Kin to the Cove is a collective that emerged out of the pandemic. Many people slowed down and found meaningful re-connections with the natural environment (water, trees, etc) that exist within our built environment/cityscape. We believe participatory art is uniquely positioned to connect people to the hyper local places where they live, illuminating the challenges we face as a community, city, nation, civilization and species. With guidance from Indigenous brothers and sisters, we are reframing NYC’s water bodies as our KIN and growing a culture of reciprocity, care, and stewardship with the water. Our process includes extensive on-the-ground research, art and embodiment practices, and interdisciplinary community building. Together, we seek to re-imagine, decolonize, and build a future wherein our beloved Cove (Vernon Blvd at 31st Drive) can thrive.
Christopher Bisram and Audrey Dimola are representing Kin to the Cove in the Water Connectors 2022 Cohort. Both artists grew up in the neighborhood and have deep ties to these waters. The greater collective includes Fuse (aka Bruce McNeil), Bella Gallo, Garfield Miller, Christina Delfico, James Manzi, Jessie Taft, Gray the They, Tecumseh Ceaser, Sarah Cameron Sunde, and an shifting group of neighborhood folx who frequent the Cove. It was initially born out of conversations Audrey and Sarah were having about how to actively engage the community around the water in relationship to 36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea, and has become an ongoing stewardship project.
