Community Carries Us Through: A Year in Photos from Our Neighborhoods
PROGRAMMING
By Venn – VOL. 7
In some ways, the end of 2021 looks very different from its start and in other ways it looks very similar. If there’s one throughline, however, it’s the staying power of community.
In this photo essay, we look back at images from across Venn’s neighborhoods that capture small moments of connection, intimate exchanges and community-wide celebrations. We hope they remind you of the good times we’ve shared in 2021 and fill you with optimism and excitement for the year ahead.
In Brooklyn, the year began with chilly, open-air concerts where Neighbors could enjoy live music and wine safely thanks to General Irving’s casual indoor-outdoor setting.
To get to know our new Neighbors in Kansas City, Venn hosted a series of early morning coffee meet-and-greets complete with free coffee and donuts from Cowtown Mini Donuts KC.
Spring and access to vaccines came early in Tel Aviv, causing Neighbors everywhere to celebrate and embrace. The couple above shares a romantic moment at a block party in March.
As spring progressed, Neighbors in Kansas City participated in gardening workshops hosted in collaboration with our friends at the local urban farm Dirt Beast KC.
Neighbors in Kansas City took to the streets together for a bike tour in May led by Joe Giammanco, the brewmaster at City Barrel Brewing Company.
The bike tour wrapped up with a tour and tasting at City Barrel. Neighbors were able to learn about the local brewing scene and support Joe and his team’s craft.
Neighbor Mony Nation welcomed friends and community members to her debut photography show at the Venn Brooklyn cowork in June.
By summer, the creative scene in Brooklyn was in full swing with General Irving opening its doors to local arts organizations like CreateART. Above, Georgia, CreateART’s cofounder, welcomes supporters to the organization’s first performance since the pandemic.
Highlights from the summer in Kansas City included Saturday morning yoga by the newly renovated pool. Neighbors of all ages joined for their morning practice.Â
In June, Venn Hosts and Neighbors came together for Summer on Armour, an all-day neighborhood festival, to boost community pride, support local businesses, and kick off summer officially.
To celebrate Pride Month in Tel Aviv, a Neighbor used Venn’s rooftop event space to host an all-night dance party. After a year of social isolation, dancing together on a warm summer night felt very right.
Back in Kansas City, Neighbors traded rooftop dance parties for pool parties after dark. Teenagers played volleyball, parents mingled and the littles got to stay up past bedtime.
As summer turned to fall, community leaders in Kansas City launched the Venn Building Ambassador program, an iniative to drive belonging and participation on a hyper-local level.
Neighbors shopped for handmade crafts and enjoyed live music and local food and drink at an outdoor market Venn hosted to celebrate the High Holidays in Tel Aviv.
In November, Neighbors in Kansas City partnered with Billie’s, a local restaurant, to host the community’s first Dig In dinner. Dig In dinners are a tentpole of Venn’s model of community building.
In Brooklyn, Dig In dinners are one of the community’s strongest traditions and are typically held on the last Friday of the month at General Irving. Above, Neighbors close out the night with dessert and a laugh.
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