For most people, “getting outside” means leaving the city behind. In Manhattan’s Union Square, Merrell is flipping that idea—turning one of downtown’s busiest corridors into a space that asks New Yorkers to slow down and look at the outdoors differently.
In New York, that concept has taken shape through a city-wide activation anchored by Brooklyn-based artist Shantell Martin’s enormous “Get Outside” mural stretched across Union Square’s 14th Street Busway. Installed as part of the neighborhood’s annual public art program, the 7,500-square-foot work, hand-painted by Colossal, transforms one of Manhattan’s busiest intersections into something unexpectedly reflective, a reminder to slow down and reconnect with the city around you.
The mural serves as the centerpiece of Merrell’s New York City activation within the brand’s global “Outside in the City” rollout spanning New York, London, and Paris. Martin’s signature line work moves through the busway in sweeping white strokes against a black backdrop, interrupted by bursts of color and an orange thread-like path that encourages pedestrians to follow their own route through the city. It’s a natural fit for Union Square, where movement never really stops. Commuters cut through the plaza, skaters circle the park, chess players gather daily, and tourists constantly intersect with downtown regulars. Instead of asking New Yorkers to leave all of that behind to experience the outdoors, the project leans into the idea that those small moments of pause already exist here.
The activation officially launched on April 30 with a public unveiling. As crowds gathered around the newly painted busway, Shantell Martin spoke about curiosity, movement, and reconnecting with the city through everyday moments, themes reflected throughout her signature line work stretched across the plaza. Contemporary dancers activated the mural during the reveal, moving through the artwork in real time as pedestrians stopped to watch the performance unfold directly within one of Manhattan’s busiest intersections.
As the initiative continued on May 7, Merrell transformed Union Square South Plaza into a vibrant, open-air neighborhood block party that beautifully bridged urban culture with the outdoors. The lively afternoon kicked off with a cozy cafecito and an Urban Park Walk led by Latino Outdoors—a community-first organization dedicated to connecting Latin communities with nature, environmental education, and outdoor experiences—which guided participants from 787 Coffee through Madison Square Park right into the heart of the activation space. Inside the plaza, the atmosphere was electric; a live DJ spun tracks and local breakdancers took over the pavement, while a diverse crowd gathered to play on a giant, street-level chessboard filled with oversized orange and white pieces. Grounding the entire experience in a distinctly local perspective, a striking outdoor gallery showcased interpretations of being “outside” by New York lens artists Luisa Opalsky, Maxwell Vice, Laura Fuchs, Ricky Alvarez, and Guarionex Rodriguez Jr., all set against the backdrop of a massive, sweeping asphalt mural painted by artist Shantell Martin.
What makes the initiative resonate is how naturally it integrates into the rhythm of New York itself. Rather than positioning the outdoors as somewhere far removed from city life, Merrell’s “Outside in the City” initiative highlights the ways outdoor connection already exists within everyday moments across the five boroughs. Martin’s mural acts as the starting point, transforming one of Manhattan’s busiest intersections into a space New Yorkers can actively move through and engage with throughout the spring 2027. Beyond Union Square, the momentum continues through community-led walks, borough-wide activations, and guided hikes stretching from city streets to the Catskills, all encouraging New Yorkers to reconnect through time spent outside.
To learn more, visit the official Merrell website. You can also see Martin’s mural by visiting the Union Square Busway.
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