MAPS FOR MURALS

This project was born out of my independent study project during my senior year of college. There were three components: A physical map, shown below, highlighting 10 murals throughout New York City that I found significant for either or both of the following criteria: The work was collaborative and involved young students in the ideation and creation process, or the piece has significant value to the history and identity of the neighborhood it is located in.

The other two components involved research into public art practices and the creation of a curriculum for middle school students based on public art and community beautification. You can view the curriculum for that here. My research process involved lots of readings and educational content on curriculum design, how to teach art, and the basics of public art creation (with topics ranging from cultural sensitivity, the involvement of community members within projects, how to get funding for community beautification art projects, etc.) I worked with organizations LEAP and Thrive Collective throughout this project by shadowing and assisting teaching artists within their programs. I have seen the important work they do firsthand. You can support them in their mission to make public art more accessible in NYC public schools by checking out their websites that I’ve linked above.

This project happened with the help of so many people! Thank you to everyone who suggested murals for me to include on this list. There is SO MUCH amazing public art in NYC that I couldn’t possibly highlight all of it, but I hope this list portrays just a small amount of the diverse, inspiring, and beautiful art that enhances the streets of NYC.

MAP FRONT

MAP BACK

View the illustrations alongside photos of the original mural artwork:

Some photos of the map IRL: