“Natures Playground” brings to light important environmental issues in the Bronx. The mural team wanted to raise awareness of how it would benefit the community to preserve and restore the Bronx River. They discussed imagery that would show the river in a positive light, using animals as a substitute for people. The images were chosen from exercises dealing with positive childhood memories, and inspired by local New York animals that are now, or have been in the past, native to the Bronx. The overall concept is that the river and the community are one; to restore the Bronx River is to restore the community. The result is a very colorful, uplifting mural that is meant to peak local interest in the Bronx River.

Lead Artist Bayunga Kialeuka oversaw a group of youth in the creation of “The Privilege of History,” a mural on two walls of Law Studies High School. For this project, one wall was deemed the “conflict” wall, and the second wall was deemed the “resolution” wall. Principal Monica Ortiz requested a mural on the conflict wall that illustrated a timeline of the following four historical events: The Woolworth Diner Sit-ins, Cesar Chavez's protest against unfair labor practices, the Women's Suffrage Movement, and the Separate-But-Equal Education and Institutional Debate. On the adjacent wall, she wished to see the mechanism to each issue’s legal resolution. The solution wall outlines three images: The Presidential signing of a congressionally passed bill, the judicial argument against unequal social and institutional practices, and the enforcement arm of the legal system. The sharp use of black and warm colors helped differentiate the resolution wall from the opposing conflict tone. The use of cool earth tones on the conflict wall also reflects its time period.

“Turning Point” focuses on MS 219’s core principles of community, academics, and athletics. The mural was created in partnership with Phipps Turning Point program and The Office of the Mayor of New York City. The mural addresses the need for young people to develop educated minds and healthy bodies, and speaks to the need for the community’s investment in supporting its most important resource - its people.  The mural imagery emphasizes development through academic achievement, physical discipline, and the importance of community to supporting young people’s education, skills, work habits, and goals. During the design phase, the mural team defined the function of community as that of an extended family, including local residents, fellow students, and school staff. The finished mural not only acknowledges and celebrates the importance of this community, but also beautifies the walls of MS 219.

Ten Rikers Island inmates created a large mural based on the poem “The Guest House” by Rumi on the wall of the Eric M. Taylor Center at Rikers Island. Based on ideas brainstormed during a discussion of the poem, the mural team compiled imagery into a visual reference dictionary. Participants made drawings based on the references and transformed them into the final design for the mural. While painting, participants were introduced to techniques such as gridding, mixing colors, applying paint, layering, and rendering shadows and highlights. The mural depicts a labyrinth which reveals the shape of a man. In his arms, he holds a large hourglass through which sand pours. In the sand are small bricks inscribed with words from the poem, including joy, depression, awareness, sorrow, honor, shame, malice, and laughter. A vibrant aura radiates from the center of the labyrinth-tattooed man. This project allowed the inmates to contribute in an artistic and thoughtful way to their surroundings.

"What We Want, What We Believe" is a mural inspired by the work of legendary artist and former Black Panther Emory Douglas. The mural project was completed in conjunction with a major retrospective, “Emory Douglas: Black Panther,” which was on display at the New Museum in 2009. In partnership with New Museum and The Studio Museum in Harlem, Groundswell youth and artists Clare Herron and Chris Beck have brought to life an original design based on Douglas’s work. In preparation for the mural project, students attended workshops at the New Museum and The Studio Museum to learn about the history of the Black Panther Party and the larger Black Power Movement. As part of the design research process, the students canvassed the neighborhood and interviewed locals to discuss the issues that the communities felt were most relevant. One community issue that many people spoke about during the neighborhood surveys was the lack of parent involvement in their children’s lives. Based on the artists’ research, the theme of the mural became “Educate to Liberate.”

“Social Traps” was created in partnership with Aspirations Diploma Plus High School in East New York, Brooklyn. The students created the mural as an anti-gun violence advertisement for the high school walls. The students researched ways to prevent gun violence, shared personal stories, and created the mural to address these pressing issues. The team employed a visual style taken from popular culture, involving bold messaging, bright colors, and repetition. The mural was designed to subliminally market the consequences of social disorder. The team also discussed how the media defines and brands lower income communities as areas of disorder, decay, and neglect. “Social Traps” promotes a powerful message of anti-gun violence to Aspirations students, with hopes that this message will spread beyond the high school’s walls and into the streets.

“Bridging the Gap” is a mural that highlights the importance of bridging the gap between community elders and youth as illustrated by different activities and services offered by Bailey’s Café. Bailey’s Café is not actually a café; it is a community center for educational and cultural activity. The mural has five panels each showing different aspects of how the mission is achieved. Actual people from the community are featured in the mural, as well as actual events that Bailey’s is known for. The mural features an emphasis on community programs that bring the youth and elderly together, such as, musical performances, urban gardening, and theater. The fifteen young artists participated in some of the events and programs to get an idea of what Bailey’s really stands for.

“Piece Out, Peace In” is a collaborative gun violence prevention mural created in Crown Heights by Groundswell youth together with American Friends Service Committee and the Office of New York State Assemblymember Karim Camara. The first part of the mural, which unfolds in a narrative from left to right, addresses the history of guns in the United States. The design flows into imagery showing how the current laws and regulations lead to death by guns in urban communities. The final section of the mural illustrates the power of communities and youth to stand together to end gun violence. This successful collaboration engaged community-based organizations, gun violence prevention activists, clergy, police officers, and community members in anti-violence organizing.

“Truth Be Sold” was completed by twelve young women led by artists Katie Yamasaki and Menshahat Ebron in partnership with the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation. The theme of this mural is consumerism. The girls investigated the entire consumer process including extraction, production, market research, advertising, buying, selling, and disposal. Relating the topic specifically to women, the girls explored how consumption affects women on unique levels. Much of our consumer goods are made by women of reproductive age, and young women are often targets of the advertising industry. Brand logos and consumer statistics are spread throughout the design. Inscribed on the mural is a poem written by Nicaraguan poet Gioconda Belli entitled “Uno No Escoge.” This poem is about choosing consciousness and was selected to speak to the largely Spanish-speaking community of Cypress Hills. The mural explores how we as a society can move from being one that values things over people to a culture that values people over material possessions.

"Growth and Change" is featured in the courtyard of MS 210 in Ozone Park, Queens. The mural was painted by fifty sixth and seventh grade Advanced Art students and spans 70 feet. It was created in partnership with The Trust for Public Land’s “Schoolyard to Playground” school transformation program, which transforms underused school yards into vibrant and accessible public spaces. The young artists used a few different methods of painting, including washes, stenciling, and drip painting. Drawing on imagery from the natural world, the design features a symmetrical composition, with a stylized vine curling outward and upward to break the edges of the painted background of the center wall. The graphic style and intense colors used create a feeling of fun and celebration.