NY4R Artists for Reparations

Artists of all disciplines join us for Black August to imagine and shape a reparative future for Black New Yorkers.
About this Event

NY4R Artist Convening: Art for Repair
Transforming Narrative into Power

The New Yorkers for Reparations Coalition (NY4R) invites artists across all disciplines to gather for Artsists for Reparations, a Black August convening exploring the essential role of art and culture in advancing reparative justice for Black New Yorkers.

Art has always helped movements educate, inspire, challenge dominant narratives, and imagine new possibilities. From Phyllis Wheatley and W.E.B. Du Bois to Paul Robeson, Ruby Dee, and Harry Belafonte, artists and cultural workers have transformed creative expression into collective power. This convening will honor that legacy while inviting today’s artists to help shape the future of New York’s reparations movement.

Participants will learn about NY4R’s coalition of more than 100 organizations and its work to build narrative, people, and political power for Black New Yorkers. The program will include an overview of the movement’s mission and vision, updates on state- and city-level reparations efforts, and a briefing on NY4R’s community-centered campaign strategy.

Through presentations, conversation, and collaborative breakout sessions, artists will explore how their creative practices and platforms can support the movement through:

• Messaging: Translating complex policies and histories into clear, resonant narratives
• Visibility: Using creative platforms, public art, media, and digital storytelling to make the movement visible
• Education: Teaching the history of racial harm in New York and building understanding of the need for repair
• Hope: Creating a compelling vision of reparations rooted in joy, possibility, and collective action

This gathering is both an introduction and a call to action. It will create pathways for artists to contribute their ideas, talents, and platforms to NY4R’s ongoing campaign and the August 29 Durban Commemoration.

Whether you work in visual art, music, dance, theater, film, photography, literature, design, fashion, digital media, or another creative discipline, we invite you to join us in transforming narrative into power—and imagination into repair.

Date: Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Time: 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Location: New Negro Lab, Staten Island, New York
Hosted by: New Yorkers for Reparations Coalition - Organizing Committee

DIRECTIONS FROM:

Bronx:

Driving Route:

· Take the Major Deegan Expressway (I-87 S) or I-95 S down to the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (I-278 W).

· Follow I-278 W across through Queens and Brooklyn, taking the exit for the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Staten Island.

· Continue on I-278 W / Staten Island Expressway, then take exit 13 for Clove Rd / Richmond Rd, follow local streets and Bay St to Minthorne St in the St. George neighborhood.

· Total drive time is approximately 56 minutes depending on traffic.

Public Transit Route:

Subway to Staten Island Ferry:

· 4 Train (IRT Lexington Avenue Line): Runs local/express from the Bronx (e.g., Woodlawn) directly to Bowling Green during peak and daytime hours.

· 5 Train (IRT Lexington Avenue Line): Runs peak-direction express service from the Bronx (e.g., Eastchester-Dyre Ave or E 180 St) directly to Bowling Green during rush hours.

· 1 Train (IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line): Runs local from the Bronx (231st Street) down the West Side of Manhattan straight to the South Ferry terminal station.

· Walk to the Staten Island Ferry at Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan and take the free ferry to the St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island (a 25-minute ride).

· From St. George, it is a short 0.5-mile walk south along Bay Street to Minthorne Street, or you can hop on a local bus like the S46, S74, or S76 for one stop to Bay St/Victory Blvd.

· Total travel time: ~1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes. Cost: $2.90 (subway) + Free (ferry).

Manhattan:

Driving Route:

• Take NY-9A S to I-478, merge onto I-278 W across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into Staten Island, take exit 13B for Narrows Rd N, and follow local surface streets (Targee St and Van Duzer St) over to Minthorne St.
• Distance / Time: Approximately 18.7 miles, taking around 1 hour and 9 minutes depending heavily on harbor/highway traffic. Expect standard bridge tolls.

Public Transit (Recommended)

• Take the subway (1 train to South Ferry, or 4/5 to Bowling Green, or R/W to Whitehall St) to the Whitehall Terminal at the tip of Lower Manhattan.
• Board the Staten Island Ferry to the St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island (runs 24/7, free of charge, and takes 25 minutes).
• From St. George Terminal, it is a convenient 0.5-mile walk south along Richmond Terrace/Bay Street to Minthorne Street, or you can hop on local buses like the S46, S76, or S78 for a 1-2 stop ride.

Brooklyn:

Driving Route

• Take I-278 West across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
• Take local streets like Targee St to exit toward St. George and arrive at Minthorne St.
• Time & Distance: About 14 miles; takes roughly 25 to 65 minutes depending on traffic. Tolls apply on the bridge.

Public Transit Route

• Take the R subway down to 86 St in Brooklyn, transfer to the S79-SBS bus toward Staten Island and connect to local transit heading toward the St. George neighborhood.
• Alternatively, take express buses or subways connecting into lower Manhattan followed by the Staten Island Ferry to St. George, which puts you very close to Minthorne St.
• Time & Cost: Around 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes; fare ranges from $5 to $14

Queens:

Driving Route:

• Take the Grand Central Parkway or I-652 West to the Belt Parkway West, merge onto I-278 West across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, take exit 13 for Richmond Road/Clove Road, and follow local streets to Minthorne Street in the St. George/Tompkinsville area.
• Distance & Time: Approx. 21 miles, taking about 40 to 55 minutes depending on traffic.
• Cost: Standard Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge toll applies.

Public Transit (Subway + Staten Island Ferry)

• Take the 7, E, F, or R train into Manhattan, transfer to the Downtown 4 or 5 train to Bowling Green / Whitehall Street, walk to the Whitehall Terminal, and take the free Staten Island Ferry to St. George Terminal. From there, it is a short 10-minute walk down Bay Street to Minthorne Street (or take the Staten Island Railway one stop to Tompkinsville Station).
• Time: Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes total.
• Cost: $2.90 MTA subway fare; the ferry is free.

Public Transit (Subway + Bus)

• Take the E, F, M, or R train to a Manhattan transfer point, connect to an express bus (like the SIM1 or SIM1c) heading down to Staten Island, or use local subways to lower Manhattan connecting to localized North Shore buses (S51, S74, S76, or S81) that stop near Bay Street.
• Time: Approx. 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• Cost: $2.90 for local subway/bus; $7.25 for express buses.

Brooklyn:

Driving Route

• Take I-278 West across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
• Take local streets like Targee St to exit toward St. George and arrive at Minthorne St.
• Time & Distance: About 14 miles; takes roughly 25 to 65 minutes depending on traffic. Tolls apply on the bridge.

Public Transit Route

• Path: Take the R subway down to 86 St in Brooklyn, transfer to the S79-SBS bus toward Staten Island and connect to local transit heading toward the St. George neighborhood.
• Alternatively, take express buses or subways connecting into lower Manhattan followed by the Staten Island Ferry to St. George, which puts you very close to Minthorne St.
• Time & Cost: Around 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes; fare ranges from $5 to $14