New Murals Celebrate Bronx River Houses’ 75th Anniversary & Contributions to Hip Hop

On November 20, NYCHA, the Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF), world-renowned artist Mark Lawrence, the TATS CRU, and Resident Association President Norma Saunders were joined by residents to cut the ribbon on a collection of murals celebrating Bronx River Houses’ 75th anniversary and its contributions to hip hop culture and music.

These permanent installations, titled “The Home That Inspired The World,” were created by Mr. Lawrence and the TATS CRU to celebrate the development’s rich history and its indelible legacy as a cultural incubator for generations. The project is part of the PHCF’s “From Roots to Arts” program, a Mellon Foundation-funded initiative that uplifts resident voices and local artists through creative placemaking citywide.

“Mark Lawrence’s return to Bronx River represents the mission of our From Roots to Arts program to celebrate the creativity, history, and pride that define NYCHA communities. Through public art, residents are not only reimagining their spaces but also reclaiming their stories on their own terms,” said Public Housing Community Fund Executive Director Alex Zablocki. “We are honored to partner with Mark, Norma, and Bronx River Houses as part of a citywide series of public art installations and programming highlighting the incredible cultural contributions born in public housing across the five boroughs.”

“This series of murals celebrates the historic contributions made by the Bronx River community to hip hop and pays tribute to the generations that have called the development home,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Eva Trimble. “We extend our deepest appreciation to Resident Association President Norma Saunders, the Public Housing Community Fund, the Mellon Foundation, and artist Mark Lawrence for helping to bring this colorful testament to the history of Bronx River Houses to life.”

“In such a compelling way, these three murals pay tribute to the contributions of many generations who lived here – impact that has made a mark across the world and the decades – and shows us that there truly is strength and unity in creativity,” said NYCHA Senior Vice President for Resident Services, Partnerships, and Initiatives Kathleen Corradi. “More than just visually beautiful and a great way to reclaim and reimagine our spaces, public art engages the whole community while reflecting our vibrancy – our heart and spirit – and preserving important stories.”

“This complex is my foundation. It’s where my mother, Sylvia, first taught me to see the world as art,” said artist Mark Lawrence. “To celebrate 75 years, and to honor this ground as the birthplace of hip hop alongside the legends of TATS CRU, is the greatest way I know to give back to the community that literally raised me and shaped the world.”

“This mural is a tribute to who we are and where we come from. Bronx River has given so much to the world, from the sounds of hip hop to the strength of our families,” said Bronx River Houses Resident Association President Norma Saunders. “Having one of our own, Mark Lawrence, come home to honor that legacy means everything to this community. It shows that the roots we plant here in the Bronx can reach the entire world.”

“I’m so happy to see all of these beautiful murals at the Bronx River Houses, and anyone who hasn’t had the chance to visit them yet needs to come out and see just how amazing they are,” said Judy Craig, lead singer of The Chiffons, an all-female singing group from the Bronx that is featured in one of the murals.

The three murals offer a dual narrative reflecting the spirit of Bronx River Houses. The murals on the front of the community center are an emotive homage to the heart of the complex, featuring portraits of the elders who built the foundation, the youth who carry its future, and famous figures who hail from Bronx River Houses, conveying a powerful sense of unity and legacy. The back mural is a dynamic celebration of the complex’s global impact on music. Executed in graffiti style, this piece incorporates the five foundational elements of hip hop: emceeing, DJing, breakdancing, beatboxing, and graffiti. 

As part of PHCF’s From Roots to Arts program, the Bronx River mural joins a series of new public art installations and programming being created in NYCHA communities across all five boroughs, each one celebrating the resilience, talent, and cultural impact of public housing residents.

Mark Lawrence, who has traveled the globe with his talents and witnessed Bronx River Houses’ profound influence on the world, returned home with a mission to give back to the community that raised him. His personal connection to the complex runs deep: His family were pioneers in the development, and his artistic journey began there under the guidance of his mother, Sylvia Lawrence, his first mentor, teacher, and enduring inspiration. It was Sylvia who instilled in him not only the fundamentals of reading and writing but also an appreciation for oil painting, watercolor, acrylics, and music.

To fully realize the vision of the back mural, Mark Lawrence brought in the world-famous Bronx graffiti crew, TATS CRU, including Sotero “BG183” Ortiz, Wilfredo “Bio” Feliciano, and Hector “Nicer” Nazario. They are all lifelong friends of Mr. Lawrence as well as Bronx natives (Bio was raised at Bronx River Houses, and BG183 was the first artist to paint the interior of the development’s community center in the early 1980s).

This full-circle moment brings Mark Lawrence back to his roots, reuniting him with his childhood friend and fellow Bronx River Houses native, Norma Saunders, who now serves as the development’s resident association president. Mr. Lawrence fondly credits the influential environment of Bronx River Houses for shaping his life and inspiring his journey; his return underscores a commitment to giving back to the community that instilled in him the determination to achieve greatness.