PRESENT POWER / FUTURE HOPES portrays the interests, histories, talents, and dreams of public housing residents as visualized by original public artworks designed for ArtBridge’s City Artist Corps: Bridging the Divide. Implemented in partnership with New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), this program paired artists with 16 NYCHA developments to reinvigorate arts and culture in the face of COVID-19. The 60 artworks created in the program grew out of artist-led workshops held at each site.
City Artist Corps: Bridging the Divide is ideologically akin to the community empowerment foundational to the government funded Mexican Muralism movement in the 1920s. It also recalls FDR’s government funded Works Progress Administration, which employed artists during Depression Era America in the 1930’s. PRESENT POWER / FUTURE HOPES underscores what happens when public art programs invest resources into collaborating with local communities.
The massive public artworks—installed on construction sheds and fencing—display community narratives in the physical space of their home environments. Artworks address the lived experiences of residents navigating the social and environmental health of their communities, particularly over the past two years. The illustrations, photographs, portraits, collages, and abstract compositions pay homage to generational and cultural heritage, healthcare and frontline workers, and community resilience during a time of increased gun violence and illness resulting from the pandemic. With a majority of the resident and artist populations identifying as Latinx and BIPOC, the artworks are punctuated by explicit affirmations of celebration, and wishes of ease and joy.
PRESENT POWER / FUTURE HOPES demonstrates an expansive approach to designing public art in relation to community reflections and aspirations. While the public artworks were printed and installed in two-dimensions on vinyl and other weather durable surfaces across the City, the gallery exhibition includes a number of original, material-based artworks directly related to the final vinyl designs. Additionally, photographic documentation of the site-specific installations and artist-led workshops at each NYCHA development are featured to showcase the holistic process of creating public art rooted in community.
New York City has a history of isolating NYCHA developments from districts with greater wealth. Often intentionally set back from surrounding neighborhoods, NYCHA residents have faced limitations in accessing resources and city funded public art. With 59 local artists—19 of whom currently or formerly lived in NYCHA —collaborating with residents across all 5 boroughs, ArtBridge’s City Artist Corps: Bridging the Divide democratizes access to public art in New York City.
Covering 25,000 square feet of surfaces with community-responsive art, never before has there been such a wide-reaching project to amplify the voices of public housing residents.