On a bright September morning in the Bronx, the faces of immigrant New Yorkers now stare out from Mill Pond Park — not as distant headlines, but as neighbors, workers, artists and business owners whose portraits fill one of the borough's most visible public spaces.
The exhibition is the latest chapter of New York Proud, a citywide public art campaign created by Venezuelan documentary photographer Oscar B. Castillo. Run by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), an umbrella group of more than 200 immigrant and refugee organizations, the show pairs striking large-scale portraits with the personal stories of the people in them. After launching in Times Square, it has now rolled into the Bronx, where it will stay through Oct. 5 before heading to the Queens Museum at Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Sept. 28.
The idea behind the campaign is simple but powerful: put immigrants at the center of shared public spaces, where everyone can see them clearly. "Photography has the power to challenge the narrow ways people are often seen, particularly immigrants, whose lives are too often flattened into headlines or political debates," Castillo said. "With these portraits, I wanted to capture each participant on their own terms and reflect the individuality, pride and complexity they bring to New York."
The timing is no accident. As immigrant communities face mounting hostility and uncertainty at the federal level, NYIC says New York Proud answers back by making visible the people who have long defined the city. The Bronx and Queens were chosen partly because they are home to immigrant communities from every corner of the globe — making them especially meaningful backdrops for the campaign's next chapters.
"The Bronx and Queens tell the story of New York: communities built and sustained by immigrants from every corner of the world," said NYIC President and CEO Murad Awawdeh. "These portraits affirm that immigrant New Yorkers belong here, that their contributions matter, and that their stories deserve to be seen in the neighborhoods they call home."
The campaign doesn't stop after Queens. A Brooklyn installation opens Oct. 6 at The Plaza at 300 Ashland on Flatbush Avenue, running through Oct. 28. By placing the art in parks, plazas and other gathering spots, NYIC says New York Proud transforms everyday places into opportunities for connection and recognition — a reminder that the people in the portraits aren't political abstractions, but the very fabric of the city's culture, economy and identity.