The Women of Brownsville: Telling Our Story

The artist team behind this project, consisting of only women, explored the hidden treasures of Brownsville's industrious women leaders through The Women of Brownsville: Telling Our Story. This mural was created as part of Transform/Restore: Brownsville, an initiative launched with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through its national Our Town. To create this message, the young women participated in an intensive artistic training, presented with the support of the New York City Council through its STARS Citywide Girls Initiative. Purples, violets, pinks, and a calm sunset yellow combine for the color palette of this inspiring mural. The Women of Brownsville: Telling Our Story centers on a large book opening to reveal three portraits of Brownsville women, haloed by a light of inspiration. To their left, Brownsville buildings stand strong and tall. Two hands create the shape of a cracked heart with a bandage over the wound, illustrating the need to end then heal violence against women. The mural uses words to state who the women may be, such as entrepreneurs, artists, protectors, and fighters. Since we began envisioning the Transform/Restore: Brownsville mural series, Groundswell took care to understand the valuable contributions of every member of the Brownsville community, said Groundswell Executive Director Amy Sananman about the mural. With the inclusion of the STARS Citywide Girls Initiative, this project can continue that vision by addressing experiences that can often be overlooked even in the most progressive of movements: the experiences of women of color. This mural celebrates the agency of Brownsville's powerful women through using art as a tool for social change.