JULIAN MACIAS
Joe Ficalora is a Bushwick native and creator/curator of the Bushwick Collective. The Collective, also known as Bushwick 5 Points, is where we watch Joe in this slice of life video talk about about the transformative and healing power of art as a mural comes to life. In just over 8 years, Joe Ficalora, a Bushwick native, has transformed his neighborhood into one of the world’s greatest destinations for street art.
Conceived and curated by Bushwick native Joe Ficalora, the Bushwick Collective has evolved into an extraordinary open-air gallery since its first mural surfaced in 2011.
Today the rooftop of that family business, GCM Steel, offers an eye-popping panorama of street art. More than 50 multicolored murals have transformed a swath of nearby buildings into a vast outdoor gallery called the Bushwick Collective, anchored at the intersection of Troutman Street and St. Nicholas Avenue.
I look for passion and integrity. I always meet the artist first, and we walk through the neighborhood together. I show them the walls, and I tell them a bit about the other artists who’ve painted here. If I like the artist’s work and feel right about the artist, it’s a go!