URA History & Recent Press
In February 2010, Urban River Arts celebrated our first birthday. Over the past year and one-half, URA has put down strong roots in the community with three successful projects and ongoing art classes that have created the opportunity for people of all ages to participate in dynamic visual arts programming.
- Ongoing Art Classes with students ages 9-17 at The Brooklyn Children’s Center, an inpatient psychiatric care center for children and adolescents in Crown Heights. Given the opportunity to work with authentic art materials in a safe, supportive environment, participants from BCC are proving to be dedicated students who are developing art based skills and learning about responsibility, respect, compassion and courage. (http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/facilities/bkpc/facility.htm) Summer 2009- present.
- URA and CDSC (Child Development Support Corporation) hosted the Tibetan monk, Lama Tenzin Yignyen, to make the sand mandala of compassion the week of March 15th-19th. Over 750 people attended this week long event.The Brooklyn Paper, March 19, 2010, A Monk the Best at What he Does (http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/33/13/33_13_sa_sand_painting.html)
- The Urban Mandala Project: Over 300 people participated in making a Mandala 12feet in diameter from recycled, found & donated materials. Fall 2009 Crown Heights Mediation Center Blog, December 23rd, 2009 Urban River Arts Mandala Dismantling (http://crownheightsmediationcenter.blogspot.com/2009/12/urban-river-arts-mandala-dismantling.html)
- The Portraits of Obama Project: Over 120 community residents made portraits of the President that were shown and sold in an Exhibition at Danny Simmons’ Corridor Gallery, July 2009. New York Times Fort Greene & Clinton Hill Blog, July 9th, 2009 New Ways to See the President (http://fort-greene.thelocal.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/new-ways-to-see-the-president/)
