Iena Cruz Paints Endangered Tricolored Heron for Audubon Mural Project in Harlem

Italian street artist Federico Massa, known as Iena Cruz, created a six-story mural in Harlem as part of the Audubon Mural Project, an initiative led by Avi Gitler in collaboration with the National Audubon Society. The project focuses on painting endangered bird species in northern Harlem. Massa chose the Tricolored Heron, a bird with a slender neck and long yellow beak that feeds on insects and crustaceans. His mural depicts three herons: two fighting over prey and one nearly submerged in water, surrounded by plants, crabs, and insects. The composition addresses climate change and rising sea levels, a theme central to Massa's recent work. The mural took nine days to complete using a large crane. Massa noted that while painting, a Martin Scorsese-directed HBO series was being filmed nearby, transforming Amsterdam Avenue into a 1970s set. Local residents were initially skeptical, with one woman questioning the legality of the work, but later expressed appreciation. Massa sees the project as expanding Harlem's mural tradition and hopes it will spread to other cities. The interview was published in Artribune Magazine #30.