My Bushwick Inlet Story: Accordion Book

Hear a short history of Bushwick Inlet, once Bushwick Creek, now part of Bushwick Inlet Park, along the East River on the border of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

We’ll start with a 20 minute slideshow exploring aspects of its past, including its connection to McCarren Park, environmental changes, its role in the Civil War, and modern-day design and environmental challenges ahead for our vulnerable waterfront.

Then enjoy a guided art session on making a mini 8-page accordion book with an antique paper collage cover and filling it with your own story. Antique books to use for collage, colored pencils and watercolors to decorate and fill your book will be provided. Ideas on how to fill your book could include journaling, poetry, a short story, illustration, drawing, collage or anything else you might imagine or want to incorporate into your design.

Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park will provide art supplies, but feel free to bring your own (if you have!) for this guided art project for beginners and artists of all levels. Other materials provided will include paper, cardboard book covers, antique books for collages, watercolors, colored pencils, glue, and other art materials.

If you’d like to bring your own, we recommend:

• Piece of drawing, multimedia, or watercolor paper (at least 16″ long)
• Piece of cardboard to cut two book covers from
• Delivery box, food box, anything stiff. At least 2″ x 4″ or larger
• Decorative paper for the covers
• Old book pages, magazine pages, wrapping paper
• Ruler
• Scissors, exacto, or cutter – any tool that will cut your cardboard
• Pencil
• Paper glue, glue stick, or white crafting glue
• Paints, colored pencils, markers, or pens

No experience necessary.

Taught by Monica Schroeder, scientific illustrator & kayaker
[email protected]—

Monica SchroederArt Instruction
Private or Group Lessons Available

Medical & Scientific Illustration
Illustration Portfolio