all around NYC and Long Island. Then head out for a bird walk to learn the importance of city parks to their wellbeing, the issues birds face and how you can help.

Lakeside Clean-Up: Prospect Park is home to Brooklyn’s only lake, a vital resource for the fish, amphibians and waterfowl that make up this precious ecosystem. Lend you hand by helping to clean-up Brooklyn’s only lake, led by the Brooklyn Fishing Club!  

Plus, enjoy many other family fun activities, arts and crafts, and animal encounters. RSVP to let us know you’re coming!

Still from "Chisholm '72," courtesy of Realside Productions

Chisholm Monument Designs Unveiled

March 27, 2019

Make your voice heard!

View and comment on the five preliminary artist proposals for the new monument to Shirley Chisholm in Prospect Park, the first artwork to be commissioned as part of the She Built NYC initiative to bring more monuments honoring women to New York City’s public spaces.

This open call for feedback on the proposals by artists Firelei Báez, La Vaughn Belle, Tanda Francis, Mickalene Thomas and the team of Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous will continue through Sunday, March 31.

She Built NYC kicked off in June 2018 with an invitation for public nominations, and Shirley Chisholm was selected in November in recognition of her role as a political trailblazer who was both the first black Congresswoman and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. The monument is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2020 and will be installed at the Parkside entrance to Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

This monument will be the centerpiece of Prospect Park Alliance’s restoration of the Parkside and Ocean Avenue perimeters and entrance to the park,made possible through funding by Mayor de Blasio, Borough President Eric L. Adams and Council Member Dr. Mathieu Eugene. The Alliance will improve the sidewalks and paving, add new historic lighting, street furniture, trees and plantings. There will also be a new protected bike lane. This project is expected to be completed by Fall 2021.

Learn more and view the designs at women.nyc.

Still from "Chisholm '72," courtesy of Realside Productions

A Monument to a Trailblazer Comes to Prospect Park

November 30, 2018

On U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm’s birthday and the 50th anniversary of her election to Congress, Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue joined First Lady Chirlane McCray and Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen in Prospect Park to make a momentous announcement.

The group held a press conference at the Parkside and Ocean Avenue entrance to the Park to announce that a monument to Representative Shirley Chisholm, the political trailblazer who was both the first black Congresswoman and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, will be erected at that location, where the Alliance is undertaking a significant restoration as part of our work improving the Park’s eastern perimeter.

“As Brooklyn’s Backyard, we are deeply honored to welcome this important monument to a true Brooklyn hero, Shirley Chisholm,” said Sue Donoghue, president of Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit that sustains Prospect Park in partnership with the city. “We thank the Mayor, First Lady Chirlane McCray and the Department of Cultural Affairs for selecting Prospect Park as the site for this commemoration, which will serve as a critical focal point of our restoration of the Parkside and Ocean Avenue entrance to Prospect Park.”

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A local hero, Chisholm was the first black Congresswoman in U.S. history, and both a leader and an advocate for residents of Brooklyn and the country at large. Her notable achievements in Congress included working to expand access to food stamps, helping to pass Title IX and extending minimum wage requirements to domestic workers. In 1972, Rep. Chisholm became the first black major-party candidate to run for President of the United States. This is the first monument commissioned as part of She Built NYC, an initiative that sought public nominations to honor the New York City women who have changed history.

“Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s legacy of leadership and activism has paved the way for thousands of women to seek public office,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “She is exactly the kind of New York woman whose contributions should be honored with representation in our public spaces, and that is now being realized with She Built NYC.”
 
“Shirley Chisholm was an American original—a fearless trailblazer who broke barriers and had an unrivaled commitment to justice,” said Alicia Glen, Deputy Mayor for Housing & Economic Development. “From standing up to Congressional leadership to taking bold bipartisan action, Rep. Chisholm made sure everyone knew she was ‘unbought and unbossed.’ There is no one more deserving than Rep. Chisholm of a statue honoring her life and legacy; may New Yorkers of all backgrounds be inspired by her story.”

The site of this monument will serve as a critical focal point for the Alliance’s $9.5 million restoration of the Parkside and Ocean Avenue perimeters and entrance to Prospect Park, which includes $6.7 million in funding by Mayor de Blasio, $2 million in funding from Borough President Eric L. Adams, and $750,000 in funding from Council Member Mathieu Eugene. This large-scale restoration by the Alliance will include new sidewalks and paving, new historic lighting and street furniture, the planting of new trees and the addition of a protected bike lane. 

As the steward of Brooklyn’s Backyard, Prospect Park Alliance is deeply honored to welcome this important monument to a true Brooklyn icon. Read more about this announcement from the Mayor’s office.

Celebrate Brooklyn’s Diverse Cultures at the Brooklyn Roots Festival

July 13, 2018

Pictured above, Afro-Puerto Rican drum and dance ensemble Bomba Yo. C. Brooklyn Arts Council.

