March 19th, 2025 

12:00-1:00 PM EST
Zoom

How can art and advocacy reshape urban waterways and strengthen local communities? This conversation, part of CALL’s ongoing Cloudburst Project, brings together Rebecca Pryor and Cody Herrmann, moderated by Amy Motzny, to explore creative strategies for restoring and reimagining urban water systems.

The discussion will highlight the role of artistic practice in environmental advocacy, focusing on community-driven projects at the intersection of public art and ecological restoration. Speakers will share their work in revitalizing local waterways, pushing for sustainable infrastructure, and inspiring collective action.

Cody Herrmann is an artist and community organizer based in Queens.

Amy Motzny is Section Lead, Climate & Equity at NYC Department of Environmental Protection.

Rebecca Pryor is the Executive Director of Guardians of Flushing Bay

CALL welcomes you to join us in conversation. CALL/ Conversations is a 3-part discussion series, that will help mold and create new windows of understanding for our key projects and broader mission.

In the first session, we focused on Mary Miss’s 1996 project Greenwood Pond: Double Site. Former museum director Max Anderson, arts attorney Christine Steiner, and Charles Birnbaum, who leads the Cultural Landscape Foundation, spoke about the controversy raised by removing the landmark environmental sculpture from the Des Moines Art Center’s collection.

For our second CALL/ Conversation on February 12th, we will look at Double Site as a fulcrum point that led to shifts in Mary’s practice and the conception of City as Living Laboratory (CALL).

Read more about our distinguished line-up below:

• Susanneh Bieber, Associate Professor School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts, and School of Architecture Texas A&M University. Her monograph American Artists Engage the Built Environment, 1960-1979 (Routledge 2023) addresses how Mary Miss and her contemporaries were drawn to architectural practices as they directly shaped the social and material spaces of everyday life. 

• Amy Motzny, Section Lead, Climate & Equity at NYC Department of Environmental Protection; and Assistant Professor at the Pratt Institute MS in Sustainable Environmental Systems. Amy is a landscape planner, designer, and water resource specialist passionate about data-driven solutions for regionally adaptive design, regulatory innovation, and equitable community growth. 

• Garnette Cadogan, MIT Tunney Lee Distinguished lecturer in Urbanism, Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University and a Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia. His research explores the promises and perils of urban life, the vitality and inequality of cities, and the challenges of pluralism.

These events will help CALL support artists to work with scientists and communities to address critical environmental challenges. The importance of the work lies in our framework – our working processes. This fundamental framework is incremental, long-term, and difficult to capture and share. Through conversation, we can convey our first-hand knowledge as well as consider the larger fields and impacts of our work.

Celebrate the vital connections between water, land, and community in this engaging afternoon led by CALL artist Dennis RedMoon Darkeem in collaboration with artist and wampum carver Tecumseh Ceaser. Focusing on water as a source of life and spiritual sustenance, we will explore Algonquian languages and the deep-rooted Indigenous histories of the region by creating a collective art piece.

In this hands-on workshop, participants will delve into the cultural and environmental significance of water through watercolor, stamp making and printing, storytelling, and performances that highlight Indigenous knowledge and traditions. This program invites community members of all ages to explore the sacred bond between people and nature. The event is a celebration of the Crescent Park community, fostering a deeper sense of togetherness while honoring Indigenous environmental practices.

Dennis RedMoon Darkeem is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work explores the intersections of Native American and African American identity, cultural preservation, and environmental justice. With a background in visual arts, RedMoon creates sculptures, installations, and mixed-media works that draw on both his Native heritage and urban experiences. His practice reflects a deep commitment to community engagement and a desire to connect people with the land and cultural memory. He has a history of collaborating on projects that address environmental and social justice issues, creating public artworks that bridge communities and histories.

Spots are limited, please RSVP below and let us know if you cannot make it

CALL invites you to join us in conversation. CALL/ Conversations is a 3-part discussion series, that will help create new windows of understanding for our key projects and broader mission. Join us at the first session at 6 pm, on November 7th, at the home of Tom Bishop and Katie Ford. Light refreshments will be served.

CALL/Conversations Part 1 will focus on Mary Miss’s 1996 project Greenwood Pond: Double Site, covered in this recent Art News article. Former museum director Max Anderson, arts attorney Christine Steiner, and Charles Birnbaum, who leads the Cultural Landscape Foundation, will consider the issues raised by removing this landmark environmental sculpture from the Des Moines Art Center’s collection.

