The New York Foundling invites Brownsville community members to join in the celebration of their new mural this Friday. Residents of its Brownsville Vital Brookdale supportive housing complex, community members and local leaders are welcome to mark the importance of the painting as a celebration of community.
Colors of My City by muralist Layqa Nuna Yawar celebrates Brownsville with portraits of physicians, activists, and neighbors, alongside everyday landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and the nearby 3 train. One of its subjects, Patricia, is a resident of Vital Brookdale, where 36 people with developmental disabilities and young people exiting foster care live and receive wrap-around services as part of a larger affordable housing project. Patricia is pictured crocheting a blanket, one of her passions, and a symbol of “home.”
Yawar developed the mural based on workshops with residents at Vital Brookdale and their neighbors. He is best known for large-scale community-based murals, intricate portrait paintings, and multimedia projects that center around the complex narratives of black, immigrant, and indigenous populations.
“Our residents at Vital Brookdale deserved something beautiful, something that honored them and the whole neighborhood. With the mural now finished, we are so delighted to gather with our residents and celebrate. This is a special community, and we hope the mural inspires people who pass by it each day,” said Melanie Hartzog, President and CEO of The New York Foundling.
“I am so proud of this mural. I love its intimate, personal moments, like Patricia crocheting her beautiful blanket. We spent a lot of time talking to this community about who and what people wanted to see reflected in this wall. I hope that they look up at it every day and see themselves,” said artist Layqa Nuna Yawar.
Opened in 2022, Vital Brookdale serves two distinct groups that often experience obstacles to living independently: young people aging out of foster care and adults with developmental disabilities. Vital Brookdale builds upon The Foundling’s existing supportive housing and developmental disabilities residential programming to provide private apartments to participants that are ready to live on their own through supplemental services that ensure a successful transition into the next chapter of their lives.
Join New York Foundling President and CEO Melanie Hartzog, muralist Layqa Nuna Yawar, local leaders and Brownsville residents this Friday, August 23, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Vital Brookdale, 535 E. 98th Street, Brooklyn. The community celebration will include a BBQ with food, music and games.
