New #NRNYMurals Debut in New Rochelle With Art Walk and Mural Fest

More than 250 people gathered on Sunday, May 1st for an “Art Walk” around downtown New Rochelle to see 12 spectacular new murals created by some of the world’s leading street artists. Curated by Street Art for Mankind (SAM) in collaboration with the City of New Rochelle IDA and the New Rochelle Council on the Arts (NRCA), the murals reflect the creativity and diversity of the Queen City. After the Art Walk "Mural Fest*" delivered outstanding free music, dance and theater performances all afternoon.

The Art Walk started with congratulatory speeches from NRCA President Theresa Kump Leghorn, New Rochelle Commissioner of Development Adam Salgado, Mr. Futoshi Matsumoto, Deputy Chief of the Mission and Deputy Consul General of Japan, and SAM founders Audrey and Thibault Decker. The Deckers then led the group on a 2-hour walk during which participants heard a short description of each mural’s themes and had the chance to hear from the artists themselves about their creative process. The Art Walk concluded on Union Avenue, where City Council member Martha Lopez warmly welcomed the walkers to her District.

The Art Walk was followed by an afternoon of free music, dance and theater performances, thanks to a ReStart the Arts grants awarded to NRCA by ArtsWestchester : Mural Fest celebrated “Art On and Off the Walls* at Library Green, the New Rochelle Public Library and New Ro Parc from 1 to 5 pm.

• At Ruby Dee Park dance groups included Gleich Dances, FJK Dance, TORCH Dance Theater and Steven Vilsaint/Josh Johnson.
• At New Ro Parc musical performers included Bear Mountain Brass, Everything Omega and Charisa the Violin Diva.
• At the New Rochelle Public Library the Irvington Shakespeare Company presented “Acting Shakespeare.”

“The New Rochelle Council on the Arts was delighted to collaborate again with SAM to bring more world-class street artists to our city,” said NRCA President Theresa Kump Leghorn. “And we are grateful to ArtsWestchester for the ReStart the Arts grant, which made Mural Fest possible, allowing us to bring great live dance, music and theater to the community.” For more about NRCA visit their website at www.newrochellearts.org.

Those who missed the guided tour can take their own: The #NRNYMurals are linked by a free, downloadable app, “Behind the Wall”, that combines augmented reality content and audio-guide features, making the murals truly interactive. The #NRNYMurals join SAM’s murals in New York City, Larchmont and Mamaroneck, forming together a continuous street art belt starting at Grand Central and continuing along the Sound Shore. The free app can be downloaded from http://streetartmankind.org/NRNY

The murals were curated and produced by Street Art for Mankind (SAM), a Westchester-based global non-profit organization working with prominent street artists to create large murals all around the world. SAM is recognized for its mural series with the United Nations, but also for its Art Walk Murals with Cities to bond communities together. For more information visit www.streetartmankind.org.

The #NRNYMurals are made possible thanks to the generous support of the City of New Rochelle IDA as well the New Rochelle Council on the Arts, ArtsWestchester, and in-kind donations from R Café and Tea Boutique and Colombian House.

*This project is made possible with funds from the ReStart the Arts, a regrant program of ArtsWestchester with support from the Office of the Governor, the New York State Legislature and the New York State Council on the Arts.

Take the #NRNYMurals Art Walk

• Radisson Hotel, west wall : “Dancing Queen“ by Vinie Graffiti
• 13-15 River Street: “Unidad” by Adry Del Rocio
• New Roc City Plaza: “King Kong” by Carlos Alberto (interactive 3-D mural for “selfies”)
• Train Station/Pedestrian Bridge over I95: “Water Sports” by Carlos Alberto (interactive 3-D mural for “selfies”
• Westchester County Family Court/34 Garden Street: “Peace and Justice” by Carlos Alberto
• Library Parking Lot/ 1 Memorial Highway: “New Ro Strong” by Dragon 76
• 25 LeRoy/Davenport Lofts: “Protecting Our Oceans “by Louis Masai
• 111 Centre Avenue/Modera: “People and Places” by Cristian Blanxer
• 347 Huguenot Street: Abstraction based on Rockwell’s “Girl in the Mirror” by Belin
• 365 Huguenot Street/ Storage Post: “Always on the Move” by TelmoMiel
• 164 Union Avenue: Blue Collar Workers Who Built New Rochelle by Loic Ercolessi
• 210 Union Avenue: “Mexican Community” by Carlos Alberto

Background on SAM:

Street Art for Mankind (SAM) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization working with prominent street artists to create large murals all around the world. Its goal is to raise awareness on social justice and environmental issues, and to give the public the means to become actors of change. SAM is recognized for its mural series with the United Nations, the Department of State, but also for its Art Walk Murals with Cities across the world to bond communities together, create a sense of belonging and increase foot traffic. Learn more at StreetArtMankind.org.

About the New Rochelle IDA

The NRNY collection of this year’s murals are sponsored by the New Rochelle Industrial Development Agency, 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. Commenced six years ago, the City’s bold redevelopment initiative – spearheaded by the Department of Development in conjunction with the New Rochelle IDA – has already helped attract $2.2 billion in private investment that has approved 9.2 million square feet of space downtown. The sweeping re-envisioning of the downtown area has also generated 3,600 new units of mixed-income housing, new jobs for local residents, and large numbers of contracting opportunities for area businesses and enhanced arts and cultural programming.

About the New Rochelle Council on the Arts:

The New Rochelle Council on the Arts (NRCA) was created in 1975 by the New Rochelle City Council to stimulate and encourage the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts; in 2005 NRCA became a 501 (C) (3) organization. For more than 47 years NRCA has worked to fulfill its mission by sponsoring art exhibitions, public art, theatrical productions, dance recitals, film screenings, lectures, and concert series. NRCA programs are made possible by support from the City of New Rochelle and ArtsWestchester, as well grants from foundations and individuals, sponsorships from local businesses and donations from NRCA members and the public.