A Crown Heights public housing community on Friday celebrated the installation of a new public artwork series that blends historic preservation with storytelling.
The Public Housing Community Fund, New York City Housing Authority, Mellon Foundation, Kingsborough Houses residents, and design teams led by New York City-based artists Jerome Haferd and Ifeoma Ebo, came together to celebrate the unveiling of Migration, a permanent installation and heritage walk at NYCHA’s Kingsborough Houses in Crown Heights.
The artwork features 35 six- to 12-foot-high steel illuminated public art structures distributed throughout the 16-acre campus, honoring the recently restored frieze, Exodus and Dance, by Harlem Renaissance sculptor Richmond Barthé.
“The new installation is more than a new artwork, it’s a celebration of Kingsborough’s legacy and the spirit that makes this neighborhood so meaningful to its residents,” said Alex Zablocki, executive director of the Public Housing Community Fund. “As residents walk the campus, they’ll now be able to find joy, engage with Kingsborough’s rich history, and feel a deeper connection to their community."
The design team, led by Ebo and Haferd with Pedro Cruz Cruz and Violet Greenberg, engaged Kingsborough Houses residents, local artists from the Fulton Art Fair, including the late artist-in-residence, Larry Weekes, lighting designers, and cultural historians, to reflect authentic community voices in the installation. Over the course of months-long workshops with the Kingsborough Houses Resident Association and a Stakeholder Advisory Group, participants shared memories, drawings and stories that shaped the inscriptions on the sculptures. These include oral histories from residents, historic accounts of Barthé’s life and work, residents’ personal memories of the Exodus and Dance frieze, and quotes on the meaning of community, extended family, and resilience from Kingsborough residents.
“Kingsborough Houses has always been a place filled with history, strength and community pride,” said Angelina Whitaker, president of the Kingsborough Houses Resident Association. “Migration honors the generations who came before us and celebrates those who continue to make Kingsborough home today. The stories, art, and light now woven throughout our campus remind us that our community is alive with creativity and resilience. We’re proud that Kingsborough is once again shining as a beacon for Brooklyn and beyond.”
Fabricated locally in Brooklyn, the sculptures are inscribed with illustrations that draw from Egyptian and other diasporic motifs and Barthé’s own vocabulary. Several sculptures incorporate seating elements seamlessly integrated into their design, inviting residents to gather and engage with the work. In the evenings, the lighting features integrated into each structure will illuminate the pathways and open spaces of Kingsborough Houses, guiding visitors and residents from neighboring thoroughfares towards the Exodus & Dance frieze. The open space around the frieze was transformed with improved lighting and new community-inspired murals on the backside of the wall.
