Goffe Mural Puts Eyeballs On The Court

Michael Evans-Benton watched as a trio of teenagers shot hoops on the newly renovated basketball courts at Goffe Street Park — and found himself captivated not just by the game before him, but also by the bright red and green colors and swirling eye design beneath the players’ feet.

That was the scene at Goffe Street Park Saturday during the official unveiling of the newly renovated basketball courts by the Dixwell art galley NXTHVN and their partners Common Practice, Project Backboard, and the City of New Haven.

The on-the-courts mural was done in honor of ​“Super” John Williamson, a New Haven-raised basketball legend, who got his start playing for Wilbur Cross High School before making it to the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA).

In conjunction with the mural installation, NXTHVN also opened an exhibition at its 169 Henry St. gallery space called COMMON PRACTICE: Public Access, which runs through Sept. 3.

Evans-Benton, 35, lives in the Dixwell neighborhood. He came out to the park on Saturday hearing about the opening from one of his friends. 

“I love the decoration of the painting that they did,” Evans-Benton said about the designs. ​“I think it was definitely a good symbol for the community. And definitely a good day to bring everybody outside.”

Evans-Benton added that this mural makes people want to ​“come outside and see something new,” disrupting a trend of sedentary lifestyle among kids and neighbors.

“I think nowadays there isn’t even a lot of people playing basketball, honestly. When I drive around town, I don’t see anyone at this court, in West Haven, East Haven, anywhere I go, even at the beach.” 

For him, the games unfolding on the court Saturday was reflection of the larger spirit and community-building athletic activities of Goffe Street Park.

“When it’s a vibe, it’s a vibe,” Evans-Benton said, ​“Whenever there’s any festivities going on, I think it’s definitely something to come out and check out.”

Also sitting on the sidelines watching the games on Saturday were sisters Shareebah, Kali, and Raushana Williamson, who are all daughters of the late John Williamson.

To each of the sisters, the new court had special significance to them and their dad. For 47-year-old Kali, the eldest of the sisters, it was seeing the impact the court had on surrounding friends and family.

“It’s euphoric, being able to keep his legacy alive, and to be able to have young kids on this court,” Kali said.

Kali also resonated with the court’s design and eyeballs, discussing the theme with the installation artist Tschabalala Self during the concept’s development. 

“For us, these eyes are like the window to New Haven to show who we really are,” she said, ​“and not kind of what you see on the news all the time.” 

Shareebah, 42, agreed, highlighting why they chose Goffe Street Park for this mural and the park’s influence on their dad’s life.

“His stomping grounds is here on Goffe Street Park,” Shareebah said. ​“This is where his blood sweat and tears took place and determination took place to become the amazing basketball player that he was.”

After basking in the sun and watching games, Kali and her sisters went over to NXTHVN on Henry Street to see the accompanying artistic exhibition for the first time. Before making her way there, Kali stopped to take a picture with her dad’s jersey on display in the lobby and got emotional. 

“I miss my dad a lot, and I wish that he was here to still see how much people love him,” she said. ​“He was a loving man and he would have loved this because he loved kids. That was his thing. After he had retired from playing he’d still coach kids.”

As Kali entered the exhibition with wife Brandi Marshall they were greeted by NXTHVN Creative Director John Dennis, who curated the exhibition. Kali and the Williamson family first approached Dennis last July to inquire about NXTHVN’s community engagement initiatives and have been in touch ever since.

Dennis’ goal of the exhibition is to highlight the influence of basketball not just in Goffe Street but in NXTHVN as well.

“I wanted to keep it really nuanced and simple,” Dennis said, describing his curatorial process. ​“We really built around Tschabalala’s presence before trying to bring some of that presence into the space interstitially tied together.”