Photo: QueensPost
June 11, 2013, By Bill Parry
A local artist and a group of teenagers began painting a colorful mural on an unloved wall in Sunnyside on Sunday.
Mark Salinas, who lives and works out of his studio apartment on 40th St., joined forces with the the Sunnyside/Woodside Boys & Girls Club to paint a “Rise-N-Shine” themed mural at the corner of 42nd St. and 48th Ave.
Salinas hopes his street art revitalizes this section of Sunnyside known for its shuttered businesses.
The teenagers that took part are members of the Torch Club, a nationwide leadership program that is part of the Boys & Girls Club. “You can’t go wrong when you involve neighborhood youth,” Salinas said.
The artist hopes the experience will give the teens pride in the new mural every time they walk by and hopefully dissuade other youths from tagging the wall with graffiti. “It was just last year, when we were cleaning this same wall of graffiti, when I had the idea for the mural,” said Salinas.
Rain delayed painting by a day and should further delay progress throughout the week. Salinas said the neighborhood response has been enthusiastic. “Everyone honks and says ‘thank you’,” he said. “If they have negative thoughts, they’ve been keeping it to themselves.”
Salinas arranged funding in the form of grants from the Queens Council on the Arts, as well as donations from local businesses.
If the feedback remains positive, the Rise-N-Shine mural will be the first of several projects in the neighborhood. “I have more ideas,” Salinas said.
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29 Comments
Hoove – I understand you well… I’m just pissed that most of you fail to see that walls like this one are important to have. And just because personal property gets tagged you* put blindfold to ALL graffiti/street art/murals and categorize it as ugly/offensive/vandalizing. You* refuse to see the artistic capability that some one has.
No, I don’t like places that are tagged up by thugs trying to be tough and show their turf. It is art and a form of graffiti, but that is not my cup of tea. I do however appreciate a nice “legal” wall that has graffiti is on display.
*you=large mass of people living in this community.
EA,
You fail to grasp the basic point. You apparently are happy to let graffiti painters mark up your personal property, that’s fine. It’s your decision. BUT, there are many property owners out there who did NOT consent to having their homes, stores, and public spaces defaced by a bunch of punks with spray paint cans and felt markers.
This mural is certainly a lot nicer than that hideous one that used to be on the wall of Nelson’s Christmas shop a few years ago. Thankfully, someone had the good sense to paint over that piece of garbage.
Thank you SuperWittySmitty. Someone who thinks. Art is in the eye of the beholder. You are probably one of the *not so sophisticated* residents of Sunnyside as was mentioned in an earlier remark.
OMG if you can get Owen Dippie to pain on my living room wall I’ll be a very happy person!!!!!
Art is art, and there is good art and bad art. I would open my doors and show my walls to the artists that I love. That is my opinion and if that makes me and idiot so be it. But I stand by it.
Here is my email eamandrzejewska@gmail.com show me who you can pick off the streets and their work and I promise you that -if I like what I see- I’ll let them paint in my house.
Walls like the one this article is about or 5 pointz can bring a lot of personality and respect to this neighborhood. And a safe place for kids to take time and make good work and not be penalized by it.
Once again, art is art, good or bad. I myself have not warmed up to tagging but I like to look at good grafitti. Sorry if you are a victim of bad art but this is not what this article is about.
This graphic image (please, it’s not art) would drive me crazy if I had to live in one of the many RESIDENTIAL homes across the street. I would prefer to look at a brick wall, anything that is a natural earth tone, instead of a bright yellow popcorn box.
If it was in a playground, it would be more suitable. Did the folks behind this idea ever stop to consider how the neighborhood would react? Or do they just go ahead and do whatever they want. Reminds me of that shop on 44th that painted their exterior chartreuse.
As long as the supermarket is closed, I do not have to walk by this corner. If I was forced to look at it on a regular basis, I would begin to hate it. Again, respect your neighbors; show some consideration, and think before you act.
As soon as this was mentioned a few weeks ago in Sunnyside Post, it was apparent that it wasn’t a hugely popular idea. Same with the playground under the El by 46th St. But does that matter? Do these people stop and reconsider? Apparently not.
Cheers to the artist who is doing this, the kids who are helping, the sponsors and all who appreciate it. To this others, sorry you don’t like it. It won’t last forever. Look forward to a seeing something you will like.
