Field Report

Flying Creatures — Kite-Making Workshop

Before facilitating Flying Creatures, I visited Sunset Park twice — once at night on April 14 and again during the day on April 19. I wanted to understand the energy of the neighborhood, who uses the park, and how the environment might shape the workshop experience.

Sunset Park is a culturally diverse area, home to large Hispanic and Asian communities, with strong neighborhood ties and visible multilingual signage throughout. On my first visit, I walked through the streets and restaurants near the park. I noticed businesses run by and for the local community — Dominican bakeries, Chinese restaurants, taquerias, and law offices with signs in Spanish. Conversations flowed between English, Spanish, and other languages. Even late at night, the neighborhood felt active and connected.

During the second visit, I entered the park on a warm Saturday afternoon. It was full of families, children, and elders. People were playing soccer, flying kites, sharing meals, and sitting together. The space was clearly being used across generations. One small moment that stayed with me was seeing a kite caught in a tree — it made me feel like kite flying was already part of the place.

The ARTMobile team had already selected a location within the park for the workshop, near the 44th Street entrance. Though this entrance was busy and a bit chaotic, it was also visible and accessible. I noticed a lot of movement — conversations between park officers and vendors, noise from traffic, and groups passing through. A little deeper into the park, things became more calm.

These visits helped me understand the kind of space I was entering. Sunset Park isn’t a blank canvas — it already holds stories, traditions, and routines. I wanted the workshop to feel like it belonged to the park for that one afternoon. Rather than bringing something new, I tried to offer a moment of imagination that felt grounded in what was already there.