Mural located at 46th Street by 47th Avenue (Photo: SunnysidePost)
March 10, 2014 By Christian Murray
A former Sunnyside resident is calling on the community to help him restore the mural that the children from IS 125 painted next to Bank of America (46th Street by 47th Ave.) in 2010.
The wall, which was hit by graffiti shortly after it was completed, was painted around a theme of global togetherness. The mural aimed to showcase how IS 125 has students of all different races and nationalities that study there.
“I was walking by IS 125 the other day and I saw it and I couldn’t believe it,” said John Rios. “Something needed to be done. It pi##ed me off.”
Rios, 41, who helped paint the mural on 43rd Street/Greenpoint Ave. when he was younger, visited school administrators at IS 125 last week and said that he would donate the paint and the equipment needed to fix up the wall. He said that he and his friends would help repaint the wall.
The school told him that the teacher who helped put the mural together in 2010 would get back to him. Rios as of Sunday is waiting to get word.
Rios said that since he notified his friends of his intentions to fix up the wall via Facebook there have been plenty of people who are willing to help him.
Rios, who lived in Sunnyside/Woodside for his first 31 years, still has strong ties to the neighborhood. His father and son still live here.
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7 Comments
wait, so sometimes when kids paint on walls its bad…. and sometimes its good.
Kids spay walls…. bad
but if adults approve the art beforehand af calls it a mural …. good
another kid comes and defaces it…. bad
get so called wall “artist” to restore it…. good
Love it! Love it! Love it! Im all in!
About time! To see graffiti on beautiful murals is just plain wrong.
“One World, One School”?
I’m pretty sure there’s more than one school in this world.
Maybe they could come up with a phrase that actually means something and doesn’t sound so self-centered?
Thank goodness! It bugs the hell out of me to see these kids’ hard work scribbled on. Rios, if you need any help I’d be glad to lend a hand. I liked your page but should I “friend” you?
Maybe Sunnyside Community Services or Jimmy Van Brammer’s people can help? A year or 2 ago my husband and I volunteered to clean up graffiti with them.
Paint it over completely and start a brand new mural. That one isn’t very good.
WOW good for you John Rios ..
…and your friends who are willing to help.