Residents Collaborate on New Red Hook Houses West Mural
Residents of NYCHA’s Red Hook Houses West worked together to beautify their development by creating a mural that spans 2,500 square feet and shows scenes representing the waterfront community, wildlife and trees, a reimagined Statue of Liberty, and faces that represent the diversity of Red Hook.
The completed mural was unveiled on May 29 during a student climate gathering for local school children on community engagement and environmental awareness that was organized by the Red Hook West Resident Association.
The mural was made possible through a collaboration between Red Hook West Resident Association, Snapchat, Artolution, Woken Arts, NYCHA, local students and teachers, and the Public Housing Community Fund. (Read more about the partnership here.)
In early April, Red Hook Houses West residents partnered with the nonprofit arts organization Artolution and teaching artists from Woken Arts to brainstorm and develop ideas for the mural.
Fifteen young people from Red Hook Houses West took the lead in envisioning the mural’s design and participated in an innovative partnership with Snapchat. Over four weeks, these youth leaders learned Lens Studio, a tool for creating Snapchat Lenses, from two members of the Snap Lens Network, resulting in an augmented reality Lens designed by the youth themselves, which brings the mural to life in Snapchat. As a reward for their efforts, at the end of the program each youth participant received a $500 scholarship, enriching not only their artistic skills but also fostering leadership qualities.
“We are immensely proud of the collaborative effort that brought this vibrant mural to life at NYCHA’s Red Hook Houses West,” Public Housing Community Fund Executive Director Alex Zablocki said. “This project showcases the incredible artistic talents of our community residents, especially the youth, and demonstrates the power of partnership, innovation, and art to uplift communities. By combining traditional art with augmented reality through the support of Snapchat and other partners, we are celebrating the rich history and diverse culture of Red Hook in a way that is both timeless and forward-thinking. This mural is a testament to the resilience and creativity of the Red Hook community, with many images depicting the natural beauty found around Red Hook and the impact climate change has on this community, and we are honored to have been a part of this transformative initiative.”
In May, a community paint day was held for residents to help bring the mural from sketches on a page to reality on the wall by painting images that held personal significance to them.
“Red Hook West’s new, vibrant mural is a great representation of the resilience, depth, and determination of NYCHA’s Red Hook residents,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “This magnificent and sprawling piece of artwork, which decorates an annex building housing critical infrastructure and back-up power generators, will serve as a landmark in Red Hook for those that will inevitably pass by it day-in and day-out, and a testament to the changes and challenges its diverse community has faced, particularly after Hurricane Sandy. We thank our partners at the Public Housing Community Fund and Artolution for helping to bring this wonderful project and experience to life for Red Hook West residents.”
Red Hook Houses West Resident Association President Karen Blondel knows the new mural will bring joy to the development’s residents for years to come: “Art has opened up endless possibilities for our youngest residents, showing them what they can achieve and inspiring them to dream about their futures. Art saves lives by giving hope and direction. This collaboration is a beacon of opportunity and creativity for our community and Red Hook West looks forward to collaborating on more programs like this in the future to bring residents together and have them actively engage in powerful programs.”
