The Guardians is a creative installation by Mark Wilson Jr (artist) and Miguel Valderrama (lighting designer) honoring the small businesses, cultural organizations, and nonprofits who help sustain community and connection in the East Village / Loisaida neighborhood. This series of illuminated sculptures assembled from recycled sneakers and other materials were placed at a dozen locations across the neighborhood – each with a story to tell about the people and places that have, and continue to, represent the ethos of guardianship.

The Guardians was a collaboration between FABnyc and Cooper Square Committee, with the support of FAB members, East Village Independent Merchants Association (EVIMA), and NYC Small Business Services (SBS). As a Community Development Graduate Fellow from 2023-2024 for the Cooper Square Committee, I was responsible for developing a comprehensive design strategy— inclusive of branding, web design, social media, print materials, and informational signage— as the lead experience designer of the initiative.