On July 29, the Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) and Prospect Park Alliance present the Brooklyn Roots Festival. This folk arts festival celebrates Brooklyn’s traditional artists and immigrant communities through performances, workshops, family activities and more.

This event is free, RSVP today to let us know you are coming!

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The festival is part of BAC’s summer-long Tradition as Resistance Festival. “Folk and traditional expressions are not relics,” said BAC Folk Arts Director Christopher Mulé. “These communities have much to teach us about moving forward in our current climate of social justice and protest. The Brooklyn Roots Festival provides a platform for multiple generations to celebrate traditions of resistance with pride.”

“Prospect Park is Brooklyn’s Backyard, and a haven for the diverse communities of this borough,” said Prospect Park Alliance Vice President of Programs Maria Carrasco. “The Alliance is dedicated to providing free public programs that celebrate the history and traditions of Brooklyn, and we are thrilled to partner on this first Brooklyn Roots Festival.”

The festival’s Main Stage will feature Palestinian dance ensemble Freedom Dabkah, Haitian drumming group Fanmi Asòtò, Afro-Puerto Rican drum and dance ensemble Bomba Yo, and other groups representing Yiddish, Serbian and African Diaspora cultures.

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Pictured, Haitian drumming group Fanmi Asòtò. C. Brooklyn Arts Council.

In addition to the performance Main Stage, a workshop station will engage audiences with activities led by groups including the Queer Kitchen Brigade, the food-agro project working in solidarity with Puerto Rico’s sustainable agroecology movement; Gran Bwa and the Congo Square Drummers, sharing their longtime tradition of sharing tradition and ritual in the Prospect Park Drummer’s Grove; and dance and music workshops.

A children’s section at the Lefferts Historic House presents acclaimed “King of the Dance Party” Father Goose Music with a journey through Caribbean and multicultural music, East Asian folk children’s group Rabbit Days and Dumplings featuring Elena Moon Park, and puppetry presentations by the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre. City Lore is also partnering with BAC to present the multimedia theater piece What We Bring: Stories of Migration.

This event is free, RSVP to let us know you are coming!

Pictured at top, Afro-Puerto Rican drum and dance ensemble Bomba Yo. In story, Haitian drumming group Fanmi Asòtò. C. Brooklyn Arts Council. 

c. Martin Seck

City Funds Park Improvements

July 2, 2018

News Body Text

New Vision for the Rose Garden

May 23, 2018

Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit organization that sustains, restores and advances Prospect Park, Brooklyn’s Backyard, has announced the results of a year-long effort to develop a community-driven vision for the park’s former Rose Garden.

This initiative is part of a larger effort by Prospect Park Alliance to restore the northeast section of the park, which also includes the restoration of the Flatbush Avenue park perimeter, a major restoration of the woodlands, as well as path and lighting improvements to make this area of the park more inviting and accessible to the public.

“Prospect Park is one of the increasingly rare, truly democratic spaces where a wide variety of people of different nationalities, cultures, ethnicities, races and socio-economic backgrounds intermingle,” said Sue Donoghue, Prospect Park Alliance President. “To make a more vibrant place for all of Brooklyn, we reached out to the many communities that use and border the park—particularly communities of color, young people, low-income families and new immigrants. Reaching out in multiple languages, in varied formats and at local venues ensured that people whose voices are often missing from local decision-making helped shape the future of this space.”

Prospect Park Alliance teamed up with Hester Street, a non-profit organization that works to ensure neighborhoods are shaped by the people who live in them, and Grain Collective, a landscape architecture and urban design practice, to engage local communities in the future vision of this little-known landscape. The Alliance engaged over 2,000 community members and local stakeholders over the course of this outreach effort, and gathered over 3,000 ideas. Ideas for the reimagined Rose Garden were gathered through a series of interviews, focus groups, “pop-up” events, in-person and online surveys, and workshops. This work was made possible through the support of the Altman Foundation.

The resulting, community-driven vision was informed by a set of guiding principles developed by community members and the Alliance to ensure any future improvements are in line with community priorities, as well as site and feasibility factors. Top priorities expressed were preserving the bucolic character of the space, and creating a welcoming environment to a broad array of communities.

“The many people we talked to were clear: the area must be open, accessible and inclusive of the diverse communities that border the Rose Garden and use the space,” reported Betsy MacLean, Executive Director of Hester Street, “and that community engagement and participation in the future design and programming of the park must be ongoing.”

View the findings of this year-long community engagement effort.

In the coming years, the Alliance will oversee related improvements to park’s northeast corner, including: the Flatbush Avenue perimeter restoration; path and lighting improvements; and the creation of two new entrances to the park. In the meantime, Prospect Park Alliance will further develop and refine design concepts for the former Rose Garden; determine the scope and budget for the project; and develop a broader fundraising campaign for the park to make this project a reality.

Learn more at prospectpark.org/reimagine.