Inspiring New Mural by Sophy Tuttle at Safe Harbors Green Celebrates Ten Years of the City's Special Gathering Space

Photo by Anne Carlisle

Safe Harbors of the Hudson announces installation of artist Sophy Tuttle’s native species-inspired mural on Safe Harbors Green

The installation is a Commissioned mural marks the ten-year anniversary of the Green as a growing and thriving community space.

NEWBURGH, NEW YORK, August 25, 2026—Safe Harbors of the Hudson, a Newburgh-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming lives and building community through housing and the arts, today announced the installation of a new mural by artist Sophy Tuttle on the exterior of Safe Harbor’s Cornerstone Residence located at 111 Broadway in downtown Newburgh.

The new mural was commissioned by Safe Harbors to mark the tenth anniversary of Safe Harbors Green, a formerly vacant lot that Safe Harbors transformed into a vibrant half-acre urban park in 2016. Inspired by native flora and fauna found on the Green, the large-scale mural will be completed ahead of Safe Harbors’ annual gala on September 17, which will celebrate the park’s anniversary and honor the designer of the Green, Bryan Quinn.

“Previously on this wall, Dasic Fernández’s Transcendence gazed toward the sky, contemplating Newburgh’s possibilities. Now, Sophy’s design speaks to the way the community continues to bloom

and grow.” —Lisa Silverstone, Executive Director

Using bold imagery and vivid colors, Tuttle’s artwork will celebrate the beauty of Newburgh's natural environment while reflecting themes of growth, resilience, and hope. Spanning approximately 60 feet high by 25 feet wide, the mural design draws inspiration from the native plant life and pollinator habitat found within the Green. Some of the native flora and fauna depicted in the mural include Joe-Pye-weed, milkweed, eastern cottonwood, blue flag iris, the carpenter bee, tiger swallowtail butterfly, and the Isabella tiger moth. In addition to being native to the Hudson Valley, species were chosen for what they often symbolize across various cultures, embodying qualities like connection and balance. The mural will be installed on the Cornerstone’s expansive eastern-facing brick exterior wall, which forms the Green’s western border. The installation process will be conducted by Beyond Walls, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization dedicated to building and strengthening communities through public art.

"Public art has the power to reimagine spaces and strengthen connections within the communities we serve," said Tiffany Daniel, Beyond Walls’ Deputy Director, who is overseeing the Newburgh installation. "We're excited to partner with Safe Harbors on a project that reflects its support for public art and its commitment to creating welcoming outdoor spaces for residents and visitors alike."

Bordered by Broadway and Ann Street on the north and south and Liberty Street on the east, Safe Harbors Green is a tranquil, natural oasis and vital central hub that offers spaces for reflection and quiet enjoyment while hosting a wide array of cultural and community events throughout the year—from the weekly Newburgh Farmers’ Market to the City of Newburgh’s summer film series, to Newburgh Pride on the Green, Salsa Under the Stars, and the annual Ritz Kidz Circus. The Green embodies Safe Harbors’ commitment to sustainability and stewardship as a home to over 50 species of native plants and pollinators, and through its use of solar lighting, rainwater gardens, and bioswales that divert water away from the city’s water system. Learn more about Safe Harbors Green.

Photo by Gina Babbage

NEWBURGH PORTRAITS TO BE DE-INSTALLED

As the new mural is going up, Safe Harbors will also take down another long-running public art project on Safe Harbors Green. For the past 14 years, the Green has hosted a collection of 48"x63" foamcore prints of photographs of Newburgh residents by Dmitri Kasterine. Installed in 2012, the portraits (44 in total) were taken beginning in 1996 and are featured in a companion book by Kasterine, Newburgh, Portrait of a City (Quantuck Lane Press, 2012).

A familiar sight to many, the portraits have become a local landmark for community members and visitors alike. The prints have deteriorated significantly over the past several years, and Safe Harbors made the decision to de-install the project and make room for new public art on Safe Harbors Green.  Safe Harbors is working with community advocate and Orange County Legislator Gabrielle Hill to help place these prints in the hands of the subjects and their families after de-installation. For more information about placing a print with those depicted or their families, please contact Safe Harbors at (845) 562-6940 or info@safe-harbors.org.

ABOUT SOPHY TUTTLE

Sophy Tuttle is an English-born American muralist, painter, and installation artist. Her work celebrates and promotes culture-building between humans and all other forms of life. Often vibrant and dynamic, these murals are a way to begin conversations within the community about our relationship with nature and the ways in which we both conflict and collaborate with our fellow creatures every day. Tuttle began painting murals while living in Oaxaca, Mexico in 2013, where she learned from local activists and artists. Her work can now be seen from Massachusetts to Colombia, and she has participated in many mural festivals both nationally and internationally including PangeaSeed’s Sea Walls Festival (2020 & 2021, USA), Sunny Dayz Mural Festival (2024, USA), and the Cheltenham Paint Festival (2023, England). Learn more at sophytuttle.com.

ABOUT BEYOND WALLS

Beyond Walls helps galvanize communities, eliminate barriers to art, provide educational and training opportunities for teachers and students, support local businesses, and promote visitation to urban areas that are the drivers behind regional economies around the state. Since 2017, Beyond Walls has brought art and artists to communities recognized as the “gateway” to the American Dream. To date, Beyond Walls has been invited to serve 18 vibrant and diverse communities through art installations, curricula development, events, programs, collaborations, and interactive design. beyondwalls.org

ABOUT SAFE HARBORS OF THE HUDSON 

Founded in 2000, Safe Harbors of the Hudson is a dynamic arts and housing nonprofit located in the City of Newburgh, New York. With the mission of transforming lives and building community through housing and the arts, Safe Harbors plays an integral role in Newburgh’s continuing revitalization through innovative redevelopment projects that co-locate supportive and affordable housing with visual and performing arts spaces and programming. Safe Harbors owns and operates the Cornerstone Residence, which provides supportive housing for 128 neighbors; Ann Street Gallery, a contemporary visual arts venue; Safe Harbors Green, a vital green space and outdoor stage; and the historic Ritz Theater, which Safe Harbors is actively programming while continuing its redevelopment as a flexible and state of the art center for performances, events, and community. safe-harbors.org.