MoMA PS1’s Courtyard is an 11,000 SF outdoor space in Long Island City with a history of experimental programming. The wall that defines the courtyard also separates the institution from its neighborhood. During 2020-2021 we convened six cohorts – local community, cultural institutions, social justice, technology, art, and space – to reframe the Courtyard as shared infrastructure.

The conversations produced spatial and programmatic strategies addressing co-creation with Western Queens. An exhibition in Homeroom translated the process into participatory form: mapping tables, reading areas, and community walls inviting neighbors and visitors to draw, write, and imagine alongside artist and urban designer Cara Michell.