Community Arts

On my recent visit to Newark, arts educator and photographer Rachel Fawn Alban introduced me to The Golden Life, a joyous, brilliantly crafted mural project adjacent to the city’s Broad Street Station. Eager to find out more about this transformative venture, I  posed a few questions to Rachel, who created this richly radiant mural project in collaboration with Newark-based artist Armisey Smith.

This mural project is such a rich addition to Newark’s visual landscape. Whose concept was it?

The Golden Life is a collaboration between Armisey Smith and me. Armisey is a talented artist and close friend who believed in me long before I believed in myself. She encouraged me to partner with her, and together we set out to create something special and meaningful for Newark.

We chose to honor real community members—not famous or historical figures—which made the project deeply personal. The mural features large-scale portraits of 14 women and girls who live or work near the intersection, celebrating the diversity and creativity of Newark women and girls. The portraits are connected by vibrant lines and color, symbolizing community, connection, and sisterhood.

Can you tell us something about its process?

Creating this mural was both challenging and rewarding. In April 2023, Armisey and I hosted a free art workshop at the Newark Public Library for women and girls of all ages. We presented the project, took portraits, and led participants through creative exercises including a selfie station, collage-making, and haiku writing—all centered around the theme of The Golden Life.

One of my favorite aspects of the project is the audio component. While we couldn’t feature everyone’s portrait on the wall, we were able to present all of their poems—so even more voices were included. The recordings are accessible via the Bloomberg Connects app, along with a beautiful introduction by Newark artist Kween Moore. It’s a way for people to experience The Golden Life beyond the visual—listening while walking around the site adds another layer of engagement and accessibility.

What were some of the particular challenges involved in seeing this project through?

There were quite a few! It took about six months of planning before the workshop, then about a year from the time of the workshop to the ribbon cutting. Scheduling was a challenge since we are all educators and artists juggling multiple projects. And, since the project spanned multiple seasons, weather impacted our fabrication and installation timeline.

This was a complicated project with many stakeholders and technical processes. In fact, just before we were set to begin, two of our original walls became unavailable. This required a complete redesign and budget revision, which pushed us back several months. Thankfully, our amazing project manager, Rebecca Jampol, and our partners helped us stay on track. In the end, it all came together beautifully.

How has the community responded to it?

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. People have shared how they love seeing it every day and how meaningful it is to see their stories reflected in public art. In a diverse, majority-Black city like Newark, it’s especially powerful to create space for women and girls of color—who are often underrepresented in public art and media — to be honored and celebrated. The project also beautified a neglected and dilapidated intersection at Broad Street Station—used by hundreds of residents and commuters every day—transforming it into a welcoming and inspiring space. It’s a powerful reminder of how art can profoundly alter one’s environment and strengthen community.

What’s ahead for you?

I’m excited to continue creating art that celebrates diversity and brings people together. As a Jewish woman in Newark, I’ve been reflecting on the Black-Jewish alliance in America—a historic and ongoing partnership rooted in shared struggles and a commitment to justice. I’m eager to work on future projects that explore and honor these intersections, amplifying stories that haven’t always been told.

I’m also thrilled to keep collaborating with Armisey. Working together on this mural was incredibly rewarding, and we’re already brainstorming future projects. I’m confident that whatever we do next will be just as meaningful.

And before we wrap up, I want to thank the key supporters who made this project possible: Project for Empty Space for organizing and managing the initiative; the City of Newark’s Department of Arts and Culture; and Bloomberg Philanthropies for their incredible support. I’m also deeply grateful to our team of local artists who helped facilitate the workshop, fabricate, and install the mural—and of course, to all the participants who brought their creativity, stories, and spirit to the work. Golden Life for Life!

