Can a neighborhood block function as a living, breathing community museum?
In short: Artists Mildred Beltré and Oasa DuVerney explore how creative collaboration bridges social gaps. Their project, the Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine, transforms local interactions into a public archive, demonstrating how art-making serves as a vital tool for strengthening community bonds in Crown Heights.
Founded in 2010, the Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine began when Beltré and DuVerney started creating art within their own apartments. They soon expanded this practice to their neighbors, acting as self-appointed artists-in-residence for their street. Their work focuses on the idea that artistic creation is a powerful method for building community connections and facilitating communication between individuals.
As part of their residency with The Met’s Civic Practice Partnership—a program established in 2017 to support socially engaged artists—the duo is documenting their neighborhood. They are interviewing local residents and photographing personal objects to compile a book that reimagines the museum as a community-centered space. This initiative highlights the potential for art to serve as a bridge, turning shared stories into a collective record.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Family Portraits with Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine | Civic Practice Partnership 2023–2025
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