Curran Court Senior Housing Showcases Public Art

YONKERS, NY – (August, 2021) – A tropical rain forest has sprouted in the community room at the Curran Court Senior Housing in Yonkers.

Artist Nancy Mendez, who draws her inspiration from her Ecuadorian and Puerto Rican heritage, her love for music, nature, and mysticism, recently completed the colorful work of art on the community room walls as part of an ambitious public art project funded by the Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers (MHACY).

It’s all part of MHACY’s continuing quest to improve public housing and engage its residents. Last month, MHACY unveiled a mural at the Ross F. Calcagno Homes in memory of artist DMX (Earl Simmons) who died in April. DMX had lived at 80 School Street.

Mendez was the first to complete her work at Curran Court. Other projects will follow.

The Mulford Corporation, which raises funds to supplement the housing authority programs, voted to allocate $100,000 to commission Yonkers Arts to coordinate the project using local artists and artists of color.

Yonkers Arts, founded in 2007, works to develop a strong, effective, and cooperative network of artists, cultural organizations, and members of the community to promote and encourage the arts in the City of Yonkers.

“MHACY is about to complete a three-year, $300 million renovation of public housing across our city,’’ said Wilson Kimball, MHACY President and CEO. “What better way to finish this ambitious project than to bring joy and inspiration to our residents through public art.’’

Murals and other art installations will be undertaken at 12 building across five MHACY properties including senior housing. On the list are:

Curran Court, senior community located in northeast Yonkers.

William A. Walsh Homes, senior/disabled housing at 75 Walsh Road near War Memorial Park.

Palisades Towers, an eight-building affordable housing complex on Schroeder Street.

Ross F. Calcagno Homes, a high-rise affordable housing complex in Nodine Hill, near the downtown area.

Martinelli Manor, senior housing complex, at 21 Ellison Avenue in northeast Yonkers.

Adam Shultz, co-president of Yonkers Arts, said the purpose of the project is to place “amazing art and develop integrated aesthetic solutions inside and outside of MHACY senior living, senior assisted, low-income family residential, and townhouses.”

Ray Wilcox, Executive Director of Yonkers Arts, said, “Yonkers Arts believes in the important role that exposure to art plays in our communities and is constantly working to develop programs and opportunities that engage and inspire creatives of all ages. Art, in all its forms, is a language that speaks to the soul, stimulates the mind and warms the heart.”

About MHACY

The Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers (MHACY) is the largest provider of affordable housing in the City of Yonkers and the second largest public housing authority in New York State. MHACY has an unparalleled commitment to redeveloping, managing and administering its housing stock to provide low-income families, the elderly and disabled individuals with access to good, sustainable housing that improves the quality of the residents’ lives, fosters their economic success, and allows them to serve as integral members of communities in which they live. For more information visit www.mhacy.org

About Yonkers Arts

Yonkers Arts was founded in 2007 by a collection of community leaders who perceived the need for an all-encompassing arts organization for a city the size of Yonkers. The founding board was comprised of community leaders from across Yonkers. The mission of Yonkers Arts is to develop a strong, effective, and cooperative network of artists, cultural organizations and members of the community to promote and encourage the arts.