South Bronx public housing tower is now home to the tallest mural in the U.S.
Photos courtesy of Tameek Williams for Public Housing Community Fund
The tallest mural in the United States can now be found on a public housing tower in the South Bronx. Designed by artist Nestor Omar Garcia, also known as Angurria, in collaboration with Bronx native Fernando Ortiz, “Un MAR de Gente/From Every Shore” stretches more than 307 feet along the southwest-facing facade of NYCHA’s 29-story Morrisania Air Rights (MAR) development. The mural depicts MAR community members across generations, celebrating the residents and the neighborhood’s cultural legacy.
The mural was commissioned by ArtBridge, which worked alongside Angurria and his studio Monumental.do, Ortiz, and the Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF). Over several months, a series of workshops gathered stories and perspectives from MAR residents, placing their experiences at the center of the mural’s design.
Ultimately, these ideas have been brought to life through the monumental artwork, which serves as a testament to the generations of residents who have called MAR home since the complex was built in 1980 using air rights over the Metro-North rail tracks below. The three-tower public housing complex is home to roughly 1,950 residents.
An award-winning muralist, Angurria is known for his distinctive style and focus on Dominican identity. Drawing on the stories of MAR residents, he has transformed the building’s facade into one of the most visible canvases for community celebration and storytelling.
“I grew up in Los Alcarrizos painting the people of my neighborhood, and in the South Bronx I found the same pride, the same strength, the same families,” Angurria said. “For decades, the city has driven past these towers without really seeing who lives inside.”
“The residents of MAR gave us their stories, and in them, every family in the Bronx can recognize its own,” he added. “Now the whole Bronx can look up and see itself.”
The project builds on Angurria and Ortiz’s experience creating community-driven public art. Ortiz, a Dominican-American Bronx native and founder of FOGA, previously led community engagement for the “WE ARE THE BRONX” murals in the Third Avenue Business Improvement District.
“This project is one that is near and dear to me as a young kid from the Bronx who grew up in the area,” Ortiz said.
“Over the last few months, I have managed the community engagement process with the team to ensure that we captured MAR’s identity and sense of community, and for me this is more than a mural– it’s a full circle moment to give back to the South Bronx amplifying all the things that make us beautiful.”
The mural was funded by the M·A·C VIVA GLAM Fund and the PHCA, with M·A·C VIVA GLAM awarding ArtBridge a $165,000 grant to support the artwork and its community engagement process.
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