The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Holy Cow! Big Plan for the Q's Plaza, So Says Craigslist

It takes a lot to surprise the Q. But I gotta admit I did a triple-take when I saw this listing on Craigslist:

The Arts and Culture Fest will take place on Saturdays starting April 21st until October 20, 2012. It will occurs on the outdoor plaza of the Parkside Avenue Train Station (B and Q Trains) in Flatbush Brooklyn with market hours will run from 10 AM to 6 PM. As an Artisan market,if will feature Artists, Crafters, Designers and Vendors whose work includes fashion items, jewelry, paintings, prints, sculpture, home decor, photography, and crafts. We are seeking interns in the following area:

Social Media - must be able to actively use and promote the fest on twitter and facebook Marketing - must have innovative ideas to market and promote fest to vendors and the public Web Designer - must be to redesign Wordpress and drive traffic to site  Street Team - seeking individuals to distribute flyers and postcards in Flatbush area Sponsorship Person - must be able to seek funds from small businesses

Can offer credits for college, must be able at least 10 hours a week. Respond today and begin Monday. Please send resume, references and picture.

I'll admit that I'm not TOTALLY unaware that an effort was being mounted to get an artisan market happening at our beloved Q plaza. But they've already got this very mysterious website up and running:

Arts and Culture Fest

I say mysterious because it lists, like, zero sponsors or people responsible for the purportedly weekly Saturday market that will likely transform the way the neighborhood thinks about this space. I did see that the Brooklyn Arts Council coughed up some dough, though.

Digging a little deeper I see that the project is being run by a collective called The Creative Side, which was established in 2011 as a collaboration of Atim Annette Oton and Javaka Steptoe to launch and maintain an Arts Venue and Business Opportunity for artists to sell their work in Brooklyn.

I recall Michael Cetera of Community Board 9 mentioning that Atim had approached him about doing something. I even went so far as to reach out to Atim and ask about the proposed market, though she never responded.

It may very well be that this is just the sort of thing we've needed to draw attention to the underutilized space in front of the Q. But I gotta admit, I'm a little thrown off guard. I'll try not to feel dissed...good luck y'all. And hey...give us a shout sometime! We'd love to be involved, and at the very least, lend a hand in promotion.

1 comment:

Ceelledee said...

Wow. Atim Oton used to run an African crafts store on Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights called Calabar Imports. IIRC, I believe she has relocated that business to DUMBO. Javaka Steptoe is an emerging black artist/illustrator, specializing in children's books.

Does any of this prospective use of the Parkside Plaza have any bearing on the efforts of Rudy Delson and all those who have been feverishly working on the Parkside Project?