REIMAGINING: Fall Get-Together
October 17, 2026 · 1 PM
Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx
Community remembrance gathering at Van Cortlandt Park’s Enslaved African Burial Ground, combining live music by Juan Usera and The Sambuco Tribe with an interactive chalk-art project led by Tijay Mohammed and local artists.
Join Tijay Mohammed’s interactive “Message to my Ancestors” chalk-art project and hear Juan Usera and The Sambuco Tribe at the park’s Enslaved African Burial Ground.
The event will begin with a moving live performance by musician Juan Usera and The Sambuco Tribe, setting the tone and making space for remembrance and renewal. Following the music, Bronx-based artist Tijay Mohammed will lead an interactive chalk art project aptly named “Message to my Ancestors,” transforming the pathway into a vibrant canvas that honors history and sparks imagination for the future. Local artists will work alongside Tijay Mohammed, including Adrian Bermeo, Adrienne George, Dario Mohr, Musah Swallah, Noel Hefele, and Yoshiko Mori. This unique gathering blends art, music, and community in a powerful act of reimagining, bringing people together in a shared experience of creativity and remembrance. Tijay Mohammed's "Message to my Ancestors" project is sponsored by Bronx Council on the Arts and AnkhLave Arts Alliance, Inc. The event is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. This event is part of Van Cortlandt Park Alliance’s REIMAGINING initiative. VCPA invites the community to reimagine the park’s Enslaved African Burial Ground site as a memorial space that fosters long-term healing and restoration.