It is a part of New York City that is seldom seen, but the North Shore of Staten Island is a microcosm of contemporary life in the United States. In this age of isolationism, it is also a borderland – a place where the culture wars of our decade play out in the everyday lives of residents.
My interest in the North Shore began four years ago after Eric Garner was killed in an apparent chokehold during his arrest near the corner of Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville. In the year after his death, I photographed the family and friends of Eric Garner here as they continued to march for justice and mourn his death.
In subsequent years, through a grant from the Design Trust for Public Space, Staten Island Arts and the Alice Austen House Museum, I chronicled stories from the community in transition. The North Shore of Staten Island is about to be transformed by $1.6 billion in public and private-sector investment. Cutting through the heart of Staten Island, Victory Boulevard acts as a central thread to these stories.
Artist Bios
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Gareth Smit
Gareth Smit is a documentary photographer working in issues related to migration, race, identity, and violence. Gareth Smit es un fotógrafo documental. Su trabajo trata temas de migración, raza, identidad y violencia.
Organizations
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The Design Trust for Public Space
The Design Trust for Public Space is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the future of public space in New York City.
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The Alice Austen House
The Alice Austen House occupies a singular position, both geographically and culturally—on the water’s edge of Staten Island’s North Shore. Once the home, studio, and muse of pioneering photographer Alice Austen, the house dates back to 1690 and is one of New York City’s historic homes. Yet it functions today not as a static historic site, but as a dynamic contemporary arts hub.
The museum celebrates queer and women’s history while breathing new life into Austen’s legacy by engaging with current artistic, social, and personal exploration. For Austen, this home, now a public park, was a radical retreat and safe haven for her and her largely queer circle of friends. That spirit of refuge and experimentation continues today. We activate the house and grounds through our Queer Ecologies Garden, deep community partnerships, and sustained support for artists, fostering the creation of new work that honors the past while speaking directly to the present.
The museum and public park have been a National LGBTQ+ landmark since 2017.
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Staten Island Arts
Staten Island Arts cultivates a sustainable and diverse cultural community for the people of Staten Island by making the arts accessible to every member of the community, supporting and building recognition for artistic achievement, and by providing artists, organizations, and arts educators the technical, financial and social resources to encourage cultural production.
North Shore
Featuring: Gareth Smit
Curated by: Paul Moakley
Locations
View Location Details Download a detailed map of this location Brooklyn Bridge Park – Emily Warren Roebling Plaza1 Water St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
This location is part of Brooklyn Bridge Park
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