An afternoon of creativity awaits East Brooklynites when the Blue Bus Project, a mobile art gallery, is making at stop in Highland Park on Wednesday, July 24.
From 4:30pm to 7:30pm, artists of all ages will be invited to join artistic director and project founder Annalisa Iadicicco for "Re(f)use Me," an art-making workshop that focuses on the three R's of green, sustainable living: reduce, reuse, recycle.
Participants ages 5 and older are encouraged to create small artistic treasures from discarded materials. Younger children ages 2-4 can join in coloring activities inside the bus.
Iadicicco started the project in 2016 when she restored and converted a school bus into a living and breathing mobile art gallery that takes artistic expressions to underprivileged communities around the city. The goal: to promote dialogue for social, artistic and political change through performances, visual arts and interdisciplinary workshops.
"The Blue Bus Project is a cultural vehicle that shatters the confines of the insular art world by taking artistic expression onto the road," said Iadicicco on a GoFundMe page she launched to raise money for critical repairs to the bus. "The project is a platform for participants to contribute to their community while enhancing its beauty and cultural identity. It brings joy, cultivates creativity and serves as a bridge to connect people with their community."
Since its inception, TBBP has reached out to several communities and held a variety of programs in public parks all across the city. These programs range from commissioned workshops for youth and adults raising awareness on recycling and re-purposing materials to dance performances, video/sound installations, art exhibitions, and the collection and distribution of food and clothing for those in need.
The Blue Bus will be stopping on Wednesday, July 24, at Highland Park, at the intersection of Elton Street and Jamaica Avenue. The event is free of charge and open to the public.
