Mary J. Blige, DMX, and jazz icon Ella Fitzgerald have been immortalized in a mural at Yonkers’ Palisade Towers as a tribute to their illustrious careers and contributions to the arts.
Mayor Mike Spano and artist Robin Alcantara unveiled the mural, marking another milestone in the city’s extensive public art initiative led by the Yonkers Housing Authority.
Named “Together,” the mural exemplifies the city’s vision of harnessing art to inspire and educate its residents.
During the unveiling, Mayor Spano emphasized the mural’s significance in fostering a sense of pride and possibility within the community, especially among its youth.
“We need to have the Arts if we want to be able to really give our kids not just more of an education but to give them that flare, to give them that extra bit of creativity that comes with music and art,” he said.
The artwork is part of a broader $2 million public art project to integrate art into public spaces.
The inclusion of Mary J. Blige is particularly poignant following the news that she will be an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The mural features a powerful visual metaphor—a rose growing from concrete—inspired by a poem by Tupac Shakur.
This imagery represents the potential for greatness regardless of tough beginnings, a theme resonant with Blige’s and DMX’s stories.
Through public art, Yonkers continues to celebrate its notable residents, offering beauty and inspiration to its community.