Andre Trenier

Babe Ruth, Derek Jeter, Roberto Clemente and Satchel Paige are among the legendary baseball players whose faces now grace a range of storefronts on and off River Avenue from 158th Street to 162nd Street. A partnership between the 161st Street Business Improvement District and 501 See Streets, this particular project is one of several initiated by 501 See Streets founder and director, Noah Sheroff. I recently met up with Noah to find out more about him and his Paint New York project.

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You are on a mission to bring public art to neighborhoods in NYC and beyond. What spurred your interest in street art?

I grew up in a neighborhood that was largely void of art. When I first visited 5Pointz in 2011, I was struck by the beauty and energy of it all. The following year I went on a tour of the Bushwick Collective, and soon after that, I discovered the Welling Court Mural Project in Astoria, Queens.  By then I was hooked!  I knew that I wanted to bring art murals to communities that wouldn’t otherwise have them. 

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We are familiar with the murals you facilitated that have transformed the blocks around Yankee Stadium.  Have you engaged other neighborhoods?

Yes. Danielle Mastrion painted a mural on Flatbush Avenue and Avenue H in Brooklyn; Miss Zukie collaborated with John Paul O’Grodnick on Benson Street.across from the Lewis & Clark School, and Marthalicia painted on Jerome Avenue and East 198th Street.

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What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered?

It’s been a daunting learning experience!  The community members are often apprehensive. Artists tend to question my motives. And the funders are hesitant to fund “a new kid on the block.” 

Andre-Trenier-roberto-Clemente-street-art-Bronx

What seems to be the main concern of the community?

They are concerned about the content – about offending the sensibilities of the folks who live in the neighborhood.  That is one of the reasons artists are often asked to submit a sketch first. 

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You are in the process of forging alliances with several Business Improvement Districts. Are they generally receptive?

Yes, the BIDs are generally receptive. They see the art as a way to highlight their businesses, bring commerce to their neighborhoods and attract tourists. I am also forging partnerships with civics and other neighborhood organizations.

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What’s ahead?

I’m interested in expanding Paint New York into more neighborhoods and working with a range of community groups. And at this point, fundraising is essential to cover expenses and to pay the artists for their talents and time.

Good luck! And we are looking forward to 501 See Streets bringing more art to our streets!

Note:  Find out how you can help support Noah’s project here

Interview by Lois StavskyImages 1 & 2 Danielle Mastrion; 3 & 5 Lexi Bella; 4 & 6 Andre Trenier; photo credits 1 & 2 Lois Stavsky; 3-6 City-As-School intern Diana Davidova

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In an eclectic range of visual styles and themes, music makes it way to NYC walls. Here  is a small sampling:

Zeso, close-up from huge mural in Bushwick

zeso-close-up

Andre Trenier, lead artist, in the Bronx

andre-collaborative

 Kingbee, Pose2 and Chemis in East Harlem

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MeresSloneSee TFShiroIZK and more in Bushwick

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Close-up

meres-and-slone-street-art-nyc

Manny Vega in East Harlem

Manny-Vega-street-art-portraits-NYC

Sonni in Bushwick

Sonni-street-art-NYC

Mike Brown on the Lower East Side

Mike-Brown-street-art-nyc

Unidentified artist in Bedford-Stuyvesant

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Photo credits: 1, 2, 5 – 9 Lois Stavsky; 3 Dani Reyes Mozeson; 4 Tara Murray

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This is the 15th in an occasional series of posts featuring images of girls — and women — who grace our public spaces:

David Cooper in Bushwick

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Cern in Greenpoint, close-up 

Cernesto

Mag Magrela on the Lower East Side

"mag Magrella"

Caratoes in Bushwick

caratoes

Andre Trenier in the Bronx

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Dasic Fernandez at Welling Court in Astoria, Queens

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Photos: 1 and 5 by City-as-School intern Zachariah Messaoud; 2-4 and 6 by Lois Stavsky

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This is the fifth in an ongoing series featuring the range of faces that surface daily in NYC’s open spaces:

Rimx in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Rimx

Axel Void in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Axel Void

Danielle Mastrion painting young Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai at the Bushwick Collective

Danielle Mastrion

Ever in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Ever Siempre

Andre Trenier in Inwood, Manhattan

Andre Trenier

Nicer, Tats Cru at Hunts Point in the Bronx

Nicer

Photos of Rimx and Axel Void by Tara Murray; of Danielle Mastrion and Ever by Dani Reyes Mozeson and of Andre Trenier and Nicer by Lois Stavsky

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