Mural in Harlem by the Creative Arts Workshops for Kids

These beautiful murals in Harlem are creations of the Creative Arts Workshops for Kids (CAW), a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the lives of underserved Northern Manhattan youth through the use of visual, performing, and technology arts. Youth in Northern Manhattan neighborhoods including East Harlem, Central Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood learn job and developmental skills through CAW’s various programs. CAW also collaborates with institutions such as Teach for America, Fordham University, and St. Aloysius. 

The Statue of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. on Higher Ground in the Heart of Harlem

This is the statue of Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who represented Harlem in Congress from 1945 to 1970. The bronze sculpture depicts Powell striding dramatically up an incline in the plaza in front of the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building in Harlem. The statue of Powell is 12 feet high and sits on a cylindrical pedestal made of stainless steel and black granite. In his right hand, Powell has a copy of the Congressional Record. Powell is depicted moving uphill. The piece was sculpted by Branly Cadet, a New York native. It’s named “Higher Ground,” apparently inspired by a quote from Powell, “Press forward at all times, climbing forward toward that higher ground of the harmonious society that shapes the laws of man to the laws of God.” The memorial was dedicated on Feb. 17, 2005. 

Powell was born Nov. 29, 1908. He was the first African-American man to be elected to Congress from New York. He served from 1945 to 1971, serving for a time as the chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor. He died on April 4, 1972. 

Frederick Douglass Statue in Harlem

This is the statue of abolitionist, statesman and orator, Frederick Douglass located at the northwest corner of Central Park in Harlem. The 8-foot bronze statue is surrounded by a fountain memorial that is emblazoned with quotations and located a traffic circle at the corner of 110th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard — known as the Gateway to Harlem.

“From Frederick Douglass, we learned that we have the right to be free,” said Kenneth Morris, president of the Frederick Douglass Family Foundation, the great-great-great-grandson of Douglass. Douglass is one of the few African Americans to be memorialized in a work of public art in the city.

"Spirit of Harlem" Mosaic

This colorful wall mosaic called "Spirit of Harlem" by Louis Del Sarte celebrates the arts scene in Harlem. It is located at the facade of Capital One Bank at the corner of Frederick Douglass Boulevard and 125th Street. 

The Art of Harlem's "Franco the Great"

These are two of Franco the Great's paintings on metal gates for storefronts in Harlem. Dubbed the "Picasso of Harlem," Franco the Great is known for his paintings on steel gates for storefronts at 125th street in Harlem. His works can be seen in Africa, Japan, France, Central America, Canada, Spain and Brasil. 

The Apollo Theater in Harlem

The Apollo Theater in Harlem is an important cultural institution in New York City, and is one of the oldest and most famous music halls in the United States. Located at 235 West 125th Street, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Apollo was a neo-classical theater designed by George Keister and first owned by Sidney Cohen. In 1914, Benjamin Hurtig and Harry Seamon obtained a thirty-year lease on the newly constructed theater calling it Hurtig and Seamon’s New Burlesque Theater. In 1933 Fiorello La Guardia, who would later become New York City’s Mayor, began a campaign against burlesque. Hurtig & Seamon’s was one of many theaters that would close down. Cohen reopened the building as the 125th Street Apollo Theatre in 1934 featuring variety revues marketed to the growing African-American community in Harlem. In 1983, the Apollo received state and city landmark status and in 1991, Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc., was established as a private, not-for-profit organization to manage, fund and oversee programming for the Apollo Theater. Today, the Apollo, which functions under the guidance of a Board of Directors, presents concerts, performing arts, education and community outreach programs. The theater is home to the famous "Amateur Night", its signature live show that has become a career-making opportunity for new talents. The famed theater is considered a hallowed music hall where the likes of James Brown, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson have performed.