Mural By Famed Artist Unveiled At East Harlem School

HARLEM, NY — A dramatic mural by the famed artist Carmen Herrera was unveiled to the public this week at an East Harlem public school, six months after it was initially scheduled to be installed.

The mural, titled "Uno Dos Tres," was installed Monday afternoon at JHS 99 on East 100th Street, and unveiled in a ceremony Thursday.

Measuring 54 feet wide and 17 feet high, the striking black-and-white work is visible from the FDR Drive, creating what organizers hope will be "a new Manhattan landmark."

Herrera, a native of Cuba, has lived in New York since 1954. The mural was originally planned to be completed by May to coincide with her 105th birthday, but was delayed by the pandemic.

It was installed by teenage students enrolled in educational programs from the nonprofit Publicolor, including some students from the school itself. The work was adapted from Herrera's 1987 painting "Diagonal" and organized by the educational nonprofit Publicolor.

"I am proud to offer this image to Spanish Harlem and particularly proud that Publicolor students, so many of them Spanish-speaking like me, will be creating this," Herrera said in a statement in March, when the work was first announced.

Herrera is known for her abstract geometric paintings, often consisting of only two colors and informed by her ties to both Latin American art and the Paris art scene of the late 1940s, according to a 2016 New York Times article.

Despite her renown, Herrera did not receive a solo exhibition at a major New York museum until 2016, when the Whitney Museum ran a large retrospective showing about 50 of her works between 1948 and 1978.

Thrilled to join @PublicolorNYC to unveil the Carmen Herrera Mural in East Harlem. Mural was done by young students! Thank you Ruth for supporting young people in the arts via the Community Museum, the Rudin family for your generosity, & Carmen Herrera for being a role model! pic.twitter.com/GHSZHllFjb
— Gale A. Brewer (@galeabrewer) November 6, 2020

The East Harlem project was funded by siblings Beth Rudin DeWoody and William C. Rudin, as well as the Publicolor board. Thursday's ceremony included a dedication by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

"There has to be more art in public schools, especially those from the neediest parts of the city. I send my thanks and best wishes to my young collaborators and to all involved in the Publicolor project," Herrera said in a statement.

Related coverage: East Harlem School Mural To Feature Carmen Herrera Design