The Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine is a project that began when Mildred Beltre and Oasa DuVerney started making art together in each other’s apartments. As we shared stories and experiences while making our work, we wondered if we could bring a similar experience to our other neighbors. So, in the summer of 2010 we co-founded a collaborative public art project that explores art making as a community-building tool. The Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine is a community based, socially engaged project in Crown Heights Brooklyn. Dubbing ourselves the “Official Unofficial Artists in Residence” of our block, we set up tents, tables, a banner, and art supplies on the street outside our apartment building, and began working.