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Jazmine Hayes Charts Community Displacement, Resilience in Brownsville Art Commission

“I genuinely want any child that walks through this door to be and feel protected,” the East New York-raised artist told Hyperallergic.

Rhea Nayyar

Rhea Nayyar

— 5 min read
Jazmine Hayes Charts Community Displacement, Resilience in Brownsville Art Commission
A view of Jazmine Hayes's “In My Mother's Garden,” one of four designs included in her commission I Am Protected (2026) for the Brownsville Multi-Service Center (all photos Azikiwe Aboagye unless otherwise noted)

Last month, three New York City agencies unveiled a new $128 million multi-service center in Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood, featuring an extensive public art commission by local artist and community educator Jazmine Hayes.

Through the Department of Cultural Affairs' (DCLA) Percent for Art program, Hayes's four-part commission, I Am Protected (2026), graces each entryway to the building with symbolically empowering designs that channel the cultural history of Brownsville's residents and carve out space for youth ambition and curiosity.

“I genuinely want any child that walks through this door to be and feel protected,” Hayes said in an interview with Hyperallergic. “I want them to have affirmations of care, support, and community.”

Artist Jazmine Hayes (center) with DCLA commissioner Diya Vij (left) and the Department's Percent for Art program director Sergio Pardo López (right) during the unveiling of the Brownsville Multi-Service Center (photo Matthew Lapiska/NYC DDC)

Born and raised in the adjacent neighborhood of East New York, Hayes knew Brownsville well and was excited at the opportunity when DCLA reached out, especially after completing another public artwork nearby for the New York City Housing Authority's (NYCHA) Brownsville Houses the year before.