All of the ticket costs are tax-deductible

The second conversation will take place on February 12th and highlight Double Site as a fulcrum point that led to shifts in Miss’s practice and the conception of City as Living Laboratory (CALL). The third event in mid-April will focus on two major CALL initiatives – the urban scale projects WaterMarks in Milwaukee and the Cloudburst Project in New York City.

These events will help CALL support artists to work with scientists and communities to address critical environmental challenges. Please consider supporting CALL with a contribution if you cannot attend. Through conversation, we can convey our first-hand knowledge as well as consider the larger fields and impacts of our work.

WALK WITH US TO EXPERIENCE: PEDESTRIAN OBSERVATIONS: MAPPING MANHATTAN CHINATOWN’S PUBLIC REALM

Please join our Pedestrian Observation docents and Artist/Art historian Myles Zhang for a WALK through Chinatown as we discuss and highlight the relationships between public and private spaces illustrated in the Pedestrian Observations: Mapping Manhattan Chinatown's Public Realm banner and pamphlet.

After our WALK, we invite you to join us at Yu & Me Books to continue the conversation, considering the symbiosis between these spaces and uses: how the blurred line between public and private space can be used, designed, managed, and reimagined to shape a more resilient and inclusive public realm.

Spots are limited, RSVP to secure your spot and please let us know if you can't make it.

RSVP through this form or through the link below:

Please join us on a Cloudburst WALK of CALL's newest project site in Corona Queens!

Led by Mary Miss, Eric Sanderson, and Christian Cassagnol.

On this walk, we will explore the streets of Corona, Queens, which has recently been designated as one of New York City's Cloudburst sites. Mary Miss, Artist and Founder of CALL, Eric Sanderson, Vice President for Urban Conservation, New York Botanical Garden, and Christian Cassagnol, District Manager, Queens Community Board 4, will discuss themes regarding flooding, our waterways, and how we can learn from our historic ecology and hydrology to plan for a more sustainable and resilient future! 

Please RSVP through the form or the direct link below:

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Sunday, May 19th, 2:00 PM

Meeting Point: Van Cortlandt Park Outflow

The Buried Brook is a free, interactive augmented reality sound walk by composer Kamala Sankaram. It traces the sonic geography of the buried Tibbetts Brook, which once flowed from Yonkers through the Bronx to the Harlem River. As you follow the brook's former route, the app activates field recordings, songs, and instrumental solos that overlap uniquely for each listener. 

Please join us and artist Kamala Sankaram as we walk along the historic path and listen to the sounds of The Buried Brook.

Download the App here!

RSVP below:

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Saturday, April 27th, 2:00 PM

Meeting Point: Van Cortlandt Park Outflow

The Buried Brook is a free, interactive augmented reality sound walk by composer Kamala Sankaram. It traces the sonic geography of the buried Tibbetts Brook, which once flowed from Yonkers through the Bronx to the Harlem River. As you follow the brook's former route, the app activates field recordings, songs, and instrumental solos that overlap uniquely for each listener. 

Please join us and artist Kamala Sankaram as we walk along the historic path and listen to the sounds of The Buried Brook.

Download the App here!

RSVP below:

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join composer and sound artist, Kamala Sankaram, as she discusses the role of international listening, community soundscapes, and her interactive augmented reality sound walk, The Buried Brook. The Buried Brook traces the sonic geography of the buried Tibbetts Brook, which once flowed from Yonkers through the Bronx to the Harlem River. Participants can join the soundwalk by downloading the Buried Brook app. As they walk where the brook once flowed, location data from their phones turns on sound loops including field recordings, a choir, instruments including a saxophone and a sitar, and an invocation to the water snug in Munsee Lenape. Many pf the field recordings were created from community recording walks that Sankaram led in the Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park.

For this session, attendees will experience a virtual version of the walk. You will also participate in guided listening meditations with the intent of creating a community soundscape capturiing the diverse locations of everyone present.

Join artist, Sarah Gail Luther, as she guides us on a virtual trip of Un Paseo Al Agua!

Un Paseo Al Agua is a series of road signs installed throughout Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from 10th and Greenfield moving east towards the Harbor District. These illustrative signs depict the unique and diverse landscapes of the Harbor District — illuminating its industrial past, critical roles in the transportation of people and goods, and more recent development of spaces for public recreation and water access.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.

Join us for a refreshing cup of tea at the Pedestrian Observations: Map in Columbus Park every Friday from 4 - 6 pm and Sunday from 11 am - 2 pm until mid-June.

The 14-foot-long illustration was created by artists/ designers Stephen Fan and Myles Zhang with input from many Chinatown participants and advisors.

Find the banner, CALL colleagues, and lovely tea from Silk Road Cafe in the park's crossway between Mulberry and Baxter Street.