Weaving Care, Community, and Resilience: Jazmine Hayes Transforms the New York City Skyline with I Am Protected

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Last month marked a monumental milestone for the historic Brooklyn neighborhood of Brownsville with the grand opening of a state-of-the-art, $128 million multi-service center. Supported by a collaborative coalition of city agencies, the expansive facility aims to centralize critical social services, health resources, and community programming under one roof.

Yet, beyond the steel, glass, and foundational architecture of this massive civic investment, it is the building’s soul—infused into its very entryways—that has captured the attention of the cultural landscape.

A centerpiece of the opening is I Am Protected (2026), a striking four-part public art commission by local artist and community educator Jazmine Hayes. Curated through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ (DCLA) renowned Percent for Art program, Hayes’s immersive designs greet visitors at every doorway of the newly minted facility. Drawing deeply from the cultural fabric, historical resilience, and personal narratives of the neighborhood, the installation transforms a municipal hub into a sanctuary of warmth, visual storytelling, and generational affirmation.

"I genuinely want any child that walks through this door to be and feel protected," Hayes told Hyperallergic in an interview detailing the conceptual framework of her work. "I want them to have affirmations of care, support, and community."

Main Facts: A Landmark Civic Investment Meets Visionary Public Art

The opening of the $128 million Brownsville Multi-Service Center represents one of the most substantial municipal and social investments in the neighborhood in recent memory. Designed to serve as a comprehensive resource hub, the center consolidates diverse public services to better support local families, youth, and seniors.

At the heart of the building’s cultural identity is Jazmine Hayes’s I Am Protected (2026). Comprising four distinct visual designs strategically positioned across the building’s entry points, the commission serves as a literal and figurative threshold between the bustling exterior of Brownsville and an interior space dedicated to healing, growth, and empowerment.

The project was executed through the DCLA Percent for Art program, a pioneering municipal initiative that mandates the inclusion of public art in the design and construction of capital projects citywide. Through this framework, Hayes’s artwork bridges the gap between civic architecture and grassroots community representation, ensuring that the people of Brownsville see themselves reflected in the spaces built to serve them.

Chronology: From East New York Roots to Brooklyn Landmarks

Jazmine Hayes’s journey to the Brownsville Multi-Service Center is rooted in a lifelong connection to eastern Brooklyn. Born and raised in the adjacent neighborhood of East New York, Hayes developed an intimate, lived understanding of the systemic challenges, rich cultural traditions, and deep-seated community bonds that define the region.

The Path to the Commission

When the Department of Cultural Affairs approached Hayes regarding the multi-service center commission, she was uniquely positioned to understand the cultural weight of the project. Her artistic practice has long prioritized public engagement, educational outreach, and spatial justice.

The opportunity arrived closely on the heels of another major milestone in Hayes’s career: the successful completion of a public artwork for the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Brownsville Houses the previous year. That project, titled You Deserve Ease and Joy, established Hayes’s reputation for creating visually arresting, emotionally resonant public art tailored to the rhythms and needs of public housing communities.

The Unveiling

The culmination of months of collaborative planning, design, and installation was celebrated last month during a high-profile ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event brought together municipal leaders, community stakeholders, and local residents.

Among those in attendance were artist Jazmine Hayes, DCLA Commissioner Diya Vij, and Sergio Pardo López, Director of the Percent for Art program. The collective presence of municipal leadership and local artists underscored a shared commitment to centering community voices in public infrastructure developments.

Supporting Data: The Impact of the Percent for Art Program and Neighborhood Demographics

To fully understand the significance of I Am Protected, it is essential to examine the socio-cultural landscape of Brownsville and the mechanics of the municipal programs that brought the art to life.

Brownsville: History, Displacement, and Resilience

Brownsville has long been a canvas of profound historical resilience. Historically marginalized and frequently subjected to cycles of disinvestment, systemic neglect, and rapid urban gentrification pressures, the neighborhood has nonetheless fostered an extraordinarily vibrant cultural legacy. It has produced world-class athletes, visionary musicians, pioneering writers, and fierce community organizers.

