Blast from Mott Haven’s past recalls an artistic keystone

Lindsay A. Lazarski, City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism

Abstract

Hundreds of people pass by Third Avenue and 147th Street each day without a second glance at the storefronts that house a nail salon, a hair braiding salon and, hidden from the street, a training school for security guards. There’s no sign that 30 years ago, this was one of the hippest spots in New York City. For 13 years, the graffiti covered storefront known as Fashion Moda, housed a collective of innovative artists, break-dancers, performers and other creative minds who painted, printed and sculpted, silk-screened T-shirts and sometimes just hung out, feeding on the energy each brought to the spot.