Lead Safe House

Groundswell collaborated with the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation to create a six-story mural on its Lead Safe House Building. The youth artists spent the first month of the project learning about the Lead Safe House and its mission to educate the Washington Heights and Inwood communities about the dangers of lead poisoning. Together, these two neighborhoods have more children at-risk for lead poisoning than any other neighborhood in New York City. The mural celebrates the potential health and wellness of the community while educating viewers about the dangers of environmental poisoning. The threat of lead paint poisoning is represented by the chipping paint that frames the bottom portion of the mural. An urban landscape rises behind the murals central figures and is transformed into a giant palm tree at the top of the composition. The palm fronds embrace and shelter a group of children and adults that are healthy and playful. The youth artists transferred the mural design to the wall using a grid system, working responsibly and safely together on nine levels of scaffolding.