When the artist, Raúl Colón visited the Washington Heights community around 191 St Station, he saw a diverse neighborhood, filled with children. Colón’s response was a ceramic mosaic of a soaring couple dancing in an idyllic landscape and two faceted glass windows of children at play. In describing his thought process, Colón said that he wanted something that would be uplifting. He was inspired by the imagery and symbolism of early Renaissance murals, especially those of Piero della Francesca, recognized for their serenity and clarity. According to Colón, "The couple represented dancing is ethnically diverse, because it is a mixed neighborhood. It particularly represents the Hispanic and Latino culture.” 

Raúl Colón is a prolific and award-winning artist and illustrator. Born in New York City, Colón grew up on Puerto Rico where he went on to study commercial art. Since returning to New York City, Colón has continued his work both as a commercial illustrator, a children’s book author, and a public artist. In his two-dimensional works, Colón creates textured and rich colors by combining watercolor washes, etching, the use of color and litho pencils on watercolor paper. His work has been recognized with The David Usher Greenwich Workshop Award from The Society of Illustrators as well as Society of Illustrator’s Gold and Silver Medals.