Author: Cornershop

Video: 30 Seconds in Prospect Park

August 18, 2016

How many ways do people love Prospect Park? This 30-second piece by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Marshall Curry shows quite a few. Curry, a Park Slope resident who comes to the Park to run, wander in the woods and cheer his kids at soccer games, was inspired to create this short video by the variety of passions and people he saw at the Park.

Share photos or short videos of your Prospect Park moments on social with hashtag #ProspectPark for a chance to be featured in a special edition of our Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week.
 

Marshall gave us a few thoughts about his process and inspiration for the video:

“As a documentary filmmaker, I love to observe people, and one of the things I love about Prospect Park is how many different kinds of people there are, pursuing different passions. A friend of mine, Hilary McHone, used to shoot a one-second video with her phone every day and then knit them together into rapid-fire video journals of her life. It was amazing how evocative those super-short clips could be, how much story and mood could be packed into literally one second. One day I was at the Park, marveling at the diversity of people who were enjoying it in so many different ways – playing sports, wandering in the woods, having picnics with friends – and I thought the rapid-fire clips might be a neat way to try to capture what makes Prospect Park such a special place. So my co-worker, Daniel Koehler, and I scoured the web for clips that people had shot in the Park – not slick professional shots, but amateur (sometimes odd) genuine displays of passion – and edited together our 30 favorites.”

Marshall also loves the Park for his own purposes:

“One of the more unusual things that I have done at the Park is look at planets and the moon on a huge telescope with Brooklyn’s ‘Friendly Neighborhood Astronomer.’ I also love concerts in the summer, tossing baseballs and footballs with my kids. And the Park makes a big difference in the quality of life for my dog who might otherwise think that the world was made of concrete and asphalt.”

PPA Profiles: Carole Eisner

Carole Eisner, the award-winning artist behind this year’s popular Art in the Parks exhibition, has shown her sculptures all over the world. Her monumental works—created from I-beams twisted into lyrical forms—have graced public spaces from Albany to Asia, and this spring landed in Brooklyn.

Four of Eisner’s sculptures are placed around the Park and can be found at Grand Army Plaza, Litchfield Villa, Bartel-Pritchard Square and the Peninsula. Ranging from six to 17 feet tall, the sculptures are intended to evoke line drawings, and are simultaneously playfully light and solidly industrial. In Eisner’s mind, the works do not represent nature, but are intended to complement it.

Growing up near Joyce Killmer Park in the Bronx, Eisner was always drawn to art. She received a Mademoiselle Award for Fashion Design in 1961, and worked as a fashion designer before establishing a painting career. Throughout her life, Eisner has continued to explore new mediums and fabrication methods. She became interested in the possibilities of I-beams while working with a steel manufacturer in Connecticut, and has spent the last decade constructing sculptures like those found around the Park.

Upon being invited to display her work in Prospect Park, Eisner chose locations for each sculpture in conjunction with NYC Parks and the Prospect Park Alliance. Each piece reflects its location, and highlights the flow and beauty of the natural landscape.

These popular works will be on display until May 2017, and park visitors have already taken a shine to them. To Eisner, this is just how it should be. The works are meant to be in nature, and she believes they are enlivened by the people around them.

Eisner and her daughter work together at the gallery Susan Eley Fine Art. To celebrate the Prospect Park installation, the two will host free tours of the Park on September 20 at 11 am and 1 pm (with a rain date of September 27). RSVPs are required in advance, please contact Susan Eley Fine Art. 

Shop for Prospect Park

July 28, 2016

In celebration of Prospect Park’s 150th anniversary, Same Sky, a trade initiative that provides employment opportunities for women struggling to lift themselves out of extreme poverty, with collectives of artisans in the United States and Rwanda, has launched the EARTH bracelet. The bracelet is made with the mission of keeping urban spaces green for visitors and wildlife alike, highlighting the importance of community and conservation.

Through the generosity of Same Sky founder Francine LeFrak, whose family also provided critical funding for the creation of the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, a portion of the proceeds of the EARTH bracelet will benefit the Prospect Park Alliance’s work to sustain, restore and advance Prospect Park, ensuring that Brooklyn’s Backyard is a vital, public green space for all to enjoy.

Visit the Same Sky website to purchase the EARTH bracelet benefitting the Prospect Park Alliance.

Summer’s Best Spots

July 13, 2016

Summertime in Brooklyn is an annual cause for celebration, and Prospect Park affords a resplendent, green oasis to beat the summer heat. We asked Prospect Park Alliance staff members how they most like to stay cool when the mercury rises.

Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue stuck with a classic. “It’s hard to narrow it down as there are so many great spots in Prospect Park; but I think my favorite would have to be under a tree in the Long Meadow!”

Grace McCreight, External Affairs Assistant, prefers to venture over toward the Lake. “I like the hill right behind the Boathouse, near the Camperdown Elm.”

