Photo: Courtesy of Sunnyside Community Services
June 12, 2014 By Christian Murray
The rooftop sign above Sunnyside Community Services is in for a makeover.
The sign, which is currently covered by graffiti, will be replaced with a 7-color mural that will feature a steam engine train and the word Sunnyside in large letters.
The new mural will help revitalize the rooftop at SCS and will be visible to 7 train riders going between the 33rd and 40th Street stations.
The mural has been designed by Mark Salinas, a local artist, who did the Rise N Shine painting on the corner of 42nd Street and 48th Avenue last year.
Salinas formed an organization last year, called 7Train Murals, that is dedicated to beautifying the neighborhoods along the 7 train line in Queens.
Salinas will start work on the rooftop sign on Thursday, June 19. He will be working with members of SCS, the Sunnyside/Woodside Boys & Girls Club and Trinity Grace Church on what will be a week long project.
SCS has taken steps to ensure that access to the roof is limited to reduce the chances that the new mural will be tagged. Earlier this week, the Rise N Shine painting was covered by graffiti.
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47 Comments
@lover it – screw you with your ‘beautifying’ sunnyside. You’re a mug. Graf doesn’t beautify anything, it’s just an urban outlet for scum and vandals, but, for god knows what reason, certain people decide is ‘art’, art my ass!
Rise n shine, Wake n bake haha to funny
I’m not even sure what the point of this discussion is. There were plenty of people in the neighborhood who were against this last graphic depiction put on public display by this “artist” but nothing changed. I don’t think that anyone is asking our permission; this is more like an announcement that’s it’s happening, with a locomotive and Sunnyside turned into two words.
That is the ugliest mural I have ever seen. This is not art it’s horrible horrible crap. I’d rather look at new graffiti everyday than state at a locomotive. I’m a US Veteran and will tag the shit out of that rooftop if this train goes up. I didn’t fight for this country to come home and look at crap.
Sunnyside is one word — not two!
Hoity toity graphic designers.
Its a hideous design with a poor choice of type.
Thats my opinion….as someone with 34 years as a graphic designer.
The old “redbird” no. 7 would have been perfect, with “Sunnyside” on one line.
I THINK EVERYONE’S LOSING SIGHT THAT THE MURALS ARE PAINTED BY LOCAL COMMUNITY, SENIORS, STUDENTS, NEIGHBORS FOR FREE. I THINK IT’S DESIGN IS A SIMPLE AND CLEVER WAY TO ALLOW US TO PARTICIPATE WITHOUT HAVING TO BE A PICASSO, ONLY A CONTRIBUTING CITIZEN. TRAIN LOOKS LIKE THE PAST TRYING TO ‘TURN THE LIGHT ON’ AND MOVE FORWARD. I GET IT.
Look at those pigeons on top of the Sunnyside Shines thing! They’re the problem. There’s one pigeon that I swear is following me around; he’s always “giving me the eye,” if you know what I mean. One of those weird, pink pigeons.
Why isn’t anyone concerned about these evil creatures except me? They’re worse than those imaginary prostitutes that old guy is always “seeing.”
I think Banksy is no more artistically creative than Warhol was. They were both clever, appropriating imagery from real artists and reproducing them in a different context.
a real artist wouldn’t lay it out in adobe illustrator first (with New Times Roman) – yeah, perspective is soooooo easy using a computer. Just add a clip art train and wham, you got “art”
Thank God, the man didn’t choose comic sans
A real artist like Banksy would never work this way!!
It’s awful.
See how it is done, not this stencil job..
http://imgur.com/gallery/djJhsja
There’s this protective coating they can paint the artwork over with that would prevent graffiti tagging – I hear it’s expensive, but it would be worth it, no?
A baffling choice of clipart, some seriously ugly type, and the whole thing is visibly distorted as hell. I’d rather look at a blank roof.
@style wars, you’re totally right, we should just have nothing but big, ugly, blank walls all over. That’s much better.
A fried egg depicted “sunny side up” would make more sense than a steam engine locomotive. Weren’t steam engine trains major contributors to air pollution?
I don’t think it looks that bad. In fact it’s pretty darn good, although others make a good point that the locomotive really doesn’t have anything to do with sunnyside. But still, better than what is there now.
grafitti begets graffiti.
