See the Monumental Black Lives Matter Mural In NYC
Perhaps no stretch of pavement feels more ideally suited for the monumental murals honoring Black Lives Matter that have appeared around the world than the corner of 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, in the heart of Harlem. There, in the shadow of the historic Hotel Theresa—once known as the Waldorf of Harlem—eight local artists came together this summer to transform the movement’s now-iconic 16 letters into a grandly meaningful artwork nearly two blocks long. The mural’s design is as precise as it is powerful. “Each of the letters is perfectly aligned and stands exactly 21 feet tall,” explains artist and curator LeRone Wilson, who worked with Harlem Park to Park and Got to Stop on the project. “It was crucial that nothing felt uneven or out of place.” Much of that exactness is thanks to Rockwell Group, which lent its urban planning and architecture expertise to the mural’s initial, stenciled text—laid down with the help of United Scenic Artists Local USA 829 union. Once each letter’s outline and base coat was in place, the artists added their own distinctive marks to salute the struggle for racial and social justice both in Harlem and across the globe. “The mural has already become a place of healing,” said Wilson, whose L in the word Black features the names of 24 victims of police brutality. “Amadou Diallo’s mother called me crying after seeing his. She was so happy to know that her son had not been forgotten.”
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
