Van Alen Institute

Van Alen Institute is a driving force behind community-led urban design, which believes that local knowledge and care enrich the design process. Since 1894, Van Alen has invested in people with a passion for improving cities through the power of architecture and design. Our public space projects build unconventional coalitions of designers, local stakeholders, and city leaders, and we support their visions through project scoping, hands-on guidance, and seed funding. From our home in New York City, our work confronts longstanding power imbalances in citymaking, showcases the vanguard of community-led design, and supports the next generation of designers in creating more just cities. VAN ALEN FALL FEST 2025 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 12–4 PM 303 BOND STREET, BROOKLYN Join us for a festive open house to learn more about Van Alen, meet your neighbors, and get insight into public art and design projects across NYC! Drop in anytime for a lively afternoon of treats, tunes, all-ages art workshops, and a raffle for exciting prizes from local businesses, including BK Dance Lessons, Bond Craft Studio, Clayhouse, Craftsman Ave, Four and Twenty Blackbirds, Gowanus Wine Studio, and Strong Rope Brewery. All-ages activities include: - The Friends and Follies, an art installation by Mookntaka (MOO-kin-tah-kah), a Gowanus-based artist duo by Mark Zlotsky and Karyn Lao. These interactive, inflatable sculptures encourage people of all ages to connect through play. - Weaving workshop led by Powerhouse Arts, a Gowanus-based not-for-profit organization committed to creative expression. Create your very own woven masterpiece with repurposed materials from Materials for the Arts. - Block Printing + Needle Felting with Textile Arts Center, a Gowanus-based resource facility dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of textiles through creative educational programs for children and adults. Learn the process of block printing to create custom stamps on fabric, or use felting techniques to create soft sculptures. - Gowanus Yearbook 2025, a growing wall of community portraits created by Ananaya Singh, Kaye Yuvallos, Rida Chaudhry, and Aaron Barboza. Take a "class photo," decorate it, and mark the year you arrived or were born in Gowanus. - Herb Bundling with One Love Community Fridge, which works to build a stronger, healthier community — one fridge at a time. Bundle fresh herbs for the community fridge hosted at Van Alen and your neighbors. It’s a fun, calming way to give back, connect, and share knowledge about healing and flavor. - Public Art Resource Fair: Stop by tables hosted by organizations that produce some of NYC’s most exciting public art projects. Meet their teams, learn about their work, and exchange ideas about bringing more public art and design to NYC. Participants include ArtBridge, Buro Happold, Powerhouse Arts, Public Housing Community Fund, Textile Arts Center, and TYLin.