Brighton Beach Teen Wins Brooklyn Borough Pin Design Contest

Mellina Melezhik, a student at Brooklyn Studio Secondary School from Brighton Beach, won the first-ever Brooklyn Pin Design Competition. Her winning design depicts a spray-painted R160 subway car inspired by her experiences riding the Q train to school and to museums with her parents. She drew from the graffiti-covered warehouse walls visible between the Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay stops.

Melezhik described the subway and murals as cultural elements of Brooklyn. She stated that Brooklyn is known for its metro system, which is among the best in the US. The graffiti in her design represents the community and culture within the borough, serving as an inspiration both locally and beyond.

The competition received hundreds of submissions, including designs of the Brooklyn Bridge, water towers, pizzas, and other Brooklyn icons. Some submissions came from individuals outside Brooklyn. The winning design was selected by the borough president's team without knowing the submitter's identity.

Design Inspiration and Selection Melezhik's design combines art and the borough's transportation system.

The Brooklyn Borough President's office organized the contest to select a new pin design. This marks the first time a constituent's design has been chosen for the pin. The pin tradition began during a previous borough president's tenure from 2002 to 2013, when gold pins styled after the Brooklyn Dodgers' script were distributed to constituents.

A subsequent borough president from 2014 to 2021 continued the practice. Last year, the design was updated to one created by the office's Arts Ambassador. Melezhik's submission is the next iteration and the first not based solely on Brooklyn's typeface.

She initially hesitated to enter but was encouraged by a friend and her biology teacher. Although she prefers digital illustrations for world-building, she approached the contest as a challenge.

Unveiling and Distribution The new pin will be formally unveiled at the Brooklyn Borough President's State of the Borough address on Thursday.

Melezhik's background as the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants from Kazakhstan adds to the story of the borough's diversity. The design was chosen for its merits, independent of the submitter's background. Pins will be distributed to community volunteers or obtained through direct interaction with the borough president.

The majority of pins are given out when spotted on the borough president's lapel. This process continues the tradition of engaging constituents with borough symbols.