Large-scale portraits by Venezuelan artist Oscar B. Castillo celebrate immigrant New Yorkers in Downtown Brooklyn
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) has unveiled the Brooklyn location of its third annual New York Proud campaign with a public art installation at The Plaza at 300 Ashland, in Downtown Brooklyn, bringing the faces and stories of immigrant New Yorkers into one of the borough’s major public spaces.
New York Proud is a citywide public art initiative celebrating the immigrants whose contributions are essential to New York’s culture, economy and identity. Through large-scale portraits and personal stories displayed in public gathering places, the campaign showcases immigrant New Yorkers not as political abstractions, but as neighbors, workers, artists, business owners and community leaders whose lives are inseparable from the story of New York.
Created by Venezuelan artist and documentary photographer Oscar B. Castillo, the exhibition pairs striking portraits with personal stories from immigrant New Yorkers across the city. By placing the work in parks, plazas and other shared spaces, New York Proud transforms familiar gathering places into opportunities for connection and recognition.
Patrícia (Artist & Filmmaker), Brazil; Ezra (Artist & Educator), Ethiopia; & Yoo Jung (Artist & Educator), South Korea | Photo: Oscar B. Castillo
Zouyoudi, Amani, & Ibrahim: Chad | Photo: Oscar B. Castillo
Valeria (Dancer & Choreographer), Galia (Architect) , & Julia (Filmmaker): Argentina | Photo: Oscar B. Castillo
Mohamed (Cook): Guinea, Chinemerem (Chef & Actor): Nigeria, Aboubacar (Cook): Guinea | Photo: Oscar B. Castillo
Brooklyn’s neighborhoods have been shaped for generations by immigrants from across the globe, whose cultures, businesses, families and traditions are woven into the fabric of the borough, making Brooklyn a natural home for New York Proud. As immigrant communities face mounting hostility and uncertainty at the federal level, New York Proud brings their faces and stories into Brooklyn’s public spaces, celebrating their contributions as an essential part of the borough’s identity. NY Proud 2026 participants include Brooklyn musicians, artists, writers, business owners and more.
“From Sunset Park and Flatbush to Bushwick and Bensonhurst, Brooklyn’s neighborhoods reflect generations of immigrants who have built businesses, raised families, created community and shaped the borough’s culture,” said Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition. “At a moment when some are attempting to divide and intimidate immigrant communities, New York Proud is bringing their faces and stories into the heart of Brooklyn. These portraits are a reminder that immigrant New Yorkers make Brooklyn a great, vibrant place to live.”
“Every portrait in New York Proud is about seeing people as they see themselves, with dignity, pride and a story that can’t be reduced to a headline or political debate,” said Oscar B. Castillo, New York Proud campaign photographer.“Brooklyn is a particularly meaningful place to share these photographs because immigrant communities are so deeply woven into the borough’s everyday life. I hope seeing these portraits in public spaces creates a moment of recognition and reminds people that these individual stories are part of the larger story of Brooklyn.”
The Brooklyn installation will be on view through Wednesday, October 30.
To learn more about New York Proud, visit www.immigrantsareny.org.
