Singha Hon’s “From Root to Bloom” is on view in Marcus Garvey Park through August, with an accompanying installation in the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice offices
Bookmarks featuring vignettes from the artwork alongside information about MOERJ’s resources are also available at select libraries
Editor’s note: We previously covered another installation, representing Alice from Alice in Wonderland amid the modern city of New York. And a massive, 600 foot mural explores the untold stories of immigrants that have shaped New York.
“From Root to Bloom” by Singha Hon at Marcus Garvey Park. Courtesy of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice.
Editor’s note: We also covered the MOECJ’s and Mayor’s Office release of the Racial Equity Plan. We have also previously covered other artists with the program in the City of providing artist-in-residence positions and stipends to local artists who can help make the city into a more welcoming and beautiful place with their art installations, performances, and gallery exhibitions. Other programs, such as the artist program at Snug Harbor, are part of the same idea but implemented in different ways. Sifiso Mabena and Rey as well as the directors of the program, talked with us about the importance of such positions for artists looking to be able to support themselves and allow them to create their works.
New York, NY — The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ), is proud to announce “From Root to Bloom,” a new mural installation by artist Singha Hon now on view at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem through August 22, 2026. Hon created the artwork while working at MOERJ through DCLA’s Public Artist in Residence (PAIR) program. Installed along the park’s 120th Street entrance through NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program, the large-scale installation transforms the park gates into an immersive landscape that explores the deep roots and ongoing evolution of equity and racial justice work in New York City. An accompanying permanent installation of the mural is also on view at MOERJ’s offices in Manhattan. Extending the project’s reach beyond these installations, select New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Public Library branches will also distribute bookmarks featuring details from “From Root to Bloom” alongside information about MOERJ’s resources.
“Public Artist in Residence Singha Hon’s ‘From Root to Bloom’ mural shows how every step toward progress we make today stands on the hard-fought legacies of social justice movements and movement leaders from decades past, from civil rights, gay rights, and Black Lives Matter, to Shirley Chisholm and activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera,” said NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij. “Alongside our partners at the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice and NYC Parks, we’re proud to invite the public to learn how these movements shape our city’s work fostering equity and forging a stronger and more just city for us all.”
“’From Root to Bloom’ reflects how vibrant and diverse New York City truly is, showing how communities come together to build rather than collide, and how the global majority is meaningfully reflected across the city,” said NYC Chief Equity Officer and NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice Commissioner Afua Atta-Mensah. “This public artwork is rooted in everyday life experiences where New Yorkers can see themselves reflected, engage with ideas of fairness and belonging, and better understand how equity shows up across gender, race, sexuality, age, and community. This work speaks to New York City’s strength through its people, cultures, lived experiences, and histories that coexist and move forward together.”“Singha Hon’s work highlights the importance of shared resources, equity, and justice through her intricate depiction of a vibrant, living landscape. Artworks like these not only enhance our public spaces but encourage visitors to consider ways in which they can support their communities,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. “Our Art in the Parks program is proud to partner with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice to bring artworks into the public realm where everyone can enjoy them.”
“Through interviews, research, attending events, and leading workshops, I began to take note of the different people, places, moments in history, and acts of collective dedication that had led to the founding of the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice, and of the shared dreams that continue to sustain this work,” said artist Singha Hon. The visuals of a branching and interconnected root system feeding an abundant garden came about organically as a symbolic way to demonstrate the interconnections that continued to appear in these conversations and experiences. Presenting this equity and racial justice work as a garden, full of native and naturalized plants is a way to show the relationships between past, present, and future, to understand where we are and provide a moment of hope for where we can be: a future where all New Yorkers can bloom, flourish, and thrive.”
“It is fitting that ‘From Root to Bloom’ has taken root at Marcus Garvey Park, in a community whose soil has nourished every generation of the fight for justice,” said Council Member Yusef Salaam. “Singha Hon’s work honors the people and movements that built the foundation for offices like MOERJ, and I am grateful to DCLA, MOERJ, and NYC Parks for bringing it to Central Harlem, where its message will be felt most deeply.”
“’From Root to Bloom’ not only reflects the history and evolution of equity work in New York City but also reminds us that these conversations are deeply connected to community, representation, and the lived experiences of New Yorkers across generations. The piece acknowledges that many of these efforts are rooted in longstanding advocacy and organizing that helped shape how the city approaches equity work today,” said NYC Council Deputy Speaker Nantasha Williams. “I appreciate the way this installation centers equity as something ongoing and collective rather than abstract. Projects like this demonstrate how art can create deeper public engagement around issues that are often discussed only at the policy level while helping people connect more directly to the histories and communities behind that work.”
MOERJ Commissioner Afua Atta-Mensah (left) and artist Singha Hon (right) in front of “From Root to Bloom.” Courtesy of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice.
“From Root to Bloom” permanent installation by Singha Hon at the Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice and accompanying bookmarks. Courtesy of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice.
The installation is placed in Marcus Garvey Park, a location selected for its accessibility, proximity to transit, and connection to nearby schools, libraries, and community spaces, ensuring the work reaches audiences at the center of MOERJ’s mission. The park is located within a Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE) neighborhood, one of 33 communities the City identified as hardest hit by COVID-19 and prioritized for addressing longstanding systemic inequities.
The launch of “From Root to Bloom” comes as New York City advances a broader, citywide commitment to equity. Earlier this year, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani released the City’s first-ever Preliminary Citywide Racial Equity Plan, a comprehensive, governmentwide framework outlining measurable strategies to address longstanding disparities and promote systemic change across agencies. In this context, Hon’s work offers a powerful reflection of that effort, visualizing equity as a living, interconnected system shaped by generations of collective action.
In addition to the park installation, elements of “From Root to Bloom” will be distributed citywide through a series of printed bookmarks and available at select library branches. These materials will feature vignettes from the artwork alongside information about MOERJ’s resources for the public.
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Launched October 2023, the NYC Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ) is dedicated to creating a fairer and more equitable city for New Yorkers. As the city’s first centralized equity office, MOERJ is dedicated to working across all city agencies to create the first NYC Citywide Racial Equity Plan, with the goal of implementing policies, practices, and programs that promote social justice. This newly established office encompasses multi-agency bodies such as NYC Her Future (NHF), the NYC Commission on Gender Equity (CGE), the Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs, and the NYC Young Men’s Initiative (YMI), along with the collaborative initiatives of the NYC Pay Equity Cabinet (PEC) and the NYC Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE). To learn more about how MOERJ is advancing racial justice and engaging with New York City’s diverse communities, visit nyc.gov/Equity or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
NYC Department Of Cultural Affairs
The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is the largest municipal funder of culture in the country and is committed to providing access to art and culture for all New Yorkers.