The island of la Grande Jatte is a suburban park at the very gates of Paris,  lying in the Seine between Neuilly and Levallois-Perret, in a short distance from where now stands La Defense business district. Although for many years it was an industrial site, it is today the site of a public garden and a housing development. When Seurat began the painting in 1884, the island was a bucolic retreat far from the urban center.(Wikipedia)

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Guthrie Green is an urban garden and performance space in The Brady Arts District in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. Visitors looking for a peaceful escape or family activities find that the park features a stage, The Dock pavilion, tree-lined paths, shade structures, water features and a large lawn.(www.quthriegreen.com)

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Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.  Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. All across the U.S. and beyond, people are celebrating Juneteenth – the spirit of freedom and achievement. (www.juneteenth.com) This year, Woody Guthrie Center opened, the Guthrie Green also opened to the public.  The park has become a new gathering spot for the weekend.  So did Tulsa’s Juneteenth celebration move from Greenwood District to Brady district for its convenient location. As we know, public park is a modern invention which gives the middle class ( not the vagabond) an open space to connect with the nature and culture.  In this manicured, by design nature ( like Seurat’s and in many other French Impressionist public spaces), historical, political, and sociological discourse gave way to a civil life style that celebrate urban beautification with good music, food, and beautiful people. ( A look-like-bum young guy referred this Guthrie-Green-Sunday-afternoon-phenomenon to me with delightful joy!)

Juneteenth Festival by Yiren