Figuring It All Out

After filling out endless paperwork I was told to report to Groundswell's office for an informal orientation. There were about six of us sitting at a table with a heavily tattooed woman, whose name I later learned was Jessica. She explained when we would begin work, how and when we would get paid, told us which of Groundswell's six murals we would participate in and answered any questions we had. I was curious as to what extent we would collaborate with our lead artist to design and paint the mural-- would it be a paint by numbers type of thing? I was told that I did not have to have any artistic ability  to be hired... so how would a bunch of unartistic kids produce a beautiful mural like ones that had been done in years past? Jessica seemed taken aback by my question and explained that everything is done collaboratively and that the lead artist is there to guide us. 

I was placed in Voices Her'd, a group made up entirely of girls. My lead artist was named Katie Yamasaki, and we would paint in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. I was a little nervous about being with fifteen girls all summer and was worried it would get catty. Four weeks into the program, I find it funny that I was ever concerned about this. The biggest disagreement that occurs among us is who has to wash the brushes at the end of the day. 

I'm a city girl all the way and I pride myself on my keen directional sense. Although I had heard of Bed Stuy, I didn't have any idea where it was. Even now when friends ask where I work, I get some eyebrow raises and doubletakes when I say Bed Stuy...it has a reputation for being a "bad" neighborhood. Nevertheless, I was excited that I would be able to explore a new part of Brooklyn. I usually take the Franklin Aventue shuttle to get to work and then walk the seven or eight blocks to 85 Lexington Avenue where we work. Today I rode my bike there for the first time. Contrary to common belief, Bed Stuy is adorable. It's an underdeveloped, cultured version of Park Slope. There are quaint brownstones on tree-lined streets. Restaurants on the major avenues boast cuisines from all over the world, and there are various African churches, museums, and eatteries, all of which are fairly uncommon in my experience in New York. However, the first buds of gentrification are blooming-- trendy bars and cute but overpriced cupcake shops display "Grand Opening" signs in the windows. I'd give Starbucks a year before it moves in.