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, we aim to develop the next generation of changemakers. Through exposure to a high quality arts education rooted in social justice with social/emotional supports, Groundswell programs develop creative problem-solvers who use their radical imaginations to create personal and societal change.

At Groundswell, racial justice is central to what we set out to do in our work. Groundswell amplifies the voices of young people of color, and artists of color, through public art to reflect the brilliance of communities of color. We believe that through the power of expression and art making young people of color 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 where we operate, from police brutality to intergenerational relationships.