ArtsFest Culture Trolley Offers Guided Tours of the NRNY Murals

Hop on the free Culture Trolley on Saturday for a guided tour of all 20 #NRNY Murals. The trolley is part of ArtsFest, the annual weekend-long celebration of the arts organized by the New Rochelle Council on the Arts (for a full calendar go to www.newrochellearts.org .) Riders will learn how a collaboration between NRCA, Street Art for Mankind (SAM) and the City of New Rochelle IDA brought 8 NRNY Murals to New Rochelle in 2019, and another 12 in April, 2022. The murals were created by an international group of prominent street artists organized by SAM, and are linked by a free, downloadable app, “Behind the Wall.”

The Culture Trolley will be departing from the Lawton Street entrance of the New Rochelle Public Library at 1 Library Plaza. Tours are estimated to last about one hour (depending on traffic situation) and will run continuously all day. Space is limited -- first come, first served. Go to www.newrochellearts.org to download a map of the NRNY Murals and take your own tour.

The Culture Trolley is sponsored by the New Rochelle IDA, the public entity whose mission is to provide financial assistance through tax incentives to eligible projects in order to promote economic vitality and prosperity as well as recreational opportunities for the entire New Rochelle community.

Just in time for ArtsFest, curators Street Art for Mankind (SAM) are introducing products -- collectible postcards, a t-shirt and signed limited-edition prints -- featuring images of the NRNY Murals. Proceeds from the sales of all merchandise help fund awareness campaigns against child trafficking and support efforts to create a child-friendly world. (For more information visit https://streetartmankind.org/shop/)

The “Be The Change” t-shirts –available in small, medium, large and extra large sizes – cost $49 each and feature a design created by Dragon76 (the artist who created the New Ro Strong mural at the Lawton Street parking lot site) printed on 100% soft-style cotton. The postcard set ($49) includes all 20 NRNY Murals printed on high quality 4 x 6 inch glossy stock; the postcards come in a specially designed box stamped with a hand-made wax seal. Also available are Limited edition prints (just 50 of each mural). Measuring 23.6 by 35.4 inches, each print is signed by the artist and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Printed on Canson infinity Rag Photgraphique museum-grade fine art paper, the ready-to-hang prints cost $199 each; for an additional charge the prints can also be ordered mounted on acid-free dibond ($490) or custom framed in a floating frame ($590 to $640 depending on frame). For the complete line visit https://streetartmankind.org/shop/