An Action-Packed Weekend in Brower Park: Juneteenth and June Balloon
In celebration of Juneteenth on June 19th, BEMAC joined Friends of Brower Park for a community art-making activity that invited children and families to paint rocks. Participants could either take their painted rocks home or donate them to the park's pollinator garden, creating a colorful and lasting contribution to the community.
A young artist at work on their rock painting
The next day marked the return of the June Balloon Block Party for the first time in 25 years. Spearheaded by Another World, this iconic Crown Heights institution was revived through the collaboration of several local organizations and block associations, bringing together a day of art, play, culture, and, of course, balloons for a memorable community experience.
BEMAC facilitated the painting of a community mural during the event. The mural was divided among three panels, each mounted on canvas and labeled to guide participants as they added color to a design conceptualized by BEMAC founder Vic Ingram and BEMAC collaborator Shelly Fank, who also serves the community as Director of Education and Programming for Friends of Brower Park.
Leading up to the event, Shelly and Vic facilitated a series of workshops at Another World to gather ideas and artwork from community members. Those contributions were transformed into a design featuring stilt walkers, drummers, dancers, basketball players, chess pieces, and other icons that represent fun, summer, and connection in Crown Heights.
The wall in Shelly’s studio, featuring artwork collected from the workshops, archival photos of past June Balloon parties, and a mockup of the design in progress.
Throughout the day at June Balloon, more than 40 community members of all ages helped bring the mural to life. As participants painted side by side, the original vision of the mural expanded and evolved into something new, with unexpected colors, shapes, and interpretations transforming the design into a more abstract expression of the community's collective creativity. Vic and Shelly will make a few final adjustments to help bring together the many contributions into a cohesive whole while preserving the spirit of the collaborative process. Once completed, the mural will begin its search for a permanent home where it can continue to celebrate the creativity, connection, and community that made it possible.
