Every Piece Begins With a Real Brooklyn Story
F.E. Watson, Founder of The Brooklyn Initiative
Brooklyn, New York — circa 1976
This is me at five years old waiting on a Brooklyn train platform. Brooklyn wasn't a destination to visit—it was simply home. The sounds, the neighborhoods, the people, and the energy became part of who I was before I ever realized it.
Nearly 50 years later, Brooklyn still inspires everything I create. Although I now live in Las Vegas, the memories that shaped me never left. That's why I started The Brooklyn Initiative—to create original artwork that lets others Own a Piece of Brooklyn.
From Brooklyn Memory to Original Artwork
Some memories deserve more than a place in our minds—they deserve a place on our walls.
Growing up in Brooklyn, summer afternoons often meant kids gathering around an open fire hydrant, laughing together while the neighborhood came alive. Years later, that memory inspired me to create Summer in Brooklyn, an original artwork celebrating one of the borough's most unforgettable traditions.
That's what The Brooklyn Initiative is all about—transforming real Brooklyn memories into original artwork that lets others Own a Piece of Brooklyn.