I Will Never Forget

It's hard to believe it's been 12 years since I stepped out of a New York City subway, walked up the stairs and outside onto West 4th Street in Greenwich Village, saw traffic had stopped and people were standing in the middle of the street pointing toward the sky at a gaping hole in one of the World Trade Center towers surrounded by smoke and fire.
 
With such a tumultuous beginning, I had no idea how the day, September 11, 2001, would end. I'm grateful for my New York University friends who were with me as we navigated our way through chaos and uncertainty. And, I'm grateful for miraculously meeting up with my sister in Manhattan, eight hours later, amongst crowds of people, and us finding our way home.
 
The memory of September 11 will always be a part of my life. My heart aches for the loved ones of those lost, as for many the pain of that day remains the same. I recently looked through a journal I kept during that time, and found a poem I wrote about the day after.
 


 

The Day After
It was a long night after an unbearable day
A friend of mine said on the phone today
Strike back, cause fear!
I heard a man yell into another man’s ear
More than 2,000 perished, I can’t believe my eyes!
A woman said aloud while reading a newspaper as she walked by
Photos upon photos of loved ones
Some flying through the air
Each one representing heightened despair
Flickering candles
Ave Marias
Fighters jets
Inhalers for breathing
Thick clouds of smoke prevent from telling the season
Is there a reason?
A homeless man said while shaking his head
Debris and rubble have taken the place of his bed
Volunteers donate cheers
To a band of brothers
In search of one another
Political ambition in remission
As heads of state contemplate
A decision
On a collision
That attempted division
Or a division
That resulted in a collision
Though united we stand
With red, white and blue flags in our hands
Reeling from the effects of hate
Trying to understand
 
-Sheryl Estrada

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An Artistic Afternoon in Bushwick

When I attended Bushwick Open Studios (BOS) June 1, I felt as if I had a special invitation into the sanctuaries of artists who were present and welcoming even in the midst of a 90 degree heat wave.

Completing its seventh year, BOS is a three-day arts and culture festival hosted by the volunteer organization Arts in Bushwick (AiB).  The purpose of the festival is to showcase the community’s arts scene while creating a relationship between local artists and residents.

This year, BOS was from May 31 to June 2, and according to their website, included 627 shows throughout Bushwick, Brooklyn.  The New York Times reports the festival extended into neighboring East Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Ridgewood, Queens.  The event was free and open to the public.

I was only in Bushwick for one afternoon, so I focused on one location and explored the open studios on the second and third floors of 1717 Troutman. On the outside, it only appears to be a huge, warehouse/industrial-looking building.

But inside there are studios housing artists who create a wide-range of art, from portrait painting to technology-based art to furniture design. You name it; you'll find it in that building. And, the rooftop has stunning views of the Manhattan skyline.

Below are photos of some of the studios I enjoyed visiting:

The studio of Julia Norton.

Bobby Hill's studio

Artwork by Bobby Hill

Todd Polenberg holds an orange ball, which determines the movement of the LED light

display. Polenberg is the associate creative director, technology and effects for the Blue Man Group.

  

Created by AppliedDesconstruction101

 

  

Tim Okamura's studio

  

Origami by Max Steiner Design

 

A view of the Manhattan skyline on a hot and hazy afternoon, including One World Trade Center, from the rooftop of 1717 Troutman.

A beautiful mural on the side of a building facing Troutman Street.