34project PURRFECT KIDS LEARN LESSONS WHILE BUILDING ‘KITTY CITY’ BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO A group of children in Long Island City helped create a purrfect city for a group of urban kitties. Eighteen children worked with urban planners and artists every weekend in May to create a small-scale city at Flux Factory. On June 1 the feline metropolis was revealed at a ribbon cutting event that also served as an adoption opportunity. “It is the most adorable moment in contemporary art,” said Christina Vassallo, executive director of Flux Factory. “For us, it’s a way to understand an urban design class and also to help kids understand empathy and humaneness in building cities.” The exhibit, called “Kitty City,” grew out of participants’ designs to take shape in tall structures. The children, ranging from age seven to 12, worked to include what they believe the kittens will need. The amenities include transportation, parks, housing, sources of food, water and clean sanitation facilities. One student even brought up the idea of a milk waterfall. “The students want to do some wild things sometimes,” said project leader Douglas Paulson of Flux Factory. “In the bigger picture, I think it’s an introduction to civic engagement with talking about a city, what we want in it and establishing a common vocabulary of what makes up a city.” The goal of the project was to teach children about urban planning and get them to face serious issues in a playful way. Paulson said they have learned how to correctly use tools ranging from scissors to power drills. “I hope they will start to take an interest in how their cities are built and how they can affect positive change in their cities and just how to be good citizens,” said Vassallo. “Kitty City” was created entirely from recycled and repurposed materials and became the weekend spot for 20 to 30 kittens from For Animals, a no-kill South Ozone Park animal shelter. As the kittens played in the spaces, scratched away at the tall posts and indulged with kitty treats, guests walked around the city looking for the perfect friend to take home. The children who helped design and build the city were also present to meet the kittens and some also took a few kittens home. Photo Courtesy of Flux Factory JUNE 2013 I LIC COURIER I www.queenscourier.com
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