Entry No. 24 — the New York City file — filed under: art-immersive
Susan Gardner's Mosaic House
Artist Susan Gardner began gluing objects to the facade of her 1860s brownstone as a therapeutic project after 9/11, and more than two decades later the entire front is encrusted past the second-story windows with shells, buttons, broken crockery, jewelry, toys, mirrors and old CDs. Neighbors bring her bags of material to embed, so the work keeps growing and shifting. Gardner is often out front and happy to talk about it.
The story
In the wake of September 11, 2001, artist Susan Gardner stepped out onto the stoop of her 1860s brownstone at 108 Wyckoff Street with a tube of adhesive and a single tile. What started as an antidote to grief and urban shock spiraled into a decades-long obsessive project that now encrusts the front of the house past the second-story windows.
The facade functions as a collective scrap heap for Boerum Hill. Over the last two decades, neighbors have formed a habit of leaving plastic bags of household detritus on Gardner's stoop—broken crockery, discarded costume jewelry, loose buttons, seashells, plastic toys, mirrors, and outdated compact discs. Gardner glues them straight into the mortar, creating a dense, sparkling armor that shifts every time fresh material is embedded.
What it's like
You'll spot 108 Wyckoff Street mid-block—the encrusted, reflective facade cuts through a quiet row of residential brownstones. Because this is a private home, there are no tickets, velvet ropes, or indoor galleries; you observe the work entirely from the public sidewalk. If you wander by on a quiet afternoon, you might catch Gardner out front touching up a section or chatting with passersby, but respect the space: stay off the stoop, keep the sidewalk passable for neighbors, and play a slow game of identifying the strangest objects embedded at eye level.
The move: Wander Wyckoff Street and play a slow scavenger hunt, pointing out the strangest embedded objects you can each find in the facade.
📍 Before you go It is a private home viewed entirely from the public sidewalk, so be respectful of the residents and don't block the stoop.
- 📍 Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 108 Wyckoff St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- House of Wax Bar — Walk ten minutes north from Wyckoff Street to swap sidewalk folk art for a dark cocktail bar surrounded by 19th-century anatomical wax casts.
- UrbanGlass — Head six blocks north to contrast Gardner's glued tile and mirror shards with artists working at open furnaces in a professional hot-glass studio.
- The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club — Head south toward the Gowanus Canal after your street walk for tiki cocktails and full-sized indoor shuffleboard courts.
Good to know
How much does it cost to visit the Mosaic House?
It is completely free. You view the entire installation from the public sidewalk on Wyckoff Street.
Can you go inside the house?
No. The house is a private residence. The mosaic installation is strictly on the exterior facade.
What objects are glued to the brownstone?
The facade features buttons, broken china and crockery, glass cabochons, costume jewelry, seashells, compact discs, mirrors, and plastic toys.
Can I bring materials for the mosaic?
Neighbors frequently drop off bags of small trinkets, broken ceramics, and glass on the stoop for Gardner to incorporate into the facade.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Atlas Obscura · theartblog.org · gothamist.com · Roadside America · alexandracharitan.com · atlasinsolitus.com
last checked: 2026-06-23