State Arts Grant Fuels 70th Anniversary Mural at Yonkers Mall

A new public art installation funded by a state grant has opened in the North Lot of Cross County Center in Yonkers. The project is part of CHARM, a statewide initiative launched by Gov. Kathy Hochul and administered by the New York State Council on the Arts. The mural serves as a visual record of the property's seven decades of operation.

Cross County Center opened 70 years ago. For that duration, it has functioned as both a retail destination and a gathering place for Westchester County residents. The new artwork, located between Zara and Shake Shack, extends the site's public profile by adding a dedicated visual history to the parking area.

Artist Andrey Kravtsov, who works under the name Key Detail, created the piece. The design uses colorful imagery inspired by the 1950s. This aesthetic choice reflects the era when the center first opened its doors to the public. The visual style aims to connect current shoppers with the memories of previous generations who visited the location.

The unveiling brought together state and local stakeholders. New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins attended the event. She joined representatives from ArtsWestchester and Cross County Center for the official opening. Their presence underscored the partnership between state arts funding and local commercial development.

The CHARM program, which stands for Cultivating Havens for the Arts through Regional Murals, supports public art projects across New York. This installation is one of the outcomes of that statewide effort. The work is now visible to anyone driving through or shopping at the center.