Front & York in DUMBO, Brooklyn, recently unveiled a nearly 500-foot long mural honoring essential workers. This mural expresses the gratitude for thousands of essential workers who are fighting to keep New York safe and healthy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also one of the largest tributes to essential workers New York and the United States. The art installation came to life through a partnership with non-profit ArtBridge and pilot program City Canvas.
Front & York is a mixed-use development in DUMBO designed by architect Morris Adjmi and co-owned and co-developed by CIM Group and LIVWRK. The development offers a lifestyle destination including condos, rentals and new retail space with occupancy slated for 2021. The site marks a perfect location for the mural due to the heavy foot traffic in the bustling streets of DUMBO, just a few minutes walk from hot spots including 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO House. The DUMBO neighborhood has also historically been a hub for the art community.
“We saw our construction fence as an opportunity to bring something creative and meaningful to the community in collaboration with an inspiring organization like ArtBridge,” said Jason Schreiber, Principal, Investments of CIM Group, co-developer of Front & York. “This mural expresses our tribute and our thank you to the essential workers who continue to keep the engine of our city running during these difficult and unprecedented times.”
ArtBridge is a New York City non-profit that entrusts artists to transform construction sites into art exhibitions. City Canvas is a pilot program through the Department of Cultural Affairs that teams up with non-profits to install temporary art on construction sties. Their goal is to improve the city’s visual landscape while giving artists the opportunity for local people to see their work. Misha Tyutyunik is the artist who collaborated with these organizations to create the mural to honor essential workers.
“I wanted to create a piece that honored the workers who have risked their lives in order to keep New York City going, while also paying tribute to one of its most iconic neighborhoods: DUMBO,” said artist Misha Tyutyunik. “These trying times have made many of us realize the importance of those many essential workers we often take for granted. This mural serves as a testament to the perseverance of the human spirit in the face of adversity.”
Misha Tyutyunik’s noteworthy art installation is only one of few examples proving New York will recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, with a high appreciation of our front-line workers. New York is a city full of perseverance and culture that recognizes the sacrifices these essential workers have taken for the prosperity of the community.
