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Construction scaffolding and fencing are a ubiquitous part of New York City. In fact, there are nearly 9,000 sidewalk sheds in NYC, and they typically last for more than a year, according to city data. That adds up to a staggering two million linear feet.
Now, 220 feet of that massive total looks a lot prettier thanks to local artists as part of NYC's City Canvas program, which turns construction fencing into canvases. Next time you're in East Harlem, keep an eye out for two newly unveiled murals on Second Avenue between 97th and 99th Streets.
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You'll see two pieces—one by Dario Mohr and the other created by East Harlem residents through the global art project Inside Out—that have taken over the construction scaffolding outside of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan.
The Inside Out installation is a collection of black-and-white portraits of East Harlem residents, especially residents of NYCHA's East River Houses. It is part of artist JR's Inside Out Project, which grew out of his TED Talk about using "his camera to show the world its true face." So far, more than 600,000 people across 152 countries have participated in the Inside Out Project. The project is intended to spark conversations and collaborations that lead to social change.
As for Mohr, he collaborated with youth from East River Houses on his monumental works titled Adinkrahene. The collection is tied together through Adinkra symbols, which originated from the Asante Kingdom, and have recently become a ubiquitous symbol of the greater African Diaspora. Kids from the East River Houses contributed their own Adinkra symbols. The piece also features elements of works by Knii Shippie Afotey of Ghana and Faith Omole of Nigeria.
"The mural was originally inspired by my ancestry research beginning with a trip I took to Grenada," Mohr said in a press release. "I really hope this resonates with the community in terms of the Black experience being beyond words, and I hope this piece makes us feel safe and connected to each other."
I hope this piece makes us feel safe and connected to each other.
Mohr, a first-generation Grenadian-US citizen, is the founder and director of AnkhLave Arts Alliance, a nonprofit organization that presents BIPOC artists in public spaces. You may have seen art by AnkhLave fellows at Brooklyn Botanic Garden last summer.
Core Scaffold Systems sponsored the East Harlem art projects, but even after the scaffolding disappears, the art will remain on permanent display at Metropolitan Hospital.
"I really love that this mural was done in collaboration with the residents in the East River Houses, many of whom receive their care at Metropolitan," NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan's CEO Cristina Contreras said in a press release. "I think that it’s important for these residents, who are part of the fabric of this community, to see themselves reflected in this mural."
I think that it’s important for these residents, who are part of the fabric of this community, to see themselves reflected in this mural.
The City Canvas program became official in late 2023, though its partner ArtBridge has been beautifying scaffolding since 2009. City Canvas acknowledge that the fencing and scaffolding are parts of the urban landscape, but "in most instances they are unappealing and represent the inconvenience of construction projects," they say.
"City Canvas is a program designed to allow the installation of temporary visual art on eligible temporary protective structures in an effort improve the pedestrian experience for NYC residents and visitors across the five boroughs," per the organization's website.
These murals are proof that you can find art in the unlikeliest places in NYC, so so keep an eye out for this project and others from City Canvas when you're walking around town.