In recent years, however, residents have faced mounting anxieties regarding displacement and the shifting socio-economic tides of Brooklyn. Hayes’s work explicitly engages with these dynamics, charting community displacement while simultaneously celebrating the enduring spirit of families who have called the area home for generations. Through visual motifs that reference domestic gardens, protective maternal figures, and ancestral wisdom, I Am Protected offers a visual antidote to the erasure often accompanying urban development.

The City’s Investment: The DCLA Percent for Art Program

Established in 1982, the Percent for Art law requires that 1% of the budget for eligible city-funded construction projects be allocated for the commissioning of public artwork. Managed by the DCLA, the program has facilitated hundreds of permanent public art installations across the five boroughs.

The $128 million allocation for the Brownsville Multi-Service Center placed it within a tier of major capital projects eligible for substantial art funding. By directing a portion of this budget toward a local artist with deep regional ties, the city bypassed traditional top-down curation models in favor of hyper-local commissioning. This approach ensures that the artwork speaks authentically to the demographic realities and emotional landscapes of the neighborhood it serves.

Official Responses: Voices from the Unveiling

The reception of I Am Protected has been overwhelmingly positive, marked by praise from city officials, cultural critics, and community members alike.

During the unveiling ceremony, DCLA Commissioner Diya Vij emphasized the vital role that public art plays in transforming municipal buildings from sterile government offices into welcoming community anchors.

"Public art has the unique power to humanize civic space," Vij noted. "With I Am Protected, Jazmine Hayes has not only created a visually stunning installation but has also established a standard for how city agencies can collaborate meaningfully with local artists to honor the communities they serve."

Sergio Pardo López, Director of the Percent for Art program, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the meticulous process of integrating Hayes’s vision into the architectural blueprints of the building.

"From the initial conceptualization to the final installation at every entryway, Jazmine approached this project with an unwavering dedication to the children and families of Brownsville," López stated. "This is art that listens before it speaks."

For Hayes, the motivations remain deeply personal. Reflecting on her own childhood in the neighboring community of East New York, the artist emphasized that public art in municipal spaces must offer more than aesthetic distraction—it must provide sanctuary.

"I genuinely want any child that walks through this door to be and feel protected," Hayes reiterated to Hyperallergic. "When you grow up in neighborhoods like East New York or Brownsville, the world often tries to tell you who you are before you have a chance to figure it out for yourself. I want my art to push back against that narrative. I want them to walk past these doors and feel an immediate, undeniable affirmation of care, support, and community."

Implications: Setting a New Standard for Urban Civic Architecture

The integration of I Am Protected into the Brownsville Multi-Service Center carries profound implications for the future of public art and urban development in New York City and beyond.

1. Redefining the Aesthetics of Care in Public Infrastructure

Historically, municipal service centers, welfare offices, and public health facilities have often been designed with an institutional austerity that communicates bureaucracy rather than support. By commissioning an artist of Hayes’s caliber to anchor every entryway with culturally resonant, protective imagery, the city has demonstrated a new paradigm in civic design—one where emotional safety and psychological comfort are prioritized alongside physical access to services.

2. The Power of Hyper-Local Representation

The project serves as a masterclass in the efficacy of hyper-local commissioning. By hiring an artist intimately familiar with the socio-cultural nuances, spatial histories, and psychological needs of eastern Brooklyn, the DCLA avoided the pitfalls of parachuting in outside artists unfamiliar with the community’s fabric. The resulting work does not merely decorate a building; it reflects back to the community its own strength, beauty, and resilience.

3. A Blueprint for Future Capital Projects

As New York City continues to invest in community infrastructure across historically underserved neighborhoods, the success of the Brownsville Multi-Service Center offers a replicable model. Future capital projects—whether libraries, health clinics, or community centers—can look to this collaboration as proof that deep community engagement, robust municipal funding, and visionary local artistry can intersect to create enduring public treasures.

As visitors stream through the doors of the new facility—seeking social support, health resources, or community connection—they do so under the watchful, loving gaze of Jazmine Hayes’s artistic vision. In doing so, they are reminded not only of the city’s financial investment in their neighborhood but of the timeless, unbreakable protection of their own community.