MURALS
Since 1991 Los Muralistas have completed 12 permanent mural projects and nearly 20 temporary or no longer existing public art projects in Los Sures. The collective has also engaged other communities in mural projects throughout New York City and in other cities in the United States.
The first official Los Muralista mural was created in the spring of 1991 and focuses on AIDS awareness. Joe Matunis was a volunteer artist and all the paint used for the project was house paint donated by Klenosky paint on Metropolitan Ave. It was designed in fall and winter of 1990-1991.
The mural depicts the media's misleading and dishonest portrayal of the community as crime and drug ridden while major tobacco and alcohol companies littered the community with Spanish language advertising in an attempt sell their poisons to community residents.
Before and after shot of Washington Square Park (now Continental Army Plaza).
In 1992, Los Muralistas painted the second half of the mural in Washington Square Park. This section of the mural is a representation of the history of Latinos from pre-Colombian times to the present, including the founding of El Puente.
The mural includes illustrations of a positive youth culture and creativity in ending violence in the community. Lead artist, Joe Matunis worked with El Puente young people and Bushwick High School students.
The "Espiritu de la Tierra" (Spirit of the Earth) community mural is located in El Puente's Espiritu Tierra Community garden.
This mural was created in Chicago in1997 with Joe Matunis. It is a modern interpretation of various Renaissance representations of virtues and vices. The large, female hour glass figure represents Patience. Other figures include personifications of Greed, Vanity, Generosity, and so forth.
This mural addresses asthma in the community from its roots in environmental racism to healing through organizing, traditional remedies and preventative medicine. Painted and designed by Los Muralistas.