A Wall for Puerto Rico Rises in Kensington

(Photos by Streets Dept Contributor Eric Dale)

A little more than a month ago an event called The Giveback: Puerto Rico was held at 5th street and Cecil B. Moore avenue in Kensington in celebration of this year’s Puerto Rican festivities as well as a fundraiser to provide education to the underserved areas of Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Maria. Organized by community leader artist and Puerto Rican native Christian Alexis Rodriguez-Pagan (aka TAMEARTZ), the project culminated with some new work around 5th and Cecil including this awesome large-scale mural created by @busta.art @imsedbr, @desilmula, @michaelpistash, and @tameartz!

“Over 400 schools have closed across Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria,” the project’s GoFundMe page reads. “Rural areas, like Christian’s hometowns of Mayagüez and Añasco, are often overlooked following natural disasters and struggle to receive and establish basic human services. Money raised from Puerto Rico: The Giveback will be used to create sustainable education programs and computer labs for community centers in areas that have not received relief… Understanding the magnitude of the project, Christian is working with local philanthropists Victor and Madeline Neris Negron, musician Asher Roth, and community sponsor Chadwick Smith of Flow Development & Technology to raise public awareness.”

And the GoFundMe page is still live and actively looking for donations, so if you’d like to contribute please learn more here.

P.s. Busta, who we interviewed last year, also created this new piece at 5th and Cecil (photographed below)!