Arborist Ryan Gellis also seeks out the shade, but with a poetic bent: “Sub tegmine fagi – it’s a common Latin poetic phrase, meaning ‘under the shade of a beech tree.’ Why? Beech trees have some of the most complete leaf cover around. If you thrive in the shade, as I do, then look for a beech tree to rest under.”

Paul Campbell, Director of the Tennis Center, shows no signs of favoritism with his response: “The Tennis Center, of course.” Nepotism or not, he raises a fair point – the Tennis Center’s outdoor lighting allows for cooler, nighttime play.

Eric Johnsen, who works the front desk at the Tennis Center and is also a longtime Alliance volunteer, suggests seeking some solitude by getting to the WWI monument at Lakeside early in the morning, before most Park visitors are up.

Whether you heed the advice of our experts or take to exploring the Park in search of your own personal Summer Spot, you can’t go wrong with an afternoon spent in Brooklyn’s Backyard.

Learn more about upcoming events and activities this summer in the Park.

 

Dog Beach Restoration

The Prospect Park Alliance has begun the restoration of Dog Beach—a popular swimming area for dogs during off-leash hours. Located at the Upper Pool, where the Long Meadow meets the Ravine, Dog Beach is not only a place for dogs to stay cool in the summer months, but a scenic spot to enjoy nature.

“Improving Dog Beach will ensure that park visitors will have a beautiful amenity to enjoy, while we enhance the health of the lakeshore for wildlife,” said Sue Donoghue, President of the Prospect Park Alliance. “We thank our elected officials for providing funding for this project and for their continued dedication, which in the coming year alone represents a number of new projects in the Park.”

The project, which is part of a larger restoration of the Long Meadow Ball Fields and surrounding landscapes, was funded by the Brooklyn Borough President’s office, Council Members Brad Lander and Stephen Levin, and the Brooklyn Delegation.

The planned renovations will beautify Dog Beach by replacing the existing pavement with stone slabs, sourced from a quarry in upstate New York and reminiscent of streambeds found in the Adirondacks or Catskills. Cable and mesh fencing will replace the existing chain link fencing, providing a low profile and durable barrier that is safe for animals. The Alliance will also fortify the health of the watercourse by removing invasive aquatic plants along the shoreline. Boulders and native plants will then be installed, stabilizing the pool edge and improving aquatic habitats.

The project will kick off with a fish and turtle rescue to ensure that the Park’s wildlife isn’t impacted when the Upper Pool is drained for the restoration work. Dog Beach is slated to reopen next spring, just in time for the warmer weather.

City Budget Invests in Prospect Park

For the millions of Brooklyn residents who consider Prospect Park their backyard, exciting changes are on the horizon. The Prospect Park Alliance is delighted that, thanks to the support of Brooklyn’s elected officials, the recently approved city budget includes significant capital investments in the Park.

  • Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the Brooklyn delegation of the City Council have pledged $2.5 million to restore Lefferts Historic House.
  • As part of the Alliance’s focus on improving the northeast corner of the Park, Mayor de Blasio has set aside $2 million for pathway improvements.
  • Borough President Eric Adams and Council Member Mathieu Eugene dedicated $1,750,000 to restore the Ocean Avenue perimeter.
  • Council Member Brad Lander contributed $750,000 for the ongoing restoration of the Long Meadow Ballfields.
  • Council Member Laurie Cumbo funded $500,000 to restore the historic Carousel.
  • Council Member Stephen Levin contributed $100,000 for a pilot program to improve the Park Drive’s running lane with a stretch of softer surface material that also improves drainage.
  • Through the participatory budgeting process, Council Members Eugene and Lander teamed up to fund a new aquatic weed harvester, and joined Borough President Eric Adams to fund a new dog run at the Parade Ground. Lander also funded new freeze-resistant, year-round drinking fountains and Eugene funded new community barbecue sites.

This funding comes after the recent announcement that Prospect Park was awarded funding through NYC Parks’ Parks Without Borders initiative, which will improve and open new entrances to the Park along Flatbush Avenue. Prospect Park Alliance staff will begin to design and plan this wide variety of projects in 2016, and will be busier than ever improving many areas of the Park over the coming years.

“We are fortunate to have such wonderful support from our local elected officials,” said Alliance President Sue Donghue, “and we are thrilled that these funds will be used to make Prospect Park even greater.”

The Alliance’s work to keep the Park green and beautiful continues, even while these restoration projects are underway. This critical work would not be possible without the support of our members, donors and volunteers. To join us in our mission to sustain Prospect Park, learn more about ways to get involved. 

c. Jonathan Grassi

Save the Date: 2016 Gala

July 11, 2016

Celebrate the history and future of Brooklyn’s Backyard, and one of New York City’s most important green spaces, at the annual Prospect Park Alliance Gala. This festive evening will take place on Saturday, October 22, at the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside.

This year’s Gala is the kick-off to the Alliance’s year-long 150th anniversary celebration, and supports the organization’s work to sustain, restore and advance Prospect Park.

For more information contact Allison Taylor, Director of Special Events, at 718-965-6992 or benefitevents@prospectpark.org.

