The City of New Rochelle continues to expand its public art offerings with the recent premiere of “NRNY Artsy Murals,” an inspiring art walk curated by Street Art for Mankind (SAM). The walk consists of eight large, new murals that reflect the unique creativity, diversity and forward-thinking of the New Rochelle community.
On Saturday, November 2nd, the public joined Mayor Noam Bramson, Audrey and Thibault Decker of SAM, the New Rochelle Council on the Arts and international street artists, on a walk throughout downtown New Rochelle for the unveiling of the murals. The walk began at the Southside Plaza at 134 North Avenue in New Rochelle. Participants experienced eight unique mural reveals and met with the artists to learn about their creative processes.
The New Rochelle Council on the Arts has long had a commitment to sponsoring public art and creating collaborations with other city organizations on projects that enhance this mission. The Council worked closely alongside SAM to bring the murals to the City of New Rochelle and served as a liaison between SAM and the City throughout the project’s approval and permitting process.
Throughout the month of October, the diverse group of street artists came to downtown New Rochelle from around the world to create a series of murals that pay tribute to the history and values that shape the City. Themes illustrated through the murals include:
Artistic creativity (a tribute to New Rochelle born star singer Don McLean and New York State icon Alicia Keys)
Gender equality (tribute to local suffragettes and the centennial in 2020 of US women’s right to vote)
Harmony between urban life and nature
New Rochelle’s New York City vibe
Cultural Diversity that unites the New Rochelle community
Sustainability efforts made by the City
People connecting in a world where social media and technology are omnipresent
Forward-looking New Rochelle, full of dreams to meet the future.
The themes were put together by SAM in collaboration with the City of New Rochelle and the New Rochelle Council on the Arts. The project received $50,000 in support from the City of New Rochelle’s Corporation for Local Development (“CLD”).
Similar to the themes, the participating street artists reflect diversity in gender, styles and nationalities. The artists include AEC of Ukraine, DanK of Great Britain, Elle of the U.S. and Australia, JDL of the Netherlands, Loic Ercolessi of the U.S. and France, Lula Goce of Spain, Mr. Cenz of Great Britain and Victor Ash of Denmark, France and Portugal.
“The NRNY murals are big, bold, creative and fun. Diverse in style yet complementary, all together they testify of the unique personality of New Rochelle,” said Audrey and Thibault Decker, co-founders of SAM.
Curated by SAM, the project was embraced by local leadership. Mayor Noam Bramson said, “New Rochelle is thrilled to work with Street Art for Mankind to further enliven our downtown streetscape. These murals bring beauty and creative energy to previously blank spaces, as part of our comprehensive commitment to a culturally vibrant city center.”
The NRNY murals are linked by a free, downloadable app, “Behind the Wall”, that combines augmented reality content and audio-guide features, making the murals truly interactive. They join SAM’s Midtown, Larchmont and Mamaroneck murals, forming together a continuous street art belt starting at Grand Central and continuing along the Sound Shore.
The “NRNY Artsy Murals” were made possible with the generous support of the City of New
Rochelle, as well the New Rochelle Council on the Arts, the Sills Foundation, Toyota, Honda and
Mazda of New Rochelle, Delta Air Lines, Lordae, Radisson New Rochelle, Watermark Pointe, MetroNorth Deals & Gateways and Hand Crafted Catering and Events.
About the City of New Rochelle
With an unparalleled location, superb quality of life, diverse and talented residents and a focused business climate, New Rochelle is experiencing the transformation of a lifetime. The City’s economic development plan will provide a spark for the entire Hudson Valley region, positioning it as “open for business” and embracing smart, transit-oriented development growth patterns. Accelerated by a new, fast-track zoning process, the new Master Development initiative will enhance the downtown area by boosting job creation, property values and private investment – while enhancing sustainability through green and energy-efficient design. Learn more at https://www.ideallynewrochelle.com/.
About Street Art for Mankind (SAM)
Street Art for Mankind (SAM) is a nonprofit 501(C)(3) organization which strongly believes in the ability of art to trigger social change. SAM acts as amplifiers of the fight against child trafficking through street art. With the support of 50+ prominent international street artists, SAM creates exhibitions, live performances and murals around the world to bring awareness and raise funds to stop child trafficking. Proceeds from selling the art pieces support raid and rescue programs. SAM’s work has been featured in stories on CNN, BBC, WPIX 11, NBC New York, Time Out. For more information visit www.streetartmankind.org. In November 2018, SAM created its first Westchester project, 6 murals inaugurated with a pioneer Art Walk attended by 500 people and the press. In April 2019, SAM created another inspiring Art Walk with 5 murals in the village of Mamaroneck. In May 2019, SAM created another 5 murals in midtown NY, including the tallest mural ever done in Manhattan to celebrate the ILO centenary. New Rochelle’s Murals is the next — and largest — component of this “Art Belt”, connecting Midtown/Grand Central to Westchester, with 8 murals planned for October 2019.. Learn more at http://streetartmankind.org/.