Fort Lauderdale, Florida Oct 9, 2023 (Issuewire.com) - New Nonprofit Brushstrokes for History Founded by Florida Teen to Revitalize Sistrunk Corridor
In 2023, 17-year-old Broward High School senior Yana Danzig founded the nonprofit Brushstrokes for History. This initiative brings together artists and Sistrunk Corridor community members to unearth obscure but formative stories from the past to be told through art that elevates the area.
Through her own artistic endeavors and connections with Sistrunk Corridor residents, Danzig felt the need to forge an organized synthesis through art to revitalize the community. Founding Brushstrokes for History, served as a platform to bring together roughly 20 local artists and community members to identify how to best celebrate community identity through art. Distressed buildings with broken doors and windows were selected to serve as the canvas for paintings that illustrated hyper-local historical accounts and raise awareness about this area’s journey through time. Over the summer, Danzig reached out to local summer camps, folding intergenerational storytelling into the project.
Following a successful summer of planning and creation, Brushstrokes for History introduced its journey to the greater Fort Lauderdale community, hosting an exhibition at the main Fort Lauderdale Public Library at 100 South Andrews Avenue on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, 6 -7:45 pm. 20 boards painted by roughly 20 local artists depicting lesser-known Sistrunk Corridor histories were on display. The over 80 guests in attendance had the opportunity to connect with the artists and area residents for an evening of art living history in action.
Pictured: The Cone building, now standing vacant, once housed a hat emporium. Mr. William Cone Sr. sold hats to people from all over, including many candidates on the campaign trail. Mr. Cone knew Jackie Robinson well, as he frequented the hat emporium.
Besides this hat shop, the Cone family also operated a printing business from a department store, Ace Printing, which printed one of the first Black newspapers,
The Westside Gazette.
The first pictured mural, a portrait of Jackie Robinson, was painted on a piece of plywood used to board up a window of this historic building, now owned by Mr. Cone Jr.
By representing a point of pride, it honors the history of the building and helps establish local pride in and connection to the storied past of the Sistrunk area. The next mural, also painted on a piece of plywood to cover a window, represents Ace Printing at work using a 1950s printing press. The bright colors and abstract background represent the limitless achievement and business success of Mr. Cone, and the limitless potential inside.
Anyone and everyone is welcome to join Brushstrokes for History and participate in art projects that raise awareness about and celebrate local history. Sign up at https://brushstrokesforhistory.org to join the journey. All art supplies will be provided by the nonprofit. Follow Brushstrokes for History on Instagram @brushstrokesforhistory.org to keep up to date on the organization’s projects and events.
The photo is the mural Yana Danzig, 17, painted of The Cone Building to kick off the project. The Cone building, now standing vacant, once housed a hat emporium. Mr. William Cone Sr. sold hats to people from all over, including many candidates on the campaign trail. Mr. Cone knew Jackie Robinson well, as he frequented the hat emporium.
Besides this hat shop, the Cone family also operated a printing business from a department store, Ace Printing, which printed one of the first Black newspapers,
The Westside Gazette.
The first-pictured mural, a portrait of Jackie Robinson, was painted on a piece of plywood used to board up a window of this historic building, now owned by Mr. Cone Jr.
By representing a point of pride, it honors the history of the building and helps establish local pride in and connection to the storied past of the Sistrunk area.
The next mural, also painted on a piece of plywood to cover a window, represents Ace Printing at work using a 1950s printing press. The bright colors and abstract background represent the limitless achievement and business success of Mr. Cone, and the limitless potential inside.
Media Contact
Brushstrokes for History *****@gmail.com (954) 588-3442 10968 Garden Ridge Ct http://www.brushstrokesforhistory.org
