On Saturday, January 09, 2021, at 02:00 p.m., Bronx artists Souls NYC, Image and Modus will unveil a large mural on the site of the original Mott Haven Community Refrigerator at 141st Street between St. Ann’s and Crimmins Avenues, bringing art to a once neglected and forgotten city block.
When 30 volunteers showed up on a rainy December night to move the fridge down the street due to a forced removal, the three Bronx artists looked at a blank wall and saw an opportunity to give back. They decided to volunteer their time to a large mural project that, this Saturday afternoon, will finally be complete.
“We are so excited to use our artistic vision to amplify the newfound beauty of a once forgotten space. We want nothing more than to give back to our home borough and bring communities like Mott Haven the attention they deserve,” the 3 graffiti artists said in a joint statement.
Rúben “Chino” Calderón, a community resident who volunteers to take care of the fridge and keep the formerly garbage-riddled sidewalk clean on a daily basis, is thrilled about the artistic addition to his new home.
“40 years of garbage and empty liquor bottles gone in one December day, and I have been keeping it that way ever since. Since day one, I had this fridge’s back. It is part of my life. And now the mural will help the people know that this is here to stay,” he said.
Mott Haven Fridge co-founders Charlotte Alvarez & Daniel Zauderer are equally excited about the mural. “No city block should suffer from the kind of neglect that this one has seen. We are glad that a small move down the block has galvanized the community into action and we hope that this mural will bring more hope and positivity to the block,” they said.
During the event on Saturday afternoon, community members and organizers will have the opportunity to watch the artists as they put finishing touches on the mural. After the painting will be a brief Q & A with the artists and time to celebrate this new community work of art.
