Garden of Shared Heritage blooms at BCS Education Center

Staff

Garden of Shared Heritage blooms at BCS Education Center
Artist Viktoriya Basina (center) with BCS students Zaid (right) and Naryia (left) in front of a new mural at the Brooklyn Community Services Education Center entitled "Garden of Shared Heritage."

The Brooklyn Community Services (BCS) Education Center unveiled a new community mural this week titled Garden of Shared Heritage, the product of a collaboration between adult English-language learners and muralist Viktoriya Basina.

Basina, a Windsor Terrace-based visual artist fluent in English, Russian, Spanish, and French, was invited to visit an ESL class at the BCS Education Center in Sunset Park. She asked students to draw flowers, animals, and birds significant to their cultures. The students, who hail from over 20 countries, submitted dozens of illustrations, which Basina incorporated into a single composition.

“It was really interesting for me to learn about the different beautiful objects or nature elements, which are significant to different cultures, and put them together,” Basina said.

The result is a colorful mosaic of nature and culture: the quetzal from Guatemala, a panda and plum blossoms from China, the axolotl and marigold from Mexico, the shapla flower (water lily) from Bangladesh, and a Baikal seal from Siberia. Also included are traditional Tatar floral motifs, a Central American orchid, and star patterns from Mauritanian folk art.

A student from the Republic of Sakha, Naryia, contributed a drawing of a sacred tree, the Aal Luuk Mas, that stands in the background of the mural.

“In the culture of the Sakha people, this tree is considered the center of the universe and a symbol of life, fertility, and prosperity,” said Naryia, who moved to Sunset Park with her husband and three children eight months ago.

BCS students and staff gathered for a five-hour paint party to bring the mural to life. Many participants painted the animals or plants they had originally drawn. Some brought their children. Despite language differences, Basina said communication flowed easily through hand gestures and translation apps. And for the students, it was also a chance to practice their growing English skills.

"I feel proud that I left a mark of my culture," Naryia said. "I hope this mural will last for many years and will always delight people with its beauty."

BCS has served Brooklyn for over 150 years and offers free English classes and professional certification courses at its Sunset Park Education Center. Students can register online at www.wearebcs.org/education-center.