Picture the Dream

Art Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Art Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Protest signs, symbols of love and peace, and drawings of important people in the Civil Rights movement are some of the ways young NYCHA residents chose to show how they were inspired by the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Their artwork was displayed at a community exhibition, “Picture the Dream,” at The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) as part of the institution’s annual event tribute to Dr. King. 

The young artists, ages 5-12, are afterschool students from University Settlement’s Atlantic Terminal Community Center in Brooklyn. BAM partnered with University Settlement to provide free art workshops to the students, led by visual artist Che Baraka. 

On January 16, hundreds of people got the opportunity to explore the exhibition during BAM’s daylong free celebration of Dr. King, which also featured music, poetry, and other performances. The event was co-presented by Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, and Medgar Evers College of The City University of New York. At the event, the young artists were treated to VIP breakfast and met with Borough President Adams. 

These works of art were created by NYCHA residents.