@ HOOVE HEARTED. Grafitti is art. Thats why many graf artists get paid very good money to do murals and other pieces. Graf artists just don’t do pieces on walls and vandalize things. They also do canvases that sell for good money and other art pieces. Get that facts straight. Instead of this big ugly yellow garbage piece, they could have done a way better mural. I remember the flower store on 46th and greenpoint had everyone passing by dip their hands in paint and put it on the wall. Now that was nice.
@ HOOVE HEARTED. Grafitti is art. Thats why many graf artists get paid very good money to do murals and other pieces. Graf artists just don’t do pieces on walls and vandalize things. They also do canvases that sell for good money and other art pieces. Get that facts straight. Instead of this big ugly yellow garbage piece, they could have done a way better mural. I remember the flower store on 46th and greenpoint had everyone passing by dip their hands in paint and put it on the wall. Now that was nice.
EA wrote “For me grafitti is a form of art even if it vandolises someone’s property.”
In that case, you are an idiot.
Why don’t you post your address here and maybe we’ll send some graffiti vandals to your home and spray paint their masterpieces all over your living room walls, windows, car etc. After all, it’s a form of art as you say.
For me grafitti is a form of art even if it vandolises someone’s property. Just like in painting there are many different graffiti styles and techniques and just like in painting there are many well know grafitti artist all around the world: Meres One, Miss Van, Basix, OD, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keizer, Seen, so on and so on. If people would just stop for a second thinking that grafitti is not a crime I bet they would appreciate the history, culture, different styles, hard work that goes in to making a great grafitti peace.
Just go to 5 pointz and walk around it. Ask people there how something was done. You could be even pleased. We need more places where people can go to and with a calm mind create work of art.
EA – the difference between graffiti and art is that graffiti is vandalism against another someone else’s property. This mural has the permission of the property owners so it is legitimate art.
Some of the finest murals I’ve ever seen were on the Berlin Wall when it was still up way back when. This one reminds me of those.
I live right next to it and I love it.
I talked to the artist and he liked the idea of other people putting up their graffiti/murals on that wall. Even turning it to a mini 5 pointz.
Sadly this neighborhood is not sophisticated enough to appreciate fine art (yes I call graffiti fine art.)
I have lived here almost my entire life and have watched it getting worse and worse. No more nice stores, no respect, obviously, from neighborhood kids who think scrawling on walls is fun, what was once an empty lot with beautiful sunflowers is now a rundown corner of empty stores, and, yes, it is a residential area and has always been very well taken care of so this is a blight on all of us who must look at it day after day.
Prior reports on this mural stated that Gleasons Paint Store in Woodside donated the paint. I believe that is still true and they should be acknowledged.
@SSP hates me
Nah, they won’t do a Biggie Smalls mural. More like a Biggie Bix Beiderbecke.
I think it looks great. It brightens up a very drab and monotonous stretch of wall.
Who says the South side doesn’t get anything?!?
How about the “change guy “
Murals are hideous, Why don’;t they just put up a picture of Biggie Smalls next ?
This is looking so much better than the mockup that was posted earlier.
I hope the neighborhood turns in the 5 pointz.
a Walker,it is ugly,really,like compared to what?the ugly wall it brightens ?
THIS IS STRAIGHT UP FUGLY!!! I hope it gets graffitied over within a day.
Love the idea of donating Queen Bee. I think its a great idea to get kids involved in beautifying the neighborhood. (although personally I’m not a huge fan of this one in particular – I appreciate the effort!)
a Walker – This is actually on commercial property so no, its not in a “residential” neighborhood. This block has had problems with graffiti for years. Would you prefer that? If you notice, those blocks that put up murals have far less graffiti problems than those that don’t (with one BIG exception being the school’s mural on 46th St – such a shame someone would deface a kids mural). I fully support efforts like this.
It is ugly. I have to look at it every day. Does anyone think for one moment that it will stay that way? This is a residential neighborhood with co-ops and private homes. How long will it be before so-called murals are painted around the entire area.
This is a really good idea and boost in neighborhood morale.
Many thanks to Mark and the Torch Club members!
Lovely to see a rise in positive people doing positive things in the neighborhood! Hopefully this will be an inspiration to those who see it to “Rise and Shine”! Where can we donate to help sponsor future projects like this?