The Black Library is a library and community art space in New York State and focused on celebrating Black history and culture. We helped the co-founders turn a former main street bank into a multi-use venue for the local neighbourhood. It’s a great example of our pro bono community engagement work – bringing the vision of local residents and artists together with Arup design expertise to improve the lives of people in Monticello, New York.

Challenging inequality

Monticello is a small town in Sullivan County, two hours from New York City. Black people represent more than a quarter of its residents, but are vastly under-represented when it comes to access to resources, investment and opportunities. The Black Library was born from a need to address these inequalities. Today, it is a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds from across the county, promoting greater understanding of black culture, advocating for racial justice, and supporting local artists.

An inclusive space

Co-founders, Michael Davis and Douglas Schindler, understand these challenges only too well, having lived and worked as artists in the area for many years. With grant funding in place from Creatives Rebuild New York, they wanted to create a collaborative, educational and creative space for the community and a home for the Black Library program. We were hooked on their ambition from the start, clearly seeing how Arup’s skills and the team’s local connections to the area could help them achieve their ambitions.

The Black Library video montage

Building an experience

A discovery process led us to bringing in experience design, wayfinding and audio visual systems expertise, delivering a masterplan for how the former bank building could best support The Black Library’s mission and activities. We included guidance on branding the space to give it a distinct identity and make use of existing features, best-practice way-finding design to ensure inclusivity and accessibility, and advice on how to integrate donated audio-visual equipment.

Pride in the community

The Black Library is in a heritage building on one of the county’s busiest streets, and the team have created a venue that proudly inhabits this prime location. A result that’s testament to the collaborative spirit and personal commitment of the whole Black Library and Arup team. A safe, warm and vibrant hub, showcasing its library of black literature, alongside artist and media studios, and a space for young parents to share with their children, enriched with black literature, art and culture.

A creative platform

One year on, The Black Library is giving local people a unique and powerful platform for developing their skills and creativity. Its programme of events is going from strength to strength, connecting the community with open mic nights, live music, visual art exhibits, poetry jams, lectures and community discussions. Inspired by Douglas and Michael’s determination and commitment, and the impact of their work, it’s a project that remains close to our hearts as we continue to support The Black Library team and build awareness of its activities.

James Ivory artwork

© James Ivory artwork (image courtesy of The Black Library)

Artwork by Cristal Ortiz

© Cristal Ortiz artwork (image courtesy of The Black Library)

Artwork by Kalyn Thedford

© Jayln Thedford (image courtesy of The Black Library)

Artwork by Malik Titus bridge

© Malik Titus Bridges (image courtesy of The Black Library)