Artist Turns Physical Abuse at Local Garden into Inspiration

In 2011 Ms Yvonne Shortt started what she calls a long term relationship with a space on Woodhaven BLVD. "I would walk by this space and see garbage and at night people were hanging our there," said Shortt.

Ms. Shortt recruited Elby Schneidman, Maya Shenkman, and others to help with the endeavor. Ms. Shenkman helped clean out all the garbage by hiring a local cleanup crew. This was after Ms. Shortt and Ms. Schneidman were able to get rid of some individuals who would use the area as a place to get high. "People installed over 150 umbrellas in the bushes and would hang out inside at night drinking and doing drugs. Sometimes they would jump out at us and yell obscenities," said Shortt.

Now, each fall the community plants and weeds. In the spring flowers bloom. By the summer the area is hot and local residents are unable to take care of the space. However, come fall they are back at it. This year a local Girl Scout Troop headed by Claire Managan helped clean the space.The Girl Scout troop weeded and planted. They even wrote notes to the local Council member Koslowitz thanking her for her support.

One day this fall while Ms. Shortt was cleaning up the garden, someone grabbed her broom/bag and threw them because Ms. Shortt did not move out of the person's path fast enough. The incident was caught on video. Instead of letting this stop Ms. shortt, she created an installation. She used the parting words of the woman who accosted her as inspiration. The installation includes a girl and the word RESPECT in aluminum. Ms. Shortt and her team designed the artwork. They also wrote words on the back wall that read

"Respect Ourselves, Each Other, Our Community."