Celebrating the Heroes of Our City
Following the tragic events of 9/11, CITYarts engaged community residents and 11 schools to paint a mural honoring the heroes of our city: the firefighters, policemen, and all New York citizens. 13 years later, CITYarts was joined by its original sponsor Disney and its original project partners, Henry Street Settlement, Grand Street Settlement and Disney VoluntEARS, in a heartwarming coalition committed once again to bringing together the youth of the community to restore the mural.
The "Celebrating the Heroes of Our City" mural was created under CITYarts' public art programs, Tribute to New York & New Yorkers. This program focuses on generating public art that reflects pride in New York City. Young people express themselves through art that honors those that were lost and their own hope for a more peaceful future.
Here at CITYarts, we believe in the voices of our young people and the power they hold to connect with their communities as productive, responsible individuals and transform them for the better. That's why an integral part of our public art programs involve art education workshops, in which young people work together with a professional artist to discuss their perspectives through conversations or poetry, and then express those feelings through the medium of art. This preliminary process is important both for the youth in understanding their role as active members of the community, as well as for the artist in designing a mural that integrates the young people's art.
The result? A beautiful mural that will always stand to validate the voice of the young people, and remind them that their voice is an important one.