mural art

On my first day in more than two months out of Manhattan, I was delighted to visit Underhill Walls in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Curated and managed by Jeff Beler — with safe guidelines practicing social distance —  it is NYC’s first community-based street art project to emerge as the city begins to take steps to open. The image featured above was fashioned by the wonderfully talented Subway Doodle. Several more images I captured yesterday — as the project that began last week continues — follow:

Jason Naylor bringing brightly-hued love

 Zukie’s pepperoni pizza comes to life!

Visual artists and poets Android Oi and My Life in Yellow collaborate

Visual artist and producer Megan Watters at work to the left of  Paolo Tolentino‘s portrait of the late Shirley Chisholm

Colombian artist Calicho Arevalo‘s gift of love

Muralist and designer Majo B gift of beauty

Multidisciplinary visionary Shamanic artist Myztico Campo posing next to his work in progress

Keep posted to the Street Art NYC Instagram for more images from this ongoing project

Photos by Lois Stavsky — with special thanks to Yonkers-based multidisciplinary artist Michael Cuomo for getting me out of Manhattan!

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Located on Atlantic Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn, the Atlantic Terminal Mall hosts an impressive array of department stores and specialty shops. Generally bustling, the mall, like every other shopping center in NYC, has been dormant for the past several weeks.

But last week, Brooklyn-based artist Jason Naylor, known for his buoyant, brightly-hued murals, brought his distinct aesthetic sensibility to the Atlantic Terminal Mall.  Nestled between Marshalls and Old Navy, Naylor‘s recent mural is a boldly spirited ode to the “Heroes of this World.” It is dedicated — in gratitude — to the essential workforce, the true heroes who give us “HOPE.”

A spokesperson for Atlantic Terminal explains, “We felt we needed to find a way to give back to our community. In Brooklyn, art is an important fabric of who we are, and we wanted to add to it.”

Jason Naylor created the mural– that stands 20 feet wide and 24 feet tall — in partnership with Atlantic Terminal.

All photos courtesy of Atlantic Terminal

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Named for the historical Downtown Newark district in which the mural project is located, the Four Corners Public Arts initiative has brought over a dozen alluring murals to Treat Place and Beaver Street in Downtown Newark — a short work from Newark Penn Station. Referencing the neighborhood and its distinct history, the artworks were conceived and painted largely by local artists.

The mural featured above, a tribute to the late neighborhood legend, Jerry Gant a.k.a 2 Nasty Nas, was painted by Newark-native Manuel Acevedo. Several more murals sponsored by  Four Corners Public Arts — an ongoing collaboration between the City via Invest Newark, the Newark Downtown District (NDD), Newark Arts and local property owners RBH Group and Paramount Assets — follow:

Newark-raised, Brooklyn-based Gera Luz, Sacred Water

Layqa Nuna Yawar and Kelley Prevard in collaboration with A Womb of Violet — a Newark-based Black women’s artist collective –, “Magnitude and Bond”

The Rorshach Art Collective — Newark natives Andre Leon and Robert Ramone, –“Radiance”

Brooklyn-based Armisey Smith, “The Natural World of the Lenape,” to the left of Puerto Rico-born, Paterson-raised  Jo-el Lopez, “The Guardian of the City”

Atlantic City-based Sue Daly in collaboration with The Barat Foundation, “Sewing a Path to Freedom

Newark-based Gabe Ribeiro, “Newark Is for Artists”

Photo credits: 1, 2, 5 & 7 Rachel Fawn Phillips; 3, 4 & 6 Lois Stavsky

Special thanks to Rachel Fawn Phillips for introducing me to this project.

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Curated and managed by Prospect Heights resident Jeff Beler, Underhill Walls, a model community-based mural art project, always delights. Earlier this month, while the streets were still somewhat occupied, I visited Underhill Walls‘ current installation, where over a dozen artists refashioned the covers of some of their favorite books. Featured above is the wonderfully talented Subway Doodle‘s rendition of Maurice Sendak’s classic, Where the Wild Things Are. Several more images that I captured follow:

Zero Productivity refashions A A Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” with Paolo Tolentino‘s rendition of Sara Gruen’s “Water for Elephants” to its right

Gotham Pro Arts Academy students in collaboration with Jeff Beler with some additional assistance from Paulie Nassar

Jaima does Dr. Seuss’s “Horton Hears a Who!”

Colombian artist Calicho Arevalo designs the Herman Melville classic “Moby Dick”

Manhattan-based artist and art teacher Marivel Mejia does Arthur Laurents’ “West Side