Atlantic Avenue BID commissions original artwork for new street banners
Celebrated Brooklyn-based artist creates “Atlantic Avenue Alive”
The Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District (AABID) is lining the Downtown Brooklyn boulevard with original works of art. The new splashes of color will come in the form of the BID’s street banners, the first new ones in over half a decade. The Atlantic Avenue BID was competitively selected by New York City Small Business Services (NYC SBS) as a recipient of the Single District Small BID Support Grant, which funded the new street banners. This funding fulfills a commitment in Mayor Eric Adams’ “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery.”
In order to shake things up, the AABID handed over creative responsibilities to Boerum-Hill-based design studio, The Studio of Joshua Levi. A former senior art director for The New York Times, Joshua Levi is a design professional who specializes in brand design, with past clients including Apple, Google, Harvard University, The IFC Center, and the High Line. On Friday, 9/15, the banners will be installed throughout the district, which spans the blocks and side streets of Atlantic Avenue between the BQE and 4th Avenue.
Each of the five banners was custom-designed for Atlantic Avenue, including a custom typeface, and showcases quintessential Atlantic Avenue moments. The images range from a street scene typical of the businesses, visitors, residents, and culture of Atlantic Avenue, to a scene of the culturally diverse cuisine found in the commercial corridor. Each installment stands alone or can be interpreted as part of the series.