Tallest Mural in the U.S. Unveiled at Morrisania Air Rights

On October 27, the tallest mural in the U.S., “Un MAR de Gente / From Every Shore,” was unveiled at NYCHA’s Morrisania Air Rights (MAR) development in the South Bronx by public art nonprofit organization ArtBridge, M·A·C VIVA GLAM Fund, the Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF), and their project partners.  

“This mural reflects the people, cultures and stories that make Morrisania Air Rights and the South Bronx home. Our residents helped shape its vision, and Angurria brought that vision to life,” said Tanya Pedler, President, MAR Resident Association. “For our children, especially our Black and brown children, seeing themselves represented sends a powerful message: you belong, you matter, and your story deserves to be seen. As a resident leader, I’m proud that our community’s voices helped create something that will remind generations of the beauty and pride that have always lived here.” 

“This new mural is a monumental tribute to the people who live at Morrisania Air Rights in the Bronx and have been working to ensure it becomes a springboard of opportunity for future generations,” said Leila Bozorg, NYC Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning. “I’m thrilled that Angurria, Fernando Ortiz, ArtBridge, and the PHCF have turned this building into their canvas, celebrating the community and legacy for the surrounding neighborhood to appreciate.”   

“This mural, the tallest in the country, honors the stories and cultural legacy of the Bronx through the voices of the Morrisania Air Rights residents who helped shape it. We are thrilled that this beautiful mural is visible from across the South Bronx and serves as a beacon of pride for NYCHA residents. We are thankful to ArtBridge, the Public Housing Community Fund, and the Morrisania Air Rights residents for their shared vision and commitment to the community,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt.  

Painted by Dominican artist Nestor Omar Garcia, aka “Angurria,” and his studio Monumental.do, in partnership with Bronx native Fernando Ortiz, the mural rises over 307 feet along the southwest-facing side of the development’s 29-story tower. The mural features MAR community members across generations, celebrating the people and cultural legacy of the surrounding neighborhoods.  

ArtBridge commissioned the mural and worked alongside Angurria, Ortiz, and PHCF to bring it to life with residents. Over several months, ArtBridge, Angurria, and Ortiz led a community engagement process that put MAR residents at the center of the design, working with residents, local youth, and the MAR Resident Association through a series of workshops to gather the stories and perspectives that would shape the artwork. Together, the artists, residents and partners brought those ideas to life in a monumental portrait of the generations who call MAR home. Completed in 1980, MAR is home to roughly 1,950 residents across three towers built using air rights over Metro-North rail tracks. 

“ArtBridge’s programming has a simple premise: Artists can be a powerful force to amplify the voices of communities – especially those communities that have been historically disenfranchised, said Stephen Pierson, Executive Director, ArtBridge. “We are thrilled that M·A·C VIVA GLAM believes in this premise. It has been a transformative experience to work alongside Angurria, Fernando, MAR residents, MAR TA President Ms. Tanya Pedler, NYCHA, and PHCF, to bring this vision to life at such a monumental scale. This mural doesn’t merely represent the vision of a singular brilliant artist – it represents the collective voices, histories, and cultures of a vibrant community.”  

An award-winning muralist recognized for his distinctive style and focus on Dominican identity, Angurria translated the stories gathered from residents into the mural’s final design. The resulting work transforms the side of the 29-story MAR tower into one of the most visible canvases for community storytelling and celebration. The project builds on Angurria and Ortiz’s experience creating community-rooted public art. Ortiz, a Dominican-American Bronx native and founder of FOGA, previously led community engagement for the “WE ARE THE BRONX” murals within the Third Avenue BID. 

“I grew up in Los Alcarrizos painting the people of my neighborhood, and in the South Bronx I found the same pride, the same strength, the same families,” said Angurria, Lead Artist and co-founder, Monumental.do. “For decades, the city has driven past these towers without really seeing who lives inside. The residents of MAR gave us their stories, and in them, every family in the Bronx can recognize its own. Now the whole Bronx can look up and see itself.”  

“This project is one that is near and dear to me as a young kid from the Bronx who grew up in the area,” said Fernando Ortiz, Founder, FOGA. “Over the last few months, I have managed the community engagement process with the team to ensure that we captured MAR’s identity and sense of community, and for me this is more than a mural– it’s a full circle moment to give back to the South Bronx amplifying all the things that make us beautiful.”  

“Un MAR de Gente / From Every Shore” was made possible through support from the M·A·C VIVA GLAM Fund and the Public Housing Community Fund. M·A·C VIVA GLAM awarded ArtBridge a $165,000 grant to support the mural and its community-driven development. 

“Environmental equality isn’t only about access to green space, it’s also about how our surroundings make us feel,” said Rachel Lockett, Vice President of Marketing, M·A·C North America. “Through our partnership with ArtBridge, we’re investing in public art as a tool for visibility and connection, helping transform a space that has long felt overlooked into one that reflects the creativity and pride of the community it serves.”  

“The tallest mural in the United States isn’t on a skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan and no longer on the walls of a luxury building in Downtown Miami, it’s now in public housing in the South Bronx, and that’s exactly where it belongs,” said Alex Zablocki, Executive Director, Public Housing Community Fund. “Rising more than 300 feet above the street, this extraordinary work of art is a powerful declaration that the people, cultures, and stories of the South Bronx deserve to be seen, celebrated, and elevated. What makes From Every Shore truly remarkable isn’t just its height, but the fact that it was shaped by the very people who call Morrisania Air Rights home. I want to thank the residents who shared their stories and helped shape this vision, the talented artists Angurria, our partners at ArtBridge, and the generous support of M·A·C VIVA GLAM. I am especially grateful to NYCHA for embracing this vision and making it possible to transform one of its buildings into a landmark of community and city pride. Public housing is home to extraordinary people, and their stories deserve the biggest canvas we can give them. El Bronx se ve. El Bronx se siente. ¡El Bronx se celebra!” 

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