Design
Youth Artists Are Painting Gorgeous Murals Inside New York City Public Housing
“We want them to convey a sense of home.”
Inside the new Gerard Carter Community Center at the Stapleton Houses, Staten Island’s largest public housing complex, a once-plain brick wall bursts with brightly painted scenes of community life. There’s a cheerful ferry boat, a cake-like baseball stadium bearing the word “HOPE,” and a few distinctively ornate local houses. Primary-colored figures play basketball, and a mighty boxer with “RESPECT” on his belt raises gloved fists.
On a recent Wednesday night, a crew of teenagers and 20-somethings crouched at this wall, busily painting the last touches of this tableau with no small amount of pride.