Artist Statement
For my project, I decided to reimagine an unused building in my neighborhood. This building used to be the Hamilton Theatre, architect Thomas Lamb designed this theatre; this was just one of the many theatre’s he designed. Over time, this building became the home of many things such as a sports venue, disco, movie theatre, and a church. I wanted to preserve and honor the past of this building. So I thought of a community center for kids - the youth. I designed this building to make it open and welcoming for young people to get the opportunity to build upon their dreams and have a safe place to stay and connect with others. I included a rooftop sports venue, disco room, and theatre room as a way to bring back the memories of this building. I also included a marquee because the marquee was a big part of the building when it was first used until it was removed. To the right side of the building, I included a mural with the writing “we are a community” as a way to make this mural eye-catching and bring this cool, chill vibe to the building itself. The collage placed around in the image represents the work made by the kids that will be placed into a collage on the inside walls of the building. I want to bring back the spotlight onto this building again while still preserving its past. I used markers to color and draw the sports venue, marquee, and mural. I drew the building in the middle with a pencil and went over some parts with a pen. I used cut-outs from a magazine to make the collage. I got the mural inspiration from artist Tomie Arai, the collaborative mural really got me inspired to include a mural for the design of my building. I was also inspired by artist Olafur Eliasson, the project of creating a unique bridge for people to connect and interact really helped me bring my idea of making this building a place for connections and bonding. I hope my project inspires others to find ways to connect with people and keep some time for themselves to do what they love. I also hope to inspire people to preserve the past in the ways they can.

Bio
My name is Abeer and I am a 15-year-old aspiring photographer - I really enjoy taking pictures as a way to envision things. Instagram - @oct.nyc

Artist Statement
I had a hard time initially figuring out the best way to reimagine my neighborhood, especially when it came to incorporating ideas and core values that I cherish. How do I reimagine a neighborhood while still preserving all the key details of it’s past ? Well… with snails of course, with this I zoned into the idea that a neighborhood is a large community. Each and every snail is different and unique, yet they are bonded together by the sense of community. This community of snails don’t have an exact location, because their homes are constantly moving with them, but they will always have a bit of their neighborhood wherever life may lead them.

Bio
Hi I'm Bryan, I reside in New York City. I’m a huge animal lover, and my favorite hobby is baking, when I'm not sleeping or eating.

Artist Statement
My project represents the significance of murals regarding diverse representation in local New York neighborhoods. While portraying New York's diverse ethnicities and representing identity, I also incorporated the crucial effects of activism and protest movements in America throughout history. My project preserves the past by bringing awareness towards numerous social issues regarding oppression and representation of cultures in media and society. In this piece, I used mixed media by incorporating oil, acrylic paints, and collage art. Furthermore, I was inspired by many street artists who utilize murals to spread societal awareness, like Andy Warhol, Eduardo Kobra, and Tomi Arai. I hope this inspires others by producing a potential project I can do in my own neighborhood and help bring communities together by sharing our cultures and ideas.

Bio
My name is Emily Ng and I'm a sophomore at Staten Island Technical High School. I was born in Brooklyn, but moved to Staten Island. I am currently interested in both the medical field and visual arts. My favorite form of art would be mixed media, painting, and graphic design.

Artist Statement
My work shows a restaurant in which all demographics are welcomed. On the right wall is a mural representing all cultures and ethnicities. The restaurant itself would cater to all including the less fortunate, serving free food once a month. It would be located near Harlem, NYC, as a way to attract both college students, tourists, and the underprivileged.

Bio
My name is Deanna Tayeh, I am a sixteen years old Palestinian American Activist who channels activism into art and writing.

Artist Statement
For my group’s project, we decided to set up small houses/workshops in Battery park. Each house would represent country. The house would be set up as the country and contain information so people can learn more about the culture. My part of the project was to design the inside of the house for Croatia. I tried to mimic the mediterranean-style architecture with the stone walls. In addition, I added plants that are native to the country. I also chose to incorporate a small pool in the house to symbolize one of Croatia’s main features, the sea.

Artist Statement
In this project I tried to reinvent a building to help it have a better way of getting energy. There is solar panels on the top of the roof with tubes on the side of the buildings to bring up water and clean it into drinkable water.