Our senses help us perceive the world around us. Cues such as sights, smells, and sounds are processed in the brain and integrated with our past experiences to create our view of our environment.

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As part of Brain Awareness Week 2023, we came together to explore how the senses can spark our memories and emotional responses. Visitors to the Beauty and the Brain event were invited to view, listen to, watch, smell, or touch prompts related to Harlem. They then contributed to a mural, reflecting on how these cues made them feel and what they remembered. Scroll down to see images of this sensational mural!

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You can create your own Sensational Harlem artwork by viewing the prompts in the galleries below and expressing your reflections on the medium of your choice. How do these prompts make you feel? Do they bring up any memories? What other sights, sounds, tastes, smells, or sensory cues about Harlem (or a different location of your choice) can you think of that make you feel the feels or take you to a special place in your mind?

Share your artwork on social media with #SensationalHarlem, and make sure to tag @BioBus and @BraiNY!