Public art project brings 3 new murals to the Hub
The Hub is becoming more beautiful with the help of three new murals displayed throughout the neighborhood. The murals pay homage to notable figures that represent the Bronx and represent the cultural diversity in the borough.
The Hub is becoming more beautiful with the help of three new murals displayed throughout the neighborhood. The murals pay homage to notable figures that represent the Bronx and represent the cultural diversity in the borough.
It's called "We are the Bronx," and it's backed by the Bronx Economic Development Corporation, the Third Avenue Business Improvement District, the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative and other groups and artists.
"We just want to put some beauty on the street for the community. We are very community-centered people," said Gabriel Castillo, one of the main artists who worked on the projects.
Castillo said he and his fellow artists worked 10-12 hours a day, six days a week for multiple weeks to paint the murals. He said it was an large team effort, and he couldn't have done it without the help of fellow artists Omar Garcia, Fernando Ortiz, Danny Peguero and other artists and collaborators.
"We want people to support this neighborhood. And so one of the ways that you do that is building this sense of community, and art has a long history of helping people build that community," said Pedro Suarez, the executive director of the Third Avenue Business Improvement District.
Suarez told News 12 he wants to see more art in the district that represents the community of the hub. Marshall Strawbridge, the director of economic development at the Bronx Economic Development Corporation, explained why they chose the Hub to be the neighborhood for the project.
"The Hub is one of the busiest shopping districts we have in the borough. And it really just holds a lot of cultural significance to folks here. Everyone has memories of shopping here, growing up. And so this is really an opportunity for us to bring some color and some vibrancy to the area," said Strawbridge.
Officials involved in the project said this is just the beginning in a larger effort to revitalize the area. Soon they'll be focusing on other efforts involving public safety and security in the Hub.
