2. Monte de Flores at Montefiore Square
Located at Montefiore Square in Hamilton Heights is Monte de Flores, a public mural created by 29 New York residents between the ages of 16 and 24. The young artists created the mural as part of the Creative Art Works Public Art Youth Employment program. Through this program, teens and young adults are given full-time summer jobs and part-time jobs after school where they create large-scale public art and multimedia projects. Montefiore Square’s new mural serves as the final component of its 13-year redevelopment project, with the artwork intended to help make the space more welcoming for visitors.
In order to capture the essence of the neighborhood within the mural’s design, CWA youth apprentices surveyed community leaders and local residents to draw inspiration from their personal experiences. From these interviews, the artists chose literal and symbolic images to include in the mural, such as street musicians, a child smelling a flower, domino players, and jazz musicians among others. Monte de Flores will be on view through August 9, 2023.
