Our Mission

The overall purpose of The People’s LES is to

• recognize and value the Lower East Side’s historic identity as a community of immigrants, workers, artists, and activists;
• develop a shared platform for both existing and new People’s LES stories and histories;
• commission public art works and murals related to those stories, and
• convene historians, artists, organizers, local leaders and residents in public dialogue which connect the past with the present, and help shape a future vision for the neighborhood.

Our History

Lower East Side History Month was launched in 2014 by FABnyc, Downtown Art, and 60+ LES-based organizations in the hope that a collective celebration of our neighborhood would strengthen our connection to each other and our shared sense of community.

The People’s LES website was first launched as a part of LES History Month in 2017 as a way to extend celebrations of LES history year-round, as well as provide a space for a range of diverse projects to be accessed via one collective platform. It was redesigned in 2022 and remains an active work in progress.