Interview and photos 1-5 by Lois Stavsky

Featuring Newark community members:

  1. Reine Campbell and Quincy Campbell
  2. Antoinette Ellis Williams, Rachel Fawn Alban & Tamia Thomas
  3. Denise Toney
  4. Klymora Smith
  5. Adele Rae Hayes Harris

Photo 6  © Charles David, featuring Armisey Smith, Rachel Fawn Alban and members of the Newark community

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Located at 701 Washington Avenue and Clark Place in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, Washington Walls continues to host a wondrously diverse array of murals. We recently visited its current iteration, strikingly curated by community resident and leader Jeff Beler. The ingeniously fashioned mural/installation featured above is the work of Brooklyn-based Humble, who had earlier been immersed in the Richmond, Virgina art scene. What follows are several more images of murals that we captured last week:

Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Vince Ballentine

The passionate painter Natural Eyes and multidisciplinary artist Lisart

Brooklyn-based, Rio de Janeiro-born Barbtropolis

Painter and photographer Luci

Dumbo-based Craig Anthony Miller and veteran writer BC NBA

Classic graffiti artist Rebs

Photo credits: 1 & 7 Tara Murray; 2-6 Lois Stavsky

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In 2024, the award-winning creative agency Street Theory‘s multi-year initiative, A Canvas of Culture — under the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture — brought several vibrant, breathtaking murals to various school locations in Boston. The luscious mural featured above “Together, We Rise” — located at the Joyce Kilmer K-8 Lower School in West Roxbury — was painted by Denver-based artist Thomas Evans aka as Detour. Several more images of  A Canvas of Culture murals currently gracing Boston Public Schools — all completed this past summer — follow:

Orlando-based Don Rimx, “Garden of Beginnings” and “Roots of Empowerment,” located at the Lee Academy Pilot School in Dorchester

Mexican muralist Israel “Spaik” Guerra Romero, “In Lak’ech Hala Ken – Yo soy tu – tu eres otro yo,”  located at Curtis Guild Elementary School in East Boston

Colombian artist Felipe Ortiz, “Umana Rising,” located at Mario Umana Academy in East Boston

Dominican-American artist Silvia Lopez Chavez, Brilla,” located at Rafael Hernandez K-8 Dual Language School in Roxbury

A Canvas of Culture is currently commissioning several new, original, long-term murals and 2D public art installations at Boston Public School sites across the city. Each project budget will range from $20,000 – $175,000. Specific details and applications are available here and here.  The deadline for submissions is February 26, 2025 at 5 p.m. ET.

Photos of 2024 A Canvas of Culture murals by OLP Creative

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Under the curatorial direction of Jonathan Neville, First Street Green Art Park continues to host a wondrously diverse array of local, national and global artists. The elegant image featured above was painted by the Germany-based, Ukrainian artist Shev Lunatic. Several more images captured on recent visits to First Street Green Art Park follow:

Veteran graffiti writer Curve 

  Parisian artist Seb Gorey with multidisciplinary artist Exacto

Cram and Ratchi

Veteran graffiti artist Slash, FTR

Noted Detroit artist Sintex

NYC-based muralist Lexi Bella and graffiti artist Grimace NYC

First Street Green Art Park is located between Houston and First Street off the F train’s Second Avenue stop — just where Manhattan’s Lower East Side meets the East Village

Photos: Lois Stavsky

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On the weekend of June 15, First Street Green Art Park was home to dozens of legendary artists, first-rate photographers, and graffiti aficionados as they came together to pay tribute to Fun Gallery co-founder Patti Astor, who had passed away in April. The first art gallery in Manhattan’s East Village to feature the works of such noted artists as Futura 2000, Lady Pink, Lee Quinones, Kenny Scharf, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Fun Gallery ran out of a small storefront  but had enormous impact.

The mural featured above was painted by 5POINTZ founder and the wonderfully versatile artist Meres One. Several more images captured last week in this event curated by Kate Storch, Jimmy NYC and Crime79 follow:

Lower East Side native and former Keith Haring collaborator Angel Ortiz aka LA2

Veteran writer Dezo, TC5 with Kate Storch on left

The prolific Japanese writer, muralist and designer Shiro One

Uptown-based designer, painter and muralist Al Ruiz

The legendary graffiti pioneer Stash

 Veteran East Harlem-native writer and painter Delta2

NYC-based photographer Matthew A Eller, Segment from larger wall of photos featuring Patti Astor in a range of settings

Photos: Lois Stavsky

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Showcasing some of my favorite artists, along with others who are new to me, First Street Green Art Park — located where  Manhattan’s Lower East Side meets the East Village — is one of our city’s treasures. The image featured above was fashioned by Carson DeYoung aka Deps One, a former Brooklynite now based in Tucson, Arizona. Several more images that have surfaced in the past few months at First Street Green Art Park follow:

NYC-based Cram Concepts, Ratchi and Outer Source — segment from a huge collaborative production

Brooklyn-based Jeff Henriquez 

Mexico City-based Trasheer

Mexico City-based Nerik Martinez aka Ramsteko

Ezra Cumbo aka Rah Artz

The prolific OptimoNYC  for Dopey podcast

Photos: Lois Stavsky

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I recently had the opportunity to speak to BedStuy Walls Mural Festival founder and chief curator Miki Mu about the hugely successful community arts festival held earlier this month on Lexington Avenue and Do the Right Thing Way in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

This is all so wonderful. What was your initial inspiration for this project?

This is my neighborhood. I’ve lived in Bed-Stuy for over ten years. I was interested in celebrating and beautifying my neighborhood. And I know the huge power of art to uplift a community! I also wanted to create a space where people and businesses in my neighborhood could interact. My vision for this particular project began about a year ago.

How did you secure these walls? They are in such a prime spot, and these murals have totally transformed the entire block.

My neighbor introduced me to the owner of one of the the businesses on the block. But there were many challenges to actually securing these walls. It was not an easy task!

What were some of these challenges that you encountered in seeing this project through?

After I did secure the walls, I had to get a permit to close the block for the day of the festival. The walls and sidewalk had to be primed in advance. I had to purchase supplies. The entire project was quite expensive. I set up a Go Fund Me, but I did have to cover most of the expenses myself.

You have here such a wonderful range of artists here — from legendary graffiti writers to noted contemporary urban artists to newer emerging ones. How did you get the word out to the artists?

We started an Instagram account, and the word quickly spread. So many artists expressed interest in participating — far more than I could have imagined. I still get requests!

How did the community respond to the event?

The response was tremendous! The community loved it! Families came out, and there were so many kids…jumping rope, dancing to the hip-hop music, making art and simply having fun! It was wonderful — actually better than I had anticipated! But I never could have done this alone; there were many folks whose generosity made this possible. Among them are: Chateau Brooklyn for serving as our mothership, headquarters and base; Badman Bus aka Cookie Monster Bus for providing music and a sound system; all of the DJ’s for volunteering their talents; Cheryl Foy, a retired teacher and resident of the block, for helping us secure the block permit and Joe Cirano from Rogers & Sons, the owner of the walls; the Blue Bus Project for providing activities for the kids; Radial Park for lending us ladders; Project Barkada, also, for lending us a ladder and scaffolding; Solidarity Movers for helping us move all the equipment from one location to another  and for providing, as well, a fun activity for kids;  Black Men Build, Black Chef Movement and Josiane Lysius for providing free food; Loop Colors for adding extra cans to our order; Frankie Velez, my co-curator, for assisting and supporting my efforts in every aspect of this project, and, of course, all of the artists for generously sharing their skills and visions with us.

What’s ahead?

I would like to make the BedStuy Walls Mural Festival an annual event and eventually attain non-profit status.

That would be wonderful! Congratulations!

Images

1. Carlos Rodriguez

2. Jason Naylor

3. Chelsea Garcia to the left of Manuel Alejandro

4. Will Power

5. Belowkey

6. Andre Trenier to the left of Megan Olson and Olga Correa

7. Nac 143 (left), OG Millie (center),  Bom5 with character by Miki Mu (right)

Photo credits: Lois Stavsky

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While checking out several new murals at Underhill Walls in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn last week, I was delighted to discover a new open air gallery just a few blocks away.  Located at Washington Avenue and Clark Place and, also, curated by community resident and leader Jeff Beler, it hosts a captivating array of murals. A brief interview with Jeff Beler — its founder — follows:

What a wonderful addition go the neighborhood! What motivated you to launch this new project, Washington Walls?

I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 17 years and this spot had always been an eyesore.  It had originally been a garage, but it had been empty for years — with damaged panels in need of replacement.

How did you made this transformation happen — in terms of permissions?

I spoke to the contractor who contacted the owner of the property. The panels were replaced, and I was given the “Go ahead!”

When did it officially launch? And how did it go?

In February — right after Valentines Day. The entire community pitched in. Kids got involved. Everything went beautifully, and we all had fun!

These walls feature such a wide range of talents, styles and themes. I am familiar with many of the artists from Underhill Walls and elsewhere, yet several are new to me. How were you able to engage so many artists? And how did they find out about this project?

I put up a post on Instagram that I was seeking artists to paint, and the response was great.

What’s ahead?

A second edition of Washington Walls in September. We are also planning to launch shirts, tote bags, prints and stickers, along with a  book documenting the past seven years of Underhill Walls. And currently we are completing the newest set of murals at Underhill Walls featuring TV Nostalgia.

Murals:

  1. Uncutt Art
  2. Calicho Arevalo — with Jeff Beler on the left
  3. Paulie Nassar
  4. Jaima
  5. Outer Source
  6. Majo San
  7. Carnivorous Flora

Photos: Lois Stavsky

Interview conducted and edited by Lois Stavsky

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Under the curatorial eye of Jeff Beler, Vanderbilt Avenue — between  Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street — has been transformed into an oasis of color and positivity. The delightful image featured above was painted by Brooklyn-based artist Jaima. Several more artworks that have recently surfaced on the block’s barriers follow:

Artist and designer Jason Naylor

Multimedia artist Subway Doodle

Muralist and designer Majo Barajas aka Majo San and Colombian artist Calicho Arevalo

New Jersey-bred, NYC-based artist and designer Marco Santini

Artist and graphic designer Zero Productivity

Muralist and illustrator Miki Mu with some great advice–

Included, too, in this project are the talents of  Vince Ballentine, Raddington Falls and Steph Motta. And a particular highlight is the community mural designed by Miki Mu and completed this past Saturday by neighborhood children.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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Featuring a wide range of artworks in varied media and styles by a diverse group of artists, Art on the Ave has enlivened the visual landscape of Columbus Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Both vacant and retail storefronts have been showcasing artworks — many fashioned by underrepresented artists — that speak to our immediate times. Conceived this past June by three NYC teachers, the project has a strong educational component, as well.

The image featured above, We the People, is the work of mixed-media African-American artist and arts educator Lance Johnson. Several more images from Art on the Ave — spanning 67th to 77th Street on Columbus Avenue — follow:

From A.J. Stetson’s remarkable photography project Masked NYC: Witness to Our Time 

And dozens more installed on the fence of PS 334 at West 77th Street 

Fine art photographer Kevin Kinner, Close-up from huge installation of silhouette profiles

Feminist artist and gallerist Audrey Anastasi, Touch, Charcoal and mixed media collage on paper

Artist and game developer Steve Derrick, Alissa Hammer RN, NYU Langone Hospital NYC — from his series of portraits of frontline workers

The hugely imaginative Jon Barwick, Facet, Acrylic on canvas

Serving as creative consultant for Art on the Ave — that continues through January 31 — is Lisa DuBois, director of X Gallery in Harlem. For further information on this project, check here.

Photo credits:

1 Lance Johnson; 2, 4-7 Lois Stavsky

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