March 12-30, you can see our neighborhood folks taking part in this exhibition at MoCCA:

Neointegrity: Comics Edition is an exhibition curated by artist Keith Mayerson that includes over 210 cartoonists, illustrators, animators, and fine artists who work with the spirit and power of iconographic languages. With creators young and old, historic, currently famous, and soon- to-be-famous, the exhibition is also about the community and legacy of iconographic art and its ability to productively influence the world.
Originally conceived as a utopic attempt to begin an art movement, the first installment of the NeoIntegrity show was held in the summer of 2007 at Derek Eller Gallery in New York City. That show incorporated over 180 fine artists, with some cartoonists and illustrators mixed in to breach questions of high and low, rarified and pluralistic. NeoIntegrity: Comics Edition takes the proposal a step further, showing the relatability of creators harnessing the iconographic vehicle to express themselves and to tell stories for a culture to understand itself in order for it to become a better place.

Here are the locals (and please flag if we’ve missed someone): Tom Hart, Leela Corman, Gary Panter, Marguerite Dabaie

The LPC [Landmarks Preservation Commission] quietly revealed in a January letter to a preservationist group that it would delay granting landmark status for the tree-lined, semisuburban blocks of Beverly Square West and Ditmas Park West.

Instead, the LPC will press ahead with enlarging historic districts – which preserve neighborhood architecture – in Park Slope and near the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

That sounded like a brownstone bias to Borough President Marty Markowitz, who blasted the LPC in a letter sent last week.

Full story here.

Verizon Fios Installation Has Begun

Verizon Fios installed some conduit from a man-hole at Foster and East 18th under the street and our sidewalk to the south side of our building. While this is the first step to have fiber-optic cable directly into our building, we anticipate three more months of work before this project is complete.

The PS 139 Chess Ninjas will take on all challengers this Saturday, March 13 at Barnes & Noble on 7th Ave from 11 am to 1 pm and from 2 to 4 pm. Come by to support the team. You can also watch the PS 139 Chess Team in action.

Most importantly any purchase you make at Barnes and Noble on Saturday could help the team raise funds for Nationals in Atlanta. Volunteers will be manning the entrance to Barnes and Noble and handing out fliers. If you purchase anything please mention the PS 139 Chess Ninjas!

The team will be going to National in Atlanta, Georgia in May!

Judith Tolbert, an organizer for Brooklyn Congregations United (BCU), and Cresci are reaching out to Flatbush residents, local politicians and community business for contributions to make this vision happen.

“We could just put a steel building there for $100,000, but that wouldn’t do much good,” he said.

Instead, Cresci has contacted Custogeorge, Tooman and Allen to create a preliminary design for the center.

“I’m trying to convince residents it won’t be an eye sore,” he said.

Dan Allen, of the firm, is already working with Cresci to restore Holy Innocents, a nationally registered historic place. Cresci estimates that the project will cost $3 million to $4 million “to do it right.” However, Allen’s firm estimates that the total cost will come to over $9 million

The proposed community center will be a modern-style two-story building with class rooms on the second floor, an auditorium on the second and a kitchen in the basement. The space could offer activities for the elderly, after-school programs for kids and an expanded operation of their existing soup kitchen, said Joseph Grannum, Brooklyn Congregations United’s representative for Holy Innocents. The kitchen currently serves around 80 families, but could feed 100 with the additional space, he said.

Full story here.

They do seem to think that this is Kensington and that the best shopping is to be had on Coney Island Avenue, but who cares – its two blocks from the subway, and 4 to the Prospect park.

Anyone care to share what it’s like living there? (400 Argyle, between Cortelyou and Dorchester. )