Photos By Gail

Last December, Freeman Alley —  the street art Mecca on NYC’s Lower East Side — delivered one of the most delightfully unconventional holiday installations I’ve seen in ages: a Christmas tree made entirely from empty spray paint cans. Installed at the entrance to the boutique hotel UNTITLED at 3 Freeman Alley, the piece celebrated the neighborhood’s deep connection to graffiti and street art while giving the traditional holiday tree a thoroughly urban makeover.

The cans were sourced from local graffiti artists — with help from All City Legends in Harlem, a beloved hub for the city’s street-art community — turning what would normally be discarded materials into a sculptural monument of color, texture, and downtown grit. Instead of store-bought ornaments, visitors were encouraged to decorate the tree with stickers, a playful nod to the tagging culture that gives Freeman Alley its iconic layered walls. For a small donation to Arts Ignite, guests could add their own “ornament,” helping support youth arts programs across NYC.

Displayed in the hotel’s outdoor courtyard, the installation glowed with both holiday spirit and creative energy. Part sculpture, part community project, and part love letter to street art, the Graffiti Tree stood as a reminder that great design doesn’t always come from polished materials — sometimes it comes from the everyday objects that define a neighborhood.

A clever twist on seasonal décor and a perfect example of how design can bring communities together, this upcycled tree was a true Lower East Side original.