Stilts and Roman nearly reached enlightenment! So close that their feathers changed colors for a few, brief seconds. We captured it on this t-shirt! If you'd like your own, click here. The top image is the shirt in green tones. The image below that is in gray tones.
Coloring Page: Algernon and Minerva
Algernon is grateful for older and wiser friends, like Minerva. Click, download, and color. Who is your older, wiser friend?
Court & Sackett Street Mural: Preparations
*A great lover of Brooklyn AND this building wrote in and asked us a great question: are we allowed to do this? The answer is yes. We have written permission from the owner of the building! Thankful for the thoughtful follow-up, we hope to add to the already-existing charm of Carroll Gardens!
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We're planning to paint ourselves into our Brooklyn neighborhood. On the corner of Sackett and Court, there is a building that houses residents, Area Yoga, and an undisclosed "work in progress" on the street level. A interesting type of plywood has been more or less wrapped around the street level section of the building. This is the space we are going to infuse.
This first image is from Google Maps and gives you (and us) an idea of what is being covered.
This next image was shot by Dallas on Memorial Day with his friend Jim. The grid he created was based off the individual plywood piece dimensions that cover the building, which (for the most part) run 4' x 8'. There is some fudging on the pieces closest to the corner (3' x 8') but we've taken that into account.
So, this next image gives you an idea of the size we are growing to be and how we plan to look on the surface. Looks like a great time and we have plenty of room to grow with new Troopers! We'll keep you posted on the progress, as well as adding a new label entitled "Street Mural" so you can see all the posts for this specific project. Want a Jolly Mural in your city or neighborhood? Send Dallas a message and we'll see what we can do about that!
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We're planning to paint ourselves into our Brooklyn neighborhood. On the corner of Sackett and Court, there is a building that houses residents, Area Yoga, and an undisclosed "work in progress" on the street level. A interesting type of plywood has been more or less wrapped around the street level section of the building. This is the space we are going to infuse.
This first image is from Google Maps and gives you (and us) an idea of what is being covered.
Algernon Visits Green-Wood Cemetery
Algernon wanted to spend some time thinking about Memorial Day this year because war and death and freedom aren't always easy to understand. So he headed off to Green-Wood Cemetery to visit a friend who could help him out.
The flying buttresses at the entrance to the cemetery made Algernon wonder: can something be beautiful and sad at the same time?
Algernon was quiet as he started up Battle Avenue. Did you know that the first battle fought after the signing of the Declaration of Independence was fought in Brooklyn?
While Algernon was flying towards the Civil War Lot, he tried recalling the different names of the Civil War, but gave up. He was overwhelmed by the number of headstones.
The Civil War Lot was quiet except for the flags flapping by the headstones of people that fought in the war. He thought about the reasons for the Civil War and his favorite line from the Declaration of Independence: "all men are created equal." This raised a big question in his mind: if all men are created equal, then why is there war?
Even though Memorial Day was created to remember people that have died in service to our nation, Algernon couldn't help stopping by the beautiful headstones of everyday people that had died serving other everyday people.
Algernon made his way to the Altar to Liberty to meet his friend. Standing on the altar, lost in thought, he heard a strong but gentle, familiar voice, "Come sit on my shoulder, old friend." Algernon smiled and flew up to perch on Minerva.
"If all men are created equal, then why is there war, Minerva?" The Goddess of Wisdom spoke softly and kindly, "No matter the time or place, war is never easy to understand. But friendship is. War happens because people forget their commonality with one another. Friendship is remembering our commonality with one another. War happens because people forget their equality with one another. Friendship is remembering our equality with one another. War happens because we allow our differences to divide us. Friendship is remembering that our differences enrich us."
Did you know that Minerva salutes and faces her friend, The Statue of Liberty? Did you know that The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to America and that the two nations were called "sisters?"
As Algernon paused to reflect on Minerva's words, a simple theory distilled in his heart:
if time and distance come between friends, nothing can separate them if they keep each other in sight and remember to wave.
Watching visitors of the deceased arrive at the cemetery helped him realize that friendship and love transcend time and space. Remembering others that serve the Greater Good will always be important.
And that's why on his way out, Algernon stopped at the entrance gate to make friends with some feral monks: the parrots of Green-Wood Cemetery.
Green-Wood Cemetery
500 25th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11232
718-768-7300
www.green-wood.com