by John Maney Jr.

May 29th was a lovely, sunny, summerlike day, prefect for the first 2016 Boogie on the Boulevard, in the Bronx. The event begun with setting up tents, tables, and chairs, along the Grand Concourse, starting at 162nd Street. And, of course, there was also the issuing of the coveted pink Boogie on the Boulevard, volunteer t-shirts. Pink not being a natural color choice for me, I tried my best to rock and wear it with pride. After all I was representing the BxArts Factory, and we were at the first tables along the Grand Concourse, right across from the main stage.

The BxArts Factory conducted several fun activities for people as they walked up, and down the Boulevard. At one table Liz and Natalie helped children, and some adults, make beautiful, fancy costumes. While at another table Karen painted old tires to be made into planters. At the table where Omesh and I worked, we took a smiley face/ frowning face survey on whether people did art at home. Then, once the survey was completed, participants wrote on eraser board what their art was, held the boards proudly up to their chests, and Trevon snapped pictures of them.

While all these things were happening Alexis, Twahira, and our tireless leader Laura floated from table to table, making sure everything was running smoothly. And, from what I could tell most everything did. It was a beautiful day, and I was glad to have visited with the over 50 people who stopped by, to spend a little time with the BxArts Factory.
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The Boogie on the Boulevard 2015 was a tremendous success!  More than 7,000 people participated in the three Sundays and enjoyed of many activities offered by numerous organizations! BxArts Factory is so grateful to have being one of the many groups that helped this community effort be realized.  We participated as a partner and helped coordinate the activities in the BxArts Factory Block!  We have a tremendous amount of people to thank!

First we would like to express our gratitude to Laura Ayala, Lauren Click, Hatuey Ramos-Fermin and Elizabeth Hamby for their effortless commitment to making this event happen.  With them came an incredible amount of great people from the Bronx Museum of the Arts and Transportation Alternatives!  We specially would like to thank the many volunteers, artists and organizations that helped us made the art block a place full of community, creativity and colorful bright smiles!

Thank you so very much to:
·         ¡El Barrio Pinta!
·         Artist & Craftsman
·         Beauty Box Performance, Cat Del Buono
·         Blick Art Materials
·         Bronx Heroes Comics
·         Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education 
·         Collage, Ana Rebeca Castillo
·         Comic Culture, Planet Bronx Productions
·         Crocheting for Adults, Ingrid Gomez
·         Eve’s Fault 
·         Finger Knitting for Kids, Ingrid Gomez
·         Handmade book making, Taller Asiray, Yarisa Colon
·         Ismael Checo
·         Mobile Print Power, Patrick Rowe
·         Museum on the Go Bus, Bronx Children’s Museum
·         Pelliza performance, Gina Goico
·         Skate Deck Live Painting by various artists: Alex Fernandez, Alexis Mendoza, Elizabeth Ortiz,  Giannina Gutierrez, Karen Pedrosa, Laura Alvarez, Leo Mojica, Louis Nieves, Natalia Zamparini, Shak Castillo, Steven McKenzie, Vanezza Cruz, Xavier Figueroa, Yazmeen Collazo
·         Skateboard Demonstration & classes, Heavenbound7 Sk8 Shop
·         The Bronx Museum of the Arts
·         The Gift to Empower
·         The POINT CDC
·         Trevon Blondet, Photographer
·         Women in Comics, WinC Collective
·         Yana Studios, Kids Yoga and Mandalas creation
·         Zulu beadwork, Zola Dube

Hope to have you all on the Boogie next year!!!

Join us this Sunday for the last Boogie on the BoulevardWe will be exhibiting all the skateboards painted live last Sunday during the event. Come with your bike, skateboard, roller skates, hot air ballon!
We want to share another wonderful day with all of you at the Grand Concourse, between 166 st and McClellan st. Find us there from 12 to 4 p.m.
Bring your Yankees fitted cap to contribute to a very interesting project that, Bronx Photo League member, Trevon Blondet has started.

Sunday 16th
• Art Workshops, Artist & Craftsman
• Art Workshops, Bronx Children’s Museum
• Art Workshops, The POINT CDC
• CommuniTea, Michele Brody (Andrew Freedman Home artist)
• Free Open Library
• International Family Affair, The Bronx Museum of the Arts
• Mobile Print Power, Patrick Rowe
• Live Drawing and Writing Workshop, Women in Comics, WinC Collective
• Live Painting & Dj, ¡El Barrio Pinta!
• Eve’s Fault – 1:00 p.m. Main Stage
• Pelliza performance, Gina Goico
• Zulu beadwork, Zola Dube