From the Notorious BIG to Basquiat, Brooklyn is behind some of the greatest artists and cultural movements of all time. Unfortunately, too many of the borough’s creatives lack support systems to take their careers to the next level.
That’s why at his 2025 Brooklyn State of the Borough Address, Borough President Reynoso announced a new Brooklyn Arts Ambassador initiative designed to celebrate and support the borough’s creative community. This initiative provides mentorship for emerging Brooklyn artists, strengthens connections between creatives and cultural institutions, and expands public engagement with the arts.
Each year, a new Brooklyn Arts Ambassador will be appointed and charged with overseeing a slate of public programs designed to incubate the next generation of Brooklyn talent including a public art show, a pin competition, and more.
Meet Brooklyn’s Inaugural Arts Ambassador:
Colm Dillane of “KidSuper”
Colm Dillane, the creative force behind KidSuper, is a Brooklyn native who spent his days as a student at Brooklyn Tech making and selling t-shirts, just blocks away from the Barclays Center. Today, KidSuper is a global brand that blends fashion, art, and community storytelling and is known for its bold, colorful designs. Dillane has collaborated with major brands including the Brooklyn Nets, PUMA, and BAPE. KidSuper Studios is based in Williamsburg, where Dillane has built a hub for creatives that features not only his store but also an art gallery, podcast studio, screenprinting shop, and more. In 2021, Dillane was awarded the coveted Karl Lagerfeld Prize by global luxury goods corporation LVMH. In 2023, he guest-designed the Louis Vuitton Homme Autumn/Winter 2023 menswear collection.
As the inaugural Brooklyn Arts Ambassador, Dillane was charged with the unique honor of redesigning a Limited-Edition run of the official Brooklyn pin. Describing his inspiration, Dillane said, “As many artists before me I used to doodle on my high school notebooks, I would always use this specific font that I would write bubble letters on all of the papers. This bubble letter font was something I would use on t-shirts, artwork, graffiti moving forward. What a full circle moment to use that same font and aesthetic for the official pin for the Brooklyn Borough President.”
The 2026 People’s Runway
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Brooklyn Arts Ambassador Colm Dillane, the creative force behind cultural brand KidSuper, today announced the return of The People’s Runway, a fashion show that combines the power of civics and culture to provide an unparalleled platform to five of Brooklyn’s most promising designers atop one of fashion’s most visible stages.
On Saturday September 12th, The 2026 People’s Runway is set to once again transform Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza into an outdoor catwalk as part of the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s (CFDA) SS/27 New York Fashion Week. The event is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis and will be standing room only. ADA accommodations will be available.
2026 Brooklyn Pin Design Competition
At the address, Borough President Reynoso introduced Mellina Melezhik, a South Brooklyn high school student and daughter of Ukrainian immigrants, as the winner of the first-ever Brooklyn Pin Design Competition. Brooklynites of all ages and backgrounds submitted original designs for the 2026 limited-edition Brooklyn pin. Melezhik’s winning design, an animated R160 subway car spray-painted with “Brooklyn,” reflects the Borough President’s message that all roads lead to Brooklyn and underscores the relationship between Brooklyn’s rich graffiti culture and New York City’s iconic subway system.
The Borough President has uplifted the arts throughout his tenure by launching his Arts Ambassador initiative, which aims to highlight the borough’s cultural impact and unlock new opportunities for Brooklyn’s emerging artists.
