NEW ROCHELLE, NY (July 23, 2024) — A large mural, based on From the Source, a work by Na’ye Perez.
The mural, commissioned by BRP Companies, is Westchester County’s largest mural at 20 stories high, on the north façade of 500 Main Street in Downtown New Rochelle.
From The Source’s mission is to create a mural that embodies the day to day and presence of Black joy and aims to honor the stories and history of Black and Brown communities of New Rochelle.
What they are saying
Artist Na’ye Perez: “The mural is depicted as a collage reminiscing my body of work of paintings and drawings. The works selected to create the mural are mixed media works that use traditional materials such as charcoal, chalk, conte, and acrylic paints alongside found materials such as brown papers, discarded plastic, lino block prints, and gel transfers of communities within New Rochelle. While the final mural is a reproduction and not incorporate those materials themselves, I wanted to emulate those woven usages of materials and stories. The works will speak to the narrative of the city that these cherished residents are apart and contribute to. The narratives shown are born out of love for my community and family, exploring day-to-day moments of life, emphasizing Black and Brown presence as intimacy, care, love, and resilience.”
500 Main Street is a to-be-developed, Class A, 26-story tower in the heart of Downtown, New Rochelle, NY by BRP Companies. The property will consist of studio, one and two-bedroom units above a five-story parking garage. Upon completion, 500 Main will have luxurious amenities including a state-of-the-art fitness center, a resident lounge, a swimming pool and rooftop amenities.
Painting Process
The mural has been hand painted by Colossal Media over the past two months. In 2004, Colossal was founded with a singular mission: to resurrect the craft of hand-painted outdoor advertising. The company is founded by, built by, and led by artists. Colossal uses the same process for mural painting that Michelangelo used to paint the Sistine Chapel – and combines forgotten art practices with modern art-focused tech. Started and based in Brooklyn, Colossal Media has a 20-year-old hand-paint operation with 7+ generations of sign painter skills passed down through the years.
BRP Companies
A New York-based real estate firm that is at the forefront of mixed-use development and acquisition of urban, multi-family properties. The firm offers a full complement of development, acquisition, construction, property, and investment management. With an experienced staff of 70, a $6.7 billion portfolio and a total portfolio of 15.7 million square feet of planned, current and completed development, BRP is uniquely positioned to meet the demands of urban housing consumers. The firm is an innovator in developing mixed-use, mixed-income, “walkable” urban housing with high-quality, and energy efficient properties throughout the city of New York and beyond.
Seven Willow Collaborative, a real estate and cultural advisory firm, together with Suzanne Geiss, led the project’s curatorial project management having been engaged by 500 Main Street and its developer BRP Companies to fulfill the City of New Rochelle’s Private Art Betterment requirement and add vibrancy to downtown New Rochelle.