Doug Groupp's Lady Liberty Mural on Houston Street

On Houston Street by the 2nd Ave F stop, artist Doug Groupp, also known as Clown Soldier, has painted a powerful mural of the Statue of Liberty being detained by ICE. It’s a blunt, unsettling image that pushes us to think about what freedom really means in the United States.

Born and raised in New York, Groupp has long worked in public and street‑based art. Installing the mural in a busy downtown location places the work within the everyday life of the city it addresses.

Widely shared online and recently covered by Hyperallergic, the work has resonated with many far beyond its site. By using a familiar symbol in a time of fear and uncertainty, Groupp compels us to confront difficult questions about how immigrants are treated today.

This mural is part of Groupp’s larger body of work and connects directly to our current exhibition, Crossing Borders, which features his piece ON alongside his Mochi Boxes. The exhibition explores themes of migration, borders, and identity.

Doug Groupp's Mochi Boxes

T‑shirts and limited‑edition prints of the mural are available online and at Van Der Plas Gallery. Proceeds go to the New York Immigration Coalition Emergency Justice Fund, which supports immigrants and families in crisis.

Click Here to Purchase

If you’re in New York, you can experience Groupp’s work in two ways: visit Van Der Plas Gallery to see his pieces in our exhibition, then walk over to Houston Street to see the Lady Liberty mural in person, right in the middle of the city it’s speaking about.