Our History
Groundswell began with a single mural project in 1996, when artist and tenant organizer Amy Sananman, inspired by personal stories of Mexican immigrant families in Williamsburg, initiated a collaboration between local residents and youth artists to share those stories through public art. “The Golden Birdcage” became Groundswell’s first mural.
Individual projects became ongoing programs, and as support and connections grew, Groundswell codified its summer mural-making activities as the Summer Leadership Institute and added afterschool arts education programming throughout the year.
We approach the social justice themes of our murals with sensitivity, but also candor and honesty.
Our 1999 mural “Peace is Not a Dream in Storage” sparked controversy by bringing discussions of domestic violence into a public space. The destruction of this mural resulted in the creation of our ongoing “Voices Her’d” initiative, which centers on issues of particular importance to young women and gender-expansive youth. Throughout our history, we have built relationships with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, public schools, local businesses, and government agencies to help us serve communities that might otherwise be out of reach and engage thousands of young people in creating art for social change.