Born and raised in rural Alabama, I never imagined that I would work as an architectural historian, urban planner, filmmaker, photographer, or children’s book author in New York City! And yet, all the pieces of my ever-changing career fit neatly together.
Studying architecture and the nature of cities continues to be a passion for me and has proven to be a most sustaining and at times exhilarating inspiration for my work. These interests led me to photograph the Statue of Liberty during its restoration (I was on the scaffolding surrounding Miss Liberty– a breathtaking way to see New York harbor!) and to tunnel thousands of feet below ground in a copper mine in Butte, Montana, where I lived while writing a history of the buildings and copper mines in Uptown Butte.
My first job in New York City was to review grant proposals dealing with architecture, urban design and city planning in New York State, some of which were film projects. This sparked an interest in using film as a tool to reach thousands of people with important information about our built environment. My role as an urban planner led me to Williamsburg, Brooklyn where I worked with Hispanic and Hasidic communities to develop low and middle income housing.
These work experiences broadened my interests and introduced me to new neighborhoods, to new ways of life, and to important political issues. Working as a city planner, I witnessed firsthand how economic and political forces shape neighborhoods and cities, dramatically affecting people’s quality of life. I then turned to filmmaking to try to democratize the development and planning process—to get the voices of people not usually heard out into the forefront. I use film to inform communities and civic leaders of the larger truth behind what creates, and sometimes, destroys neighborhoods. The stories I tell are local, but the implications and issues themselves reach beyond neighborhood borders to cities, states, and even other countries. My two documentaries about Brooklyn, Made in Brooklyn and Brooklyn Matters, have been shown on public television stations across the country and in Canada.
Most recently, I have turned my attention to children because I feel it is so important to instill early in life an appreciation for our built environment. For several years, I have been conducting “unofficial tours” to teach children about architecture because I believe it is a wonderful first step toward neighborhood preservation. It is really amazing to see how a child’s attention to her/his own neighborhood sharpens just by looking at buildings. They begin to develop enthusiasm and concern about their own neighborhoods and to notice what makes their streets unique and special. They start to feel good about their community and care about making it cleaner, safer, and more beautiful. This pride and caring of place can and should start early. Urban Animals, my recent children’s book about architecture, is my way of jump-starting this appreciation for our built environment.
UPCOMING EVENTS Exhibition at Brooklyn Public Library
December 8, 2011 -February 18, 2012
Reception December 8 at Dweck Center Lobby from 6-8 pm, Brooklyn Public
Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn.
ABOUT ISABEL
Studying architecture and the nature of cities continues to be a passion for me and has proven to be a most sustaining and at times exhilarating inspiration for my work. These interests led me to photograph the Statue of Liberty during its restoration (I was on the scaffolding surrounding Miss Liberty– a breathtaking way to see New York harbor!) and to tunnel thousands of feet below ground in a copper mine in Butte, Montana, where I lived while writing a history of the buildings and copper mines in Uptown Butte.
Most recently, I have turned my attention to children because I feel it is so important to instill early in life an appreciation for our built environment. For several years, I have been conducting “unofficial tours” to teach children about architecture because I believe it is a wonderful first step toward neighborhood preservation. It is really amazing to see how a child’s attention to her/his own neighborhood sharpens just by looking at buildings. They begin to develop enthusiasm and concern about their own neighborhoods and to notice what makes their streets unique and special. They start to feel good about their community and care about making it cleaner, safer, and more beautiful. This pride and caring of place can and should start early. Urban Animals, my recent children’s book about architecture, is my way of jump-starting this appreciation for our built environment.