CHARAS/El Bohio Community Center: El Bohio Murals

In late 2022, Thrive partnered with community organizations in the Lower East Side to paint a stretch of wall belonging to an abandoned school building on East 10th Street.

The mural project was in homage to CHARAS, an iconic community organization that had moved into the abandoned building in 1979. There, they established “El Bohio” or “The Hut,” a center of arts, aid, housing, film screenings, festivals, organizing, activism, and much more. In 2001, CHARAS was evicted. The building has stood empty for decades.

The following artists took part in this mural makeover project: Will Power, Al Diaz (Samo), Danielle Mastrion, Marissa Molina, Christian Penn, Michela Muserra, Nico Collazo, Jodi Dareal, Charlie Elo, and Cram Concepts. Together, they painted 9 murals that celebrate CHARAS’ legacy and remind us of what has been lost in the community—and what needs to be restored.

To learn more about how this project came together, read our blog post.

Check out the picture gallery below to see how artists brought new color to this stretch of wall.