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Experience the brand new mural “Ponle Vuelo A Tus Sueños/Let Your Dreams Take Flight” by Boston-based muralist Yenny Hernandez.

No, it’s not a dream. But, the vibrant 2,500-square-foot mural enveloping Prudential Center’s Boylston facade might inspire you to recommit to pursuing your dreams. At least, that’s what award-winning muralist designer and illustrator Yenny Hernandez set out to accomplish in her new project “Ponle Vuelo A Tus Sueños/Let Your Dreams Take Flight.”

Dare to dream

“Let Your Dreams Take Flight” welcomes visitors entering Boylston Plaza with vibrant colors, floral patterns, and nostalgic imagery. “If you feel like you’re in the middle of a tropical lush forest, then I have done my job rightly,” says Hernandez, who often pulls from her Puerto Rican heritage when creating her illustrations. In fact, the name of the project stems from the first line of a poem her mother wrote when Hernandez was a child. 

Hernandez notes that her  intention for this project is to create a place and a space for people to talk about their hopes and dreams. As such, “Take Flight” grabs viewers’ attention and pulls their gaze upwards as they enter the building. 

“I want you to experience that prism of color and moment of happiness and wonder, that universalness of, ‘What is a dream, why is it my dream, and how do I get to there?’” Hernandez says. 

The stairs leading into the building are also enveloped with colorful illustrations, as well as messages of encouragement — another signature element of the artists’ work. Visitors are reassured: “You are capable,” “Go for it!” and “Onward!” with each step they take toward the landing. 

“Encouragement is one of the few forms of exchange that costs nothing yet holds the power to be priceless to others,” says Hernandez. “From reminding us to dream to sparking us to accept ourselves in every shape, gender, life stage, and mental state, encouragement has the power to reframe our outlook on self, life and experience.”

Bringing the community together

“Take Flight” has a distinct message for the Latinx community in particular. It serves as a recognition of journeys to dream fulfillment that include breaking through language, educational, and socioeconomic barriers. “I really want to create a space for the Latinx community to talk about what their dreams are and what achieving those dreams has been,” the artist adds.

By encouraging us to talk about the pursuit of our dreams, Hernandez hopes we can reframe the way we see each other and our view on life. Perhaps there is more common ground than we realize?

“I think that’s the entryway for us to really understand each other as a community,” she says. 

Come, let your dreams take flight

Commissioned by Boston Properties and curated by Now + There, “Take Flight” will be viewable through October 2022. We will celebrate the mural’s official opening with light refreshments from Del Frisco’s Thursday, June 30 from 5 – 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Register to attend here.

As you visit and take inspiration from Hernandez’s work, we encourage you to share your photos with the project on social media and tag us (@pruboston), Yenny Hernandez (@yennycreates),  and #TakeFlightBOS.