I love the art of graffiti, but, it leads to those with less much skill/ability, low self esteem and too much time on their hands destroying it by tagging over it with what looks like kindergarten chicken scratch.
See the film “Style Wars”, beautiful NYC documentary from the very early 80’s about the end of the grafitti era and beginning of hip hop culture.
They should just draw a big dog , cuz that’s all Sunnyside cares about, those damn barking dogs.
@Oldschool Sunnysider
“These hipsters have no sense of COMMUNITY.”
You definitely have a point on that one. I don’t mind if the SCS wants a new rooftop sign, but they should at least have some “sense of COMMUNITY.” too.
Graffiti is on the rise all over the city (just like old times).
I love the idea of the 7 train murals — but I must agree — a steam engine? Make it a redbird — that’s more representative.
Wish they had left the rooftop MOMA signs up — those were cool.
Have a security camera. Hate graffiti. You have grown men in their late 20s running around at night defacing private property. Like to tag their face with a sporay can. That wouikd be the perfect punishment.
The graffiti is part of the beautification of the 7line. Gives local hoodlums a chance to be seen for their unappreciated artwork. Let it rock or not…the 7line will always be tagged and I hope it stays that way throughout all the changes it’s going through.
The mural has been fixed up I noticed. The cops should stake it out for a night or two. Those @ssholes will be back with their spray paint cans. Here’s a good chance to bust their useless asses.
That mural was up about a year without getting vandalized, now suddenly it gets dissed. Does anyone else sense an increasing criminal element in the neighborhood lately?
Why don’t you idiots stop complaining about the murals. They are beautifying the hood. Does everything have to be perfect all the times. I think these murals are great. Yes, you have a right to your opinion and that is unfortunate.
RISE_N_SHINE HAS BEEN REPAIRED!!!
THAT WAS QUICK!
HAPPY TO SEE THAT!
Mark Salinas is a great guy. I look forward to seeing this new piece.
Sorry to see his Rise n Shine mural got defaced by a bunch of no-talent, punk-ass losers with small penises.
Actually, trolley cars used to run beneath the 7 train viaduct. They used to be stored where Aviation HS is now.
Some film footage still exists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEPwYcM1qTs
I think I’ve seen pictures of very early LIRR trains running on steam locomotives, if that is any link. But I don’t think the elevated had steam.
Why are so many people complaining? It’s better than it was before. At least someone is taking action and trying to do something good for the neighborhood.
Christian, can you please put up a pic of the Rise n Shine mural the way it was before it got tagged over. Don’t give these graffiti vandals the attention they crave.
Yes, whenever I think of Sunnyside, the first thing that comes to mind is locomotive trains.
It’s the Soul Train.
Can anyone explain the relevance of the steam train? A giant fried egg would be better.
weird. at no point have steam trains ever been a part of sunnyside’s history.
why not make it a mural of a 99 cent store? or, better yet, put up a giant LED board streaming the latest comments from the Sunnyside Post!
Hey complains, think you can do better? Then get off your duffs and be as industrious as Mr. Salinas. He’s a local guy who saw the opportunity for improvements, talked to the right people, and made it happen.
Wishes don’t do dishes.
“Salinas formed an organization last year, called 7Train Murals, that is dedicated to beautifying the neighborhoods along the 7 train line in Queens.”
AND HE PICKS A STEAM ENGINE????? WTF????
WTF??? THAT HAS TO A NUMBER SEVEN “REDBIRD”!!!!
These hipsters have no sense of COMMUNITY.
what a wonderful idea but………….just how long till the punks go up and deface this it? look at the space now – FILLED will graffiti
Sunnyside has community services?
But seriously, why is everyone so obsessed with spray cans! You know what would look perfect, a god damn sign.
Awwww….love that Rise-N-Shine mural. Hope it can be touched up.
Why didn’t those “graffidiots” just muck up the blank walls on either side of the mural? Infuriating…
Lmfao I tagged that rooftop up like 10 years ago. Lol. Everyone’s hit that spot up.
A steam train?
That looks terrible.
The best part about that Rise and Shine art was once the street lights came on, the shadows cast by the light hitting the stop sign and one way sign onto the word shine made it look like someone painted over the N & E in Shine with a T. You figured it out. Too bad it got tagged up by some amateur taggers the other night….