🔗 Share this article

Within the magnificence of this historic cathedral, a gathering of present-day migrants—mostly Latino, Asian, and Black—pause on a hillside slope holding their simple possessions. A father in casual wear holds a baby, while a kid in sneakers sits glumly in the foreground. Overhead in the towering clouds, the divine symbol is positioned on a bright shrine amid the clustering gleam of golden pendulous stripes suggesting the divine essence.

This touching and grand tableau constitutes a segment of what is perhaps the most significant new piece of public art in a currently divided United States.

“My hope is that viewers grasp from this artwork,” affirms the painter, “is that we’re all in this together. And to have this enormous platform to say something like that represents an incredible honor.”

The cathedral, often called the nation’s parish church, serves about 2.5 million New York Archdiocese Catholics. It stands as a key cathedral in the United States and attracts the most attention with millions of annual guests. This mural is the biggest lasting installation requested by the institution since its founding.

A Concept of Togetherness

Through the awarded artistic concept, the artwork accomplishes a lasting goal to honor the famed vision featuring holy figures including Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, the Lamb, and angels in a rural Irish sanctuary during the late 19th century. The creator broadens that tribute to include Irish immigrants of yore along with the city’s diverse migrant history.

The sizable wall on the west side, adjacent to the primary entrance, features a quintet of historic local Catholic notables alongside five present-day frontline workers. Over each grouping hovers a monumental angel against a backdrop of shining bands evoking God’s presence.

Honoring Multifaceted Impacts

For the five west-wall Catholic notables the archdiocese named Irish-born archbishop John Hughes, Dorothy Day, the onetime nonconformist turned campaigner, and Pierre Toussaint, the ex-slave who achieved success as a groomer and philanthropist. The creator incorporated indigenous saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American canonized, and selected public servant Al Smith from the interwar period. The first responders were the artist’s idea too.

The piece’s technique is distinctly figurative—a deeply purposeful choice. “Since this is a U.S. artwork, rather than European,” the painter states. “Overseas, there are centuries of religious artistry, their methods have evolved. But we do.”

A Labor of Love

The huge undertaking required around thirty individuals, featuring a skilled artisan for the metallic elements. Planning required half a year at a large workspace in an industrial area, followed by three-quarters of a year for the demanding painting—clambering up and down a scaffold to gauge things.

“Since my parent worked in architecture,” he replies. “Thus, I knew how to organize the area.”

Concerning the stepping-down archbishop, he declared at the mural’s presentation: “People inquire if this comments on migration? Absolutely, indeed. Namely, that immigrants are children of God.”

“Everyone shares this experience,” the painter echoes. “Despite personal feelings,” he notes. There are supporters of various politicians among the models. And multiple different religions. “Yet, universal human traits bind everyone,” he maintains. “It’s not reserved just for whom you get along with.”