This Is Our Safety Zone Safety Sign

This safety sign project was the third in a series of five projects in the StreetWise: Hunts Point initiative. Funded by The Rockefeller Foundation and its Cultural Innovation Fund, and in partnership with NYC Department of Transportation, this two-year campaign uses a series of community mural-making projects to engage community members in identifying and prioritizing transportation and related-environmental concerns in their South Bronx community. For "This is Our Safety Zone," seniors from the Pio Mendez Center in Hunts Point worked with students from the nearby MS 424. The seniors engaged in a five session project in which Groundswell artist Frank Parga and NYC Department of Transportation Safety Educator Maria Cruz facilitated a collaborative exploration of what constitutes a safer, cleaner neighborhood. The dynamic and powerful interaction led to discussions with MS 424's Principal about arranging regular visits of the students to the Pio Mendez Houses, opening up the potential for a longer-lasting dialogue between the two groups.