NYC Street Art with Heart: Murals for Good
Mural by @Miki__Mu for Murals for Good, located at 1838 7 Ave. in Harlem, New York.
By Marnie Kunz
As an NYC street art lover, I was very happy to stumble across Murals for Good on Instagram recently. Murals for Good is a new art nonprofit that supports and creates NYC street art about equality and inclusion. May, the founder, sat down to share more about her organization and the art and artists who are bringing messages of hope and equality to New Yorkers amidst a disturbing national rise in hate crimes, particularly against Asian Americans. Here is the interview:
What is your name? May Siu
How long have you been in NYC? I immigrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong, China as a child. I have been living in NYC for over 25 years. NYC is my home.
What gave you the inspiration to start MuralsforGood? Since COVID-19 started, I have been a victim of the recent wave of anti-Asian American and sexist hate incidents and the systemic failure to combat these incidents. The frustration I felt and the retaliation I received while dealing with the system inspired me to bring awareness to racist and sexist hate. Now more than ever, the public needs to be aware of the issues facing Asian Americans and other marginalized communities. We need to shine a light on inequity and transform pain into positive change. Public art is one way to shine such a light. Art — in particular, music and street art — intersects with our everyday lives. I see public art as a powerful medium that can galvanize individuals and transform communities.
When did you start MuralsforGood? I started MuralsforGood in April of 2021.
What is your mission? We are a sponsored 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to curate and create mural art that promotes equity, inclusion, and belonging. Each mural wall we create has a QR code that directs audiences to multi-medium informational tools and content aimed to support artists, build understanding across differences, and create opportunities for community engagement.
Do you work with a constantly revolving set of artists or have some artists you work with multiple times/ongoing? So far, we have worked with different artists for each project, but we are certainly open to working with an artist(s) on more than one project.
How do you pick which art to highlight? We search out artists and partners who want to join us in engaging and amplifying the voices and talents of people working toward our mission of curating and creating mural art that promotes equity, inclusion, and belonging.
What project (or projects) are you most proud of so far with MuralsforGood? I am most proud of our ongoing, cross-cultural collaborative work in Harlem. One such project that is almost complete is titled “We Are Better Together.” Although it is a smaller project, size-wise, it inspired local artist participation, productive dialogue, and community engagement. It also increased our visibility in the community and motivated more volunteers to join us.
Anything in the works that we should keep our eyes peeled for? We have two projects in the pipeline featuring and celebrating:
the life of an immigrant from Asia living in Chinatown, NYC, and
one of a series of “We Are Better Together” cross-cultural solidarity projects in Harlem.
Upon completion of the latter, which we anticipate will be in the fall, we are planning a scavenger hunt unveiling event. Details forthcoming!
How can people get involved? The work involved in our mission is never complete, and so we need the support of everyone in our community. We welcome volunteers of all experiences and backgrounds. I want this to be a platform for anyone to be a part of who is interested in promoting equity, inclusion, and belonging. If you want to pitch in any way, e-mail us at may@muralsforgood.org or reach out to us on Instagram @MuralsforGood.
Where can we follow along with MuralsforGood's latest projects? Instagram @MuralsforGood or our website www.muralsforgood.org.
Anything else you'd like to add? One of our volunteers, Dr. Mara Taylor-Heine, who has helped us with our public communications, has been a crucial part of our success. I am also grateful to key partners Nick Savage of Savagestudios.net and Garvey Chiu. These volunteers, and others, who work in the background are some of the true heroes in our society who work tirelessly to promote equity, inclusion, and belonging. I am grateful for all the artists, partners, and volunteers that believe in our mission and generously donate their time and talents. Without them, MuralsforGood would not have taken off as it has. Artists we have collaborated with so far: @AlexanderBrinitzer, @iamJamelRobinson, @DowntownDaVinci, @Kentaro, and @Miki__Mu.
Resources: @muralsforgood Instagram, Murals for Good website
Related Posts: Women’s Rights Mural Celebrates Ruth Bader Ginsburg, St. Louis Street Art Protests Racial Inequality, Black Lives Matter Street Art Around the World, NYC Run: Light Up Chinatown
Marnie Kunz is a USATF and RRCA-certified running coach and the creator of Runstreet Art Runs, which bring together communities through running and street art. She is a Brooklyn resident, running coach, Akita mom, and writer. She enjoys running coaching, traveling, art, and eating messily. You can follow her running and events at @Runstreet Instagram and Runstreet Facebook and follow her on Twitter for more on her running adventures.
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