Gates of Atlantic, an outdoor exhibition spanning the storefronts of nine small-businesses in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, is the latest project from The Culture LP. Developed by Local Development Corporation of East New York and funded by the NYC Department of Small Business Services, the exhibition is grounded not only in artists revamping the image of an area that could - like many others - fall prey to gentrification, but supporting and raising the visibility of black and brown community members through accessible art installations. 

“Divine timing,” as Gates of Atlantic curator Cierra Britton puts it, shaped the progression of the project - the moment where the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic collided with the nation’s long-standing history of systemic racism. What began as a local initiative toward aesthetic rejuvenation, soon turned into an all-but-necessary means of engaging with art, and a space for activism, community building, and mutual aid. With small-business owners and artists being some of the most vulnerable in the face of the pandemic, the collaboration was nothing if not serendipitous. 

Maintaining the identity of a community, and those who work to keep it authentic, is at the core of this project. It should come as no surprise then that images of black and brown bodies take center stage. The work of Angel Garcia and Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, on the facade of La Mexicana Hidalguense, taps into ubiquitous visual language and the transient nature of imagery that exists within minority cultures. Recontextualizing that imagery - abstract Mayan patterns, corn, and the serpent god Quetzacoatl among others - within a public space, afforded both the artists and community participants the opportunity to convene and explore existing narratives and construct new ones. Building on an existing sense of pride and kinship, murals like this are crucial in a time when the divisions of politics, citizenship, and race rip into the fabric of the nation. 

The work of Jordan Moss on the gates of Marien Grocery centers black and brown identity in a dreamscape of vivid color and surreal light. These images of both men and women - diversified though lacking facial features - blend seamlessly into their surroundings, signaling a positive and symbiotic relationship with their community. Similarly, artist Quiana Parks’s quiet trinity of black males, just a few doors down from the work of Moss at BKNY Printing, is an ode to black male identity. Deciding to depict black men in a way that does not play into the performative gestures of masculinity, rather in a manner that emphasizes a peaceful existence within their environment, was both powerful and symbolic. It speaks to the divine unity among the men and the tight-knit support within the neighborhood. 

Artist Egypt’s portraits of two black fathers lost this year is a jubilant but poignant addition to the Baybee Lounge DayCare  storefront. The deaths of Kobe Bryant and George Floyd both rocked the global community, though in very different ways. Bryant’s death, inexplicable and tragic as it was, reminded many of his unwavering dedication to his daughters, and his special connection to his late daughter Gigi. George Floyd’s murder ignited a different reminder - our fathers, brothers and friends are still being murdered at the hands of law enforcement. Since Floyd’s death, the Black Lives Matter movement has garnered enormous ground-swell and images like these, in the words of Egypt, inspire continued resistance in the face of injustice and encouragement to keep fighting. 

Concurrent to themes of identity and culture within the project, lies a foundational commitment to public art. At the start, Gates of Atlantic was meant to be a visual enhancement to an already vibrant community of business owners, patrons, and organizations. Though a number of the collaborators pivoted towards work centering black lives in figurative representations, a few chose to prioritize the power of the purely aesthetic. Using the initial vision of the LDCENY’s revitalization program as a springboard, artists Janel Young, Bianca Romero and Thee Prince Melo partnered with business owners to inspire positivity solely through color and form. Working with Gardenia Flower Shop, BKLYN Eats (formerly East Market Diner) and BKLYN Juice Bar, Young and Thee Prince Melo settled on imagery that directly related to the functions of the establishments, but outwardly conveyed the enthusiasm and passion the business owners feel for their neighbors. Romero’s murals for AAMCO Transmission and EZ Pawn Corp incorporate her signature use of collage, juxtaposing symbols of peace and power, in a whirlwind of color and gestural marks. She was also able to pay tribute to the owners of AAMCO transmission with the integration of puzzle pieces - a public gesture of solidarity for their child living with autism. These works, though not overtly political, do point to an important facet of black and brown activism. Holding space for love, beauty, and joy. Maintaining these simple moments of pleasure in our communities is also a form of protest, as the systems in place seek to deny people of color the freedom to do so everyday. 

 Photographs courtesy of Kolin Mendez, Henry Danner, and Leeza Jonee.