There’s an art opening tonight at Kean University in Jersey that is near and dear to our hearts in that it includes images from the wall that we dubbed the Democracy Wall in Carroll Gardens at the site of the 360 Smith Street building (aka Oliver House). Per the press release from Triada Samaras, a co-founder of the group CORD:

Artist Triada Samaras is having a solo art exhibition called Art to Change the World at Kean University this month. Selections include acrylic paintings from her Brooklyn studio that explore the notion of power using the metaphor of the ‘house’ in minimalist compositions on canvas. Samaras also created a site-specific photo installation for the Dryfoos Gallery. The installation features multiple photos and newspaper clippings from the Democracy Wall: an outdoor, collaborative, street art installation in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn from May 2007 to April 2008. Samaras contributed to the Democracy Wall on numerous occasions and it became a symbol of the neighborhood’s strong opposition to multiple, over-sized development projects looming simultaneously over the low rise, historical brownstone neighborhood that is Carroll Gardens…The Democracy Wall led to the creation of several, Carroll Gardens grassroots coalitions including CORD/Coalition for Respectful Development, (Samaras is a Co-Founder) that are now serving to both awaken and educate the community as to the critical importance of the neighborhood voice in the planning and shaping of its futures.

Of all the things we have covered and publicized in the last 2 1/2 years, the Democracy Wall and the role it played in founding CORD is one of the things of which we are proudest. It is the way things should be in terms of grassroots action.