LEGENDS NEXT DOOR
Legends Next Door (mid–late 2025)
Legends Next Door began as a neighborly effort to record and honor the seniors who gather at the Diana H. Jones Senior Center in my Brooklyn neighborhood. Over several months I interviewed the participants, sketched from life, and later painted their portraits in my studio. I worked with two collaborators during the interview phase: one conducted the conversations while I sketched, and another photographed and recorded short clips that I edited into a brief video.
The project culminated in a pop-up solo exhibition in November held near the senior center. After the show I gifted each portrait to the individual who sat for it.
Purpose
I created Legends Next Door to celebrate a group too often left out of public attention, yet essential to the social fabric of our block. These seniors nurture and sustain community life — their stories, presence, and histories deserve visibility and respect. The project is both a record and a gesture of gratitude: visible portraits and recorded memories that acknowledge their contributions and preserve their voices.
