Inside Creative Art Works’ New Mural at REBNY

The Heart of the Hustle (2026, latex paint on drywall)

This summer, the Real Estate Board of New York welcomed a group of young New Yorkers into our office with a unique assignment: tell the story of New York City through art.

Through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), REBNY partnered with Creative Art Works, a nonprofit that empowers New York City youth through visual and multimedia arts, to create a large-scale mural for REBNY’s office.

Creating the Mural

Creative Art Works’ Public Art Youth Employment program gives teens and young adults the opportunity to work as apprentices on large-scale public art and multimedia projects while developing skills and gaining professional experience.

At REBNY, the Youth Apprentices began their work much like any creative team would: by asking questions, learning about their client and brainstorming what they wanted the final project to communicate.

From there, they experimented.

Some apprentices came into the program with an art background, while others were introduced to new materials and techniques for the first time. Over the course of the summer, the group explored everything from drawing and watercolor to collage and printmaking before bringing those ideas together into a single design.

As one apprentice reflected, “the process also meant stepping outside of my comfort zone and becoming more confident in learning new artistic techniques.”

Seeing New York Through Their Eyes

Early concepts for the mural were expansive. The apprentices wanted to capture everything that makes New York feel like New York, including the small details they encounter in their everyday lives. Through conversations with REBNY and the teaching artists, those ideas evolved into a design that more closely connected their experiences of the city with its real estate and built environment.

The finished mural brings both perspectives together.

The Queens Unisphere, Coney Island Wonder Wheel, Domino Park, the High Line, Manhattan Bridge and High Bridge appear alongside quieter moments of life in the city. Together, they create a portrait of New York that is not defined by any single building or borough, but by the places and experiences New Yorkers share.

For the young artists, creating that portrait also offered an opportunity to think differently about the city around them.

A Lasting Addition to REBNY

Perhaps the most important part of the project was that no one person created the mural.

The Youth Apprentices had to share ideas, respond to feedback, solve problems and ultimately turn dozens of individual perspectives into one cohesive work.

That spirit of collaboration is now permanently represented on the walls of REBNY.

Visitors entering our office will see a mural celebrating the places that make New York recognizable. But behind every brushstroke is another story: a group of young New Yorkers who spent their summer learning new skills, building relationships, discovering new possibilities and leaving their own mark on the city.