From June to October 2024, the Queens College School of Arts partnered with NYC Parks to present free, dynamic arts programming across public parks in Queens. Parks in the Rockaways, Forest Park, Highland Park, Southeast Queens, District 7A, and Flushing Meadows Corona Park were transformed into vibrant community hubs with performances and workshops in music, dance, and visual arts. Led by both emerging and professional artists from Queens College, the initiative celebrated the borough’s cultural diversity while providing meaningful opportunities for students and recent graduates to engage with the public through the arts.

To showcase the range and impact of this program, our video project followed open-air drawing classes, documented live performances across different neighborhoods, and included interviews with artists and community members. These moments capture the spirit of connection, creativity, and joy that defined the season. Through their voices and stories, we see why these programs matter—and how art can bring a community together.

Inspired by Lugo's journey as a professional artist who grew up in Kensington, We Here focused on youth engagement through pottery. The documentary captured immersive artistic experiences, including workshops and public programs.

Kakyoung Lee explores a world where everyday movement becomes a profound act of expression. Through her prints, drawings, animations, and video projections, she elevates overlooked identities and celebrates the subtle power of daily life. Inspired by her experience as a first-generation Korean immigrant in the United States, Lee’s work reflects personal journeys of self-realization, empowerment, and transformation. From walking through a city to gazing out a train window, she turns simple gestures into meaningful narratives, revealing the beauty hidden within routine moments. Full video can be watched here.

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La Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos en Filadelfia es una organización de comerciantes latinos en el sur de Filadelfia dedicada a abogar, educar y promover el crecimiento de negocios mexicanos en la comunidad. Este video fue producido como una pieza de agradecimiento a la comunidad que apoyó a pequeños negocios locales a través de una campaña de GoFundMe durante la pandemia de COVID-19.

En un momento en que muchos negocios quedaron excluidos de programas de asistencia económica del gobierno, esta iniciativa comunitaria se convirtió en un recurso vital para ayudar a los comerciantes a mantenerse a flote. A través de este video, se destaca la resiliencia, solidaridad y el impacto del apoyo comunitario en la preservación de negocios latinos en Filadelfia.

El proyecto combina narrativas documentales con producción de video enfocada en comunidad, resaltando la importancia del desarrollo económico local, el emprendimiento inmigrante y el poder de la colaboración en tiempos de crisis.

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The Association of Mexican Business Owners in Philadelphia is a collective of Latino entrepreneurs in South Philadelphia dedicated to advocating, educating, and promoting the growth of Mexican-owned businesses. This video was created as a thank-you to the community members who supported local small businesses through a GoFundMe campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a time when many businesses were excluded from government financial assistance programs, this grassroots effort became a critical lifeline, helping business owners stay afloat and avoid permanent closure. The video highlights the resilience of immigrant entrepreneurs and the powerful role of community support in sustaining local economies.

Through a documentary style approach to video production, this project emphasizes themes of economic development, small business sustainability, and community-driven impact making it a compelling example of storytelling for nonprofit organizations and cultural advocacy initiatives.

This year-in-review video highlights a dynamic range of public art projects, community initiatives, and creative programming led by Mural Arts Philadelphia throughout 2020. Produced during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the reel reflects how the organization adapted its programming, community engagement, and artistic practices in a time of social distancing and uncertainty.

The video combines curated media provided by the organization’s communications team with original on-site video production. To fill critical gaps, Colibri conducted supplemental filming across multiple mural sites, capturing large-scale public artworks, neighborhood context, and cinematic establishing shots—while adhering to evolving safety protocols and production limitations.

Despite the constraints of the pandemic, the project demonstrates a flexible, documentary-style approach to video production, blending remote collaboration, archival content, and in-person footage. The final piece is a visually compelling recap video that showcases storytelling through creative editing and strategic content integration—designed for digital engagement, nonprofit marketing, and annual reporting.

Bring Your Own Project (BYOP) is a community-driven, creative placekeeping initiative that centers storytelling, cultural preservation, and collaboration with diverse communities in South Philadelphia. Commissioned by Fleisher Art Memorial, the project puts artistic resources, space, and institutional support directly into the hands of local residents and grassroots organizations, empowering them to share and preserve their stories, identities, and traditions.

Through a culturally responsive approach to video production and storytelling, BYOP highlights the importance of working across languages, cultures, and lived experiences. The project reflects a deep commitment to navigating multilingual environments and building trust with communities from different parts of the world, ensuring authentic representation and inclusive participation.

BYOP explores themes of cultural equity, shared power, and access to the arts by fostering partnerships with community-based and grassroots organizations. By removing barriers to participation, the initiative supports both youth and adults in engaging with cultural institutions while amplifying underrepresented voices.