Groundswell NYC

1996, a group of New York City artists, educators, and activists founded Groundswell with the belief that collaborative art-making combines personal expression with the strength of community activism—and produces unique and powerful outcomes. Twenty years later, 500 murals across all 5 boroughs have been completed by Groundswell, working with youth and teaching artists in collaboration with hundreds of community-based organizations, neighborhood groups, and government agencies throughout New York City.

By elevating youth vision, voice, and community collaboration, Groundswell aims to develop the next generation of changemakers. Through exposure to a high quality arts education rooted in social justice with social/emotional supports, the organization’s many programs develop creative problem-solvers who use their radical imaginations to create personal and societal change.

At Groundswell, racial justice takes central focus in all their work. Most importantly, they believe that through the power of expression and art making, young people of color can discover their agency to affect change in their lives and communities. All murals are based on social justice and community change issues that are important to the communities in which Groundswell operates. Topics range from police brutality to intergenerational relationships. As of today, Groundswell has completed over 500 murals across all five boroughs of New York.