Emanare (2021)
Rockefeller Center, New York, NY
Millions of pedestrians had the opportunity to ponder the question “What positive message do you want to send out into the world today?” when EMANARE (2021), Crown’s interactive multimedia project, traveled to New York City, where it was installed in large street-level windows at one of the city’s most visited landmarks, Rockefeller Center. Several groups participated in the project. Their messages were humorous, poetic, heartfelt, artistic, and, of course, uplifting.
NYC COMEDIANS
When comedian, actor, and Emmy-nominated comedy writer Michael Cruz Kayne enlisted some of his funny New York City-based peers to participate in EMANARE, their clever messages proved that laughter is the best medicine for relieving the stresses of modern city life.
URBAN WORD NYC
The digital screens of EMANARE gave voice to Serena Yang, 2021 NYC Youth Poet Laureate, and young poets on the Urban Word NY Slam Team, when Urban Word NYC — the premier youth literary arts organization and founders of the National Youth Poet Laureate Program — made poetic contributions to Crown’s community generated artwork.
BORIS L. HENSON FOUNDATION
An accomplished group of doctors, who refer to themselves as “psychiatrists who have your back,” contributed messages to EMANARE. Their inspiring prompts remind us that small changes in perspective can leave us standing in the same place, but totally transformed. In support of mental health initiatives embodied by these doctors, Paula Crown Atelier made a donation to the Boris L. Henson Foundation, a non-profit organization, founded by Taraji P. Henson, whose mission is to normalize and improve access to mental health services for Black communities and to eradicate the stigma around seeking help and support. To that end, the foundation is working to build culturally competent resources, programs, and education across the country, and to increase the number of Black therapists.
SEA LEGACY x ONLY ONE
“What happens to the ocean happens to us.”
— Cristina Mittermeier, Co-Founder of SeaLegacy and Only One
Art has the power to transcend language, politics, and culture. It even has the ability to bring us together to solve the climate crisis. With that in mind, for every positive message submitted to EMANARE during Climate Week NYC 2021, Paula Crown Atelier made a donation to SeaLegacy, an environmental protection organization founded and led by Cristina Mittermeir, Paul Nicklen, and a passionate team of filmmakers, conservationists, and photographers who are dedicated to the health of our oceans. Their mission is to bring ocean stories and solutions to light for the benefit of biodiversity, humanity, and climate.
MOtiVE BROOKLYN
On the final day of the installation at Rockefeller Center, Crown partnered with the movement-based practitioners of MOtiVE Brooklyn to explore EMANARE as a platform for physical expression. Five incredible dancers connected their positive messages about dance and movement with an improvised dance performance in front of the installation. ”Movement is a source of joy and truth,” said Jennifer Nugent, one of the participating dancers.