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The daily Staten Island Ferry commute just got a lot more interesting.
A new pop-up photo exhibition at the St. George Ferry Terminal is turning the transit hub into an open-air gallery, showcasing powerful portraits of immigrant New Yorkers and the lives they’re building across the city.
The installation is part of the third annual “New York Proud” campaign, organized by the New York Immigration Coalition in partnership with Photoville. The public art initiative turns busy public spaces into storytelling platforms that highlight the experiences and contributions of immigrants across the five boroughs.
This time around, the portraits have landed in Staten Island—right where thousands of commuters, tourists and ferry riders pass through every day.
Photographed by Venezuelan documentary photographer Oscar B. Castillo, the exhibition features immigrant New Yorkers in the places where they work and create, like kitchens, studios, clinics, stages and street corners. The subjects range from fruit vendors and chefs to playwrights and doctors, offering a glimpse into the many roles immigrants play in keeping New York running.
Murad Awawdeh, president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, said the project is meant to spotlight how deeply immigrants are woven into the city’s identity. “'New York Proud' is a celebration of the integral role immigrants play in New York’s cultural fabric,” Awawdeh said in a statement. “By elevating stories from every corner of our city, New York Proud demonstrates the immense contributions immigrants make to the social, cultural and economic life of our city.”
Castillo added that the portraits aim to spark conversation while honoring the strength and resilience of the communities they depict.
“Public art can spark dialogue, encourage inclusivity, and connect people from all walks of life,” Castillo said. “With these portraits, I aimed to pay tribute to the strength, commitment, and resilience that characterize New York’s immigrant communities.”
The broader campaign functions as both art and civic storytelling, with a goal of reaffirming “the indispensable role of immigrants in shaping New York’s identity through a living and growing collection of portraits and stories.”
Previous installments have appeared in plazas and parks across the city—including Flatiron, Long Island City, Brooklyn and the Bronx—bringing the exhibit directly into public life rather than confining it to gallery walls.
At St. George Ferry Terminal, the exhibition is ongoing, meaning the next time you hop on the ferry, you might find yourself face-to-face with the stories of the people who help make New York, well, New York.