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Little Italy Street Art Project 2012

by Wayne Rada

Since 2012, the Little Italy Street Art Project (LISA) has made it its mission to adorn the Lower East Side with fun and unique street art, creating the first mural district in downtown Manhattan. The Project began when LISA founder and curator Wayne Rada was working as a producer at the 2012 New York Comedy Festival. That year’s festival theme was humorous art, and Rada decided to recruit street artists for the event.

The team’s new murals around the neighborhood soon became a hit and received positive feedback from both the media and the community, and the street art project took on a life of its own.

LISA supports local businesses by buying supplies and paint from neighborhood stores, and creating merchants websites, promoting a sense of community and beautifying the streets of the Lower East Side.