It’s hard to imagine New York City—especially neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens—without the vibrancy of its murals. Through bold characters, saturated colors, and layered symbols, they connect neighbors to their surroundings, celebrate cultural heritage, build shared memories, and foster a sense of belonging. Which is why keeping them as vivid and intact as the day they were painted is so essential.
In partnership with vitaminwater, we present Neighborhue. This collaborative program not only revives iconic NYC murals with bolder, brighter colors but also reignites the spirit of unity and resilience that has always defined these communities. The project celebrates Latine neighborhood narratives while highlighting the role of public art in Latine communities.
The focus of Neighborhue is on accurate, caring restoration—led by three celebrated artists: Marissa Molina, Lina Montoya, and Magda Love. Each mural they touch is a reflection of its community—reminding them that what makes the city unbreakable is the collective spirit. “It’s a promise to the community that hope and growth won’t fade,” shares Molina.
The series documents the restoration process, but also captures something bigger: the relationship between art and the people who live alongside it. Through interviews with artists and neighbors, we learn how these works shape identity, hold memory, and tell collective stories.
Each video follows a mural’s arc—from faded colors, chipped paint, and exposed brick to fresh vibrancy. We see the artists assessing the walls, setting down their tools, chatting with locals—all while under the afternoon heat. As brushes glide over the surface, neighborhood sounds filter in: laughter, street vendors calling out, music spilling from open windows.
The results are as layered and alive as the city itself. The murals tell their own story: one of survival, celebration, and strength.
“Tree of Life”
“Everyone’s roots stretch out to every corner of the world,” says Molina. “[…] our branches grow together toward the same sky.”
Created in 2019 through Thrive Collective, “Tree of Life” illustrates the ever-growing spirit of Jamaica, Queens—its refreshed greens, purples, oranges, blues, and pinks radiating pride and connection. For Molina, whose father emigrated from El Salvador in search of opportunity, the work also carries personal meaning. Her bold, empowering portraits honor the individuals who make up the community, anchoring the mural as both root and branch in the neighborhood’s story.
“She Rises”
Framed by chain-link fences and a playground in Brownsville, Brooklyn, “She Rises” is a beacon of color and strength. Created through Groundswell Collective, the piece celebrates women’s power to uplift families, nurture communities, and claim their voices—even in the face of attempts to silence them, as seen in the painted “x”s over characters’ mouths. Intentionally or not, this only made the restoration a much-needed act of resistance.
Rendered in vivid orange, pink, aqua, and deep magenta, the mural found its perfect restorer in Colombia-born Lina Montoya, an artist deeply rooted in public art traditions and inspired by the rhythm of music. “Restoring the mural honors the achievements of generations of women who shaped this city into the resilient place it is today,” Montoya says.
“In Unity, There’s Strength“
Between a shuttered deli and a dog bakery in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, “In Unity, There’s Strength” lives up to its name. Bold symbols—linked hands, dynamic patterns—speak to solidarity and the collective power of neighbors standing together.
Magda Love created this six-panel, site-specific work in collaboration with the Invisible Dog Art Center and Court–Smith BID. Love, a New York–based Argentinean artist, celebrates color, nature, and shared humanity. “Strength is not in the individual—it’s in the collective, the block, the neighborhood,” she says.
If these murals share one truth, it’s the idea of belonging. For everyone bound by the streets they call home, these restorations are reminders—to the present and the future—of what they share. Neighborhue, by Remezcla and vitaminwater, ensures their messages ring louder than ever: the only way forward is together.
