What: A retired NYC Corrections vehicle was transformed into a vibrant mobile community center that traveled to all five NYC boroughs celebrating the resilience of New Yorkers, and building trust in the municipal government. The interior ceiling of the bus is made of 8.8 million recycled beads representing NYC’s 8.8 million residents. Purpose: To increase civic engagement; create joyful interactions with the municipal government, fosters trust; create employment and community opportunities for underserved groups.
Where: Across all five NYC boroughs.
Who:
- Partner: NYC Civic Engagement Commission
- Co-creators: Mujeres en Movimiento + Territorial Empathy
- People’s Fellowship Youth Participants
- Material For The Arts
Impact & Reach:
- Over 10,000 individuals engaged.
- 832 New Yorkers signed up for commission updates.
- 148 artists funded & participating.
- People’s Fellowship Program: 30 Youth involved in the creation and implementation
Testimonial: → Veronica Ramirez, Founder of Mujeres en Movimiento:
“The great success was simply that Yazmany brought us in and just gave us the opportunity. The success is that we are here with the strength of a warrior community that continues fighting, dreaming, collaborating and believing in public art. Civic art.”
“When I saw the finished bus, to tell you the truth, it made me want to cry. To see that all our energy, also our love, our participation was there and that it was going to be seen by many people and especially by our children.”
-VERONICA RAMIREZ, CO-LEADER MUJERES EN MOVIMIENTO
What: We rebranded NYC’s first Participatory Budget process into The People’s Money and built “Tippy: The Tender People’s Money Monster”, a giant puppet that effectively invites New Yorkers to vote.
Purpose: To educate New Yorkers about voting on $5 million of the NYC’s budget, thereby empowering underserved communities to decide NYC’s fund allocations.
Where: Across all five NYC boroughs.
Who:
- Partner: NYC Civic Engagement Commission
- People’s Fellowship Youth Participants
- Material For The Arts
Impact & Reach:
- 12,344 New Yorkers brainstormed ideas.
- Over 200,000 New Yorkers cast ballots.
- 46 projects set to come to life.
Manahil Jafri,
People’s Fellowship Participant:
In the past, I didn’t feel really respected in the space of civic engagement. Being a part of this process really showed me that my voice matters, that it can and should be heard. I’m blind. I’m Pakistani, I’m first generation and oftentimes, I don’t see many people that look like me, in spots of leadership. And it was not until I found this avenue, that I was able to find my ability to stand up for my community, for my identity, and really showcase that, you know, youth, people with disabilities, first generation, like all my intersectionalities in terms of my identity, have a space in civic engagement, habit, space, and participatory democracy.
What: As Lead Creative Producer, Yazmany and our team produced Little Amal’s 55 NYC public events, which took place over 17 days
Purpose: To educate New Yorkers about the migrant crisis
Where: Across all five NYC boroughs, including:
-The UN
-JFK Airport
-Coney Island
-Grand Central Terminal
-NY Public Library
-Times Square
-Lincoln Center
-Greenwood Cemetery
-Jackson Heights
-Restoration Plaza
-Mott Haven South Bronx
Impact & Reach:
- 100,000+ New Yorkers walked with Amal
- 55 NYC events
- Over 1,600 NYC artists paid to participate
What: An initiative to document and share the stories of Brooklyn’s Fort Greene community amidst rapid gentrification.
Purpose: Preserving the soul of Fort Greene, bridging generational gaps, and fostering communal dialogue in an era of change.
Where: Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
Who:
- Commissioned by BRIC Brooklyn
- Community Members: Artists, activists, teachers, historians, business owners, etc.
- Created by Yazmany Arboleda in collaboration with Fort Greene residents.
- Partner: BRIC
Results / Impact:
– Engaged 25 core members from diverse backgrounds.
– Collected hundreds of personal narratives representing the multi-faceted history of Fort Greene.
– Reached and impacted more than 10,000 people through mobile labs and story-sharing phones.
What:
- A mirrored room art installation reflecting a Magnolia Tree, the sky and participants that creates a space for communal healing, and introspection.
Purpose:
- Addressing the generational trauma of the Spanish Civil War and the Franco regime aftermath.
- Promoting self and communal reflection on our interconnectedness with nature.
Where:
- Casilda Iturrizar Park, Bilbao, Spain.
Who:
- Commissioned by the Well-Being Project
- Created by Yazmany Arboleda in collaboration with Bilbao residents and architects.
- Commissioned by the Well-Being Project.
Impact & Reach:
- 10,000+ participants
Testimonial: Reggie Hubbard, Founder of Active Peace Yoga, led the inaugural yoga session at the Hospital for the Soul:
“This was a very liberating experience. I had people come up to me afterwards and be like, that was one of the most amazing yoga classes I ever took. And I was like, I’d love to take all the credit. But, you know, you see where we are right? Like I facilitated but it was facilitating at an installation that was so rooted in love and service, and the story behind it, too.”