PPA Profiles: W.I.L.D. for Prospect Park

Mary Beth Artz, one of the founding members of W.I.L.D. for Prospect Park and a lifelong Brooklynite, has always felt a strong connection to the Prospect Park Lake. As a child growing up in Windsor Terrace, her father would take her to the Lullwater to look for tadpoles. This area is still one of Artz’s favorite places in the Park, and she has dedicated herself to improving the health of the animals that call the Lake home.

W.I.L.D., in their own words, is “a group of community members committed to ensuring that Prospect Park is safe and healthy for all animals and plants that call the park’s incredible ecosystem home,” and seeks to accomplish this goal through a combination of volunteerism and outreach around the Lake. Since forming in 2011, W.I.L.D meets regularly to remove trash from the water and to educate park visitors about how improperly discarded trash, such as plastic bags and soda cans, pose a danger to wildlife. Recently, members removed floating debris from the lake, using boats provided by Village Community Boathouse. Artz also conducts solo clean-ups multiple times a week, and represents W.I.L.D. when working with the Prospect Park Alliance on environmental projects.

Most recently, W.I.L.D. joined forces with the Alliance and FIDO in Prospect Park to create and install recycling containers where anglers can responsibly dispose of fishing line, which can seriously entangle fish and birds. Artz advised the Alliance on where these containers should be placed, in order to have the largest positive impact. W.I.L.D. members visit the containers regularly to remove the fishing line, and speak with anglers to encourage them to “clear your gear.”

W.I.L.D.’s dedication has led to partnerships with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, when he was state senator, and the Humane Society, bringing city-wide attention to the Park’s biodiversity. Artz’s care for animals also extends beyond her work with W.I.L.D. She has worked as an educator at the Prospect Park Zoo, and is a devoted owner of several rescue cats.

W.I.L.D. is open to wildlife lovers of all ages—their youngest member is only ten years old. W.I.L.D. also encourages everyone to be an everyday steward of the Park by bringing your own trash bags, and properly disposing of garbage. Every little bit helps to beautify the Lake, and protect the wide variety of animals that call it home.

Join one of their monthly clean ups!

Prospect Park Awarded Parks Without Borders Funding

May 25, 2016

The Prospect Park Alliance proposal to improve Flatbush Avenue is one of eight projects citywide to receive funding through the NYC Parks’ Parks Without Borders Initiative. The Alliance will use this funding to create two new park entrances along Flatbush Avenue, to restore a third entrance near Empire Boulevard and Ocean Avenue at the Park’s Children’s Corner, and to fund additional park improvements.

“The Prospect Park Alliance is committed to making the Park open and accessible to all communities bordering the Park,” said Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue. “We are thrilled that so many community members came out in support of our proposal, and I want to thank Commissioner Silver and NYC Parks for their support and vision through Parks Without Borders.”

Parks Without Borders seeks to make parks more open by improving entrances, transforming underutilized areas, and creating vibrant public spaces. The City dedicated $50 million to the program, $10 million of which had already been allocated to parks throughout the city, while the remaining $40 million was voted on through a public input process that took place earlier this year. NYC Parks collected community input from thousands of New Yorkers both online and through in-person events. The Flatbush Avenue perimeter project in Prospect Park was the most highly requested project proposal.

“Parks Without Borders has engaged thousands of New Yorkers, who shared ideas for park improvements online and in person.  That’s proof positive of how excited New Yorkers are to increase accessibility and openness in their favorite parks,” said Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “Thanks to Mayor de Blasio’s OneNYC funding for this major placemaking initiative, we will positively transform New Yorkers’ experience of public space.”

In addition to Parks Without Borders funding, the Alliance has previously received $2.4 million from Borough President Eric L Adams and Councilmember Laurie Cumbo to renovate the Flatbush Avenue perimeter. Through this funding, the Alliance will restore and widen the pedestrian walkway, install new decorative fencing and add an allée of street trees along the park perimeter from Grand Army Plaza to the Children’s Corner, restoring the Flatbush Avenue perimeter to its original grandeur.

Art in the Park: Carole Eisner

May 20, 2016

In partnership with NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks project, the Prospect Park Alliance is proud to present a public exhibition of sculpture by award-winning artist Carole Eisner. Four monumental works, created from I-beams twisted into elegant forms, will be on display through 2016.

“The Prospect Park Alliance has a long history of partnering with NYC Parks to present public art, because of the important role art plays in engaging communities and enhancing the Park, which is the heart of our mission”, said Sue Donoghue, President of the Prospect Park Alliance. “The landscapes selected for this exhibition are ideally suited to the elegance and fluidity of Carole Eisner’s work, and we look forward to debuting them in the Park.”

The works beacon visitors to key sites throughout the Park, that were chosen to highlight how art can complement the natural landscape. The sculptures range from six to seventeen feet tall, and can be found at Grand Army Plaza, Litchfield Villa, Bartel-Pritchard Square and the Prospect Park Peninsula. Visit our events calendar for information about where to find each of the sculptures.