MATHEMATICAL STAR (2013)

A floor mosaic for the new Marcy Plaza in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, NY. The design was based on a quilt design, sometimes called the “mathematical star”, used by a variety of communities. The “patterns” in the quilt’s diamonds are derived from photographs of 18 historically significant sites in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The sites were selected by Community Board 3.

In 2018, Children of Promise, a local nonprofit serving children with incarcerated parents, used the mosaic as a starting point for researching neighborhood history. Harvey and Kendal Henry from New York’s Percent for Art gave a presentation about the work and children were paired with mentors working in architecture and urban planning.  They presented their findings to parents, friends and News12Brooklyn on February 3, 2018. To see video, click here.

Commissioned by the Percent for Art Program of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Fabricated by Miotto Mosaics Art Studios.

Mathematical Star, Ellen Harvey, 2013. Twenty ft. (6.10 m) diameter, ceramic mosaic. Photograph: Etienne Frossard.