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Background information for this blog came, in part, from The New York Times obituary, “Brookie Maxwell, an Artist and Curator, Dies at 59,” by Sam Roberts, published November 9, 2015; and The New York Times article “Dream Street: Paint It Pretty, and Safe,” by Sara Rimer, published June 1, 1989.

Brookie Maxwell—a visionary painter, sculptor, and curator—spent her life proving that art has the unique power to heal, inspire, and unite communities. Her vision for Creative Art Works (CAW) began with this belief. As her son, Ellis Donlin Maxwell, later recalled, Brookie's work had a monumental impact on young people "because someone came along and was interested in what they had to say.”

In 1986, Brookie and her then-husband Christopher Dolin, a social worker, saw a critical gap in New York City's underserved communities. Children living in the city's homeless shelters and welfare-subsidized hotels were cut off from creative outlets. Refusing to stand by, she organized art experiences for children in El Barrio. As highlighted in a 1989 Glamour spotlight, "Women Right Now," she understood that while "homeless kids need food and good schools, they also need something to hope for.”

This philosophy became the driving force behind one of CAW’s very first youth-created murals: the notable Calle de Sueños—"Street of Dreams," a massive 50-foot-long mural painted on the side of the Triborough Post Office in East Harlem.

Inspiration for the mural struck Brookie the moment she saw the empty lot. Sara Rimer from The New York Times wrote, “One day Brookie walked past the lot and saw her name written on the wall… What she meant was that the wall was meant for her.”

Seeing that blank concrete wall as a calling, Brookie recruited 75 children from the local shelters and welfare hotels. She gave them the materials and asked them to draw and write what their dream street would look like. The result was a complete transformation of the vacant lot into a vibrant community gathering space filled with dreams of a brighter, safer world. Where others saw urban neglect, Brookie saw a world of possibility and hope.

After the success of this and subsequent projects, the need for creative experiences for underserved youth became apparent to Brookie and Christopher. They drew on these experiences and co-founded Creative Arts Workshops for Homeless Children. Their work expanded when a lot revival project across from Calle de Sueños allowed them to produce another massive youth-led mural at Peace Place Park. This park became an outdoor studio for the community where CAW ran its art workshops.

Though Brookie passed away in 2015, the foundational vision she and Christopher established remains our beacon. Today, Creative Art Works carries their legacy forward—empowering youth through visual and multimedia art in underserved communities that lack meaningful access to arts education and creative youth development.

It Started With an Idea — The Earliest Days of Creative Art Works

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