The L.I.S.A Project

Little Italy, NYC 2013 || Photo by Katherine Gome
Temper Tot by Ron English can be seen at 114 Mulbery Street, NYC

In the neighborhood known as "Little Italy" of the Lower East Side, there is a non-profit organization whose aim is to create the first and only mural district in Manhattan. The L.I.S.A Project brings artists of different backgrounds to display their art on the walls on or near Mulberry Street. 

The idea behind this project was to reinvigorate "Little Italy" by bringing tourists and locals alike to patronize the many restaurants in the area, while the L.I.S.A Project took care of providing some great street art. For about five years, they have been using a vacant lot on Mulberry Street that has been affectionately named the "Temper Tot Lot," as there is a large mural of a muscular baby created by Ron English. 

In the Temper Tot Lot, they have been hosting summer parties that bring together street art crews from around the city to create work

Little Italy, NYC 2013 || Photo by Katherine Gomez
2nd place winners of the 2013 L.I.S.A. Project mural battle

that meets various criteria and to "battle" out for the bragging rights of being the event winner. The event is a combination of live DJs, food, and very talented artists, which makes for a very fun time. But like all good things, they must come to an end. The Temper Tot lot is being developed and the L.I.S.A. Project is losing their space. Actually, just today I found out why they are losing the lot, but I'm not sure if they have secured another location or if their project will continue. I sent them an email on their site but have not received a response, so I decided to send them a post on their Facebook page. I will update as I get more information


It's important to note that this area has been rapidly gentrified since the mid 2000's. This caused the National Trust for Historic Preservation to add this area on the list of America's Most Endangered Places. I'm sure we will see another Starbucks, Duane Reade or another big box store in this lot.