Photo Urbanism Fellow Barnabas Crosby will be showcasing portraits of Black business owners in Times Square!

As we close out 2021, a year that has been filled with uncertainty as well as hopefulness, we are excited to share that our Photo Urbanism Fellow Barnabas Crosby will be showcasing portraits of Black business owners in Times Square at 1500 Broadway, starting on Christmas Day until New Year's Eve. The images will run multiple times an hour, concluding a few hours after the ball drops in Times Square.

The featured images are a part of Barnabas’ portrait series and final exhibition called Holding Court. Using his neighborhood handball court as a photography studio, Barnabas reimagines Black entrepreneurship and public spaces through his take on traditional portraiture. During his time as a Photo Urbanism Fellow, he has been documenting how small businesses are using community spaces in new and innovative ways as part of the Design Trust’s Neighborhood Commons project, which looks at how small businesses can leverage economic opportunities in public space. 

The images capture the resilience and imagination of New Yorkers and the power of public space. These qualities will be on display as millions of people gather in and focus on Times Square, one of the most important public spaces in the world. The Design Trust was instrumental in reimagining Times Square as a people-focused space through its collaborative project in partnership with Times Square Alliance in 2003 - 2004.

If you are in town between December 25th and January 1st, be sure to check out the display on the NASDAQ building on Broadway and 43rd Street.  Please tag @DesignTrustNYC in your photos and share on social media platforms using the hashtags #HoldingCourtNYC and #Photourbanism.

Happy Holidays!

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.