The Groundswell Mural

Water Is the Life of NYC, the four-story mural located in Park Slope, Brooklyn, vividly and dramatically tells the story of the City’s drinking water – from its natural source through the complex network of tunnels and pipes to individual taps. Fourteen young people, ages 14-21, created the mural as part of the Groundswell Community Mural Project, a New York-based nonprofit organization founded in 1996. Groundswell is dedicated to using art as a tool for social change by bringing together professional artists, grassroots organizations and communities. In the last 12 years, it has created more than 100 public art projects in communities across New York City and in the process has developed partnerships with community-based and educational institutions, served thousands of youth and community members and transformed the urban landscape.

Learn about how the mural was created, and the message it conveys by watching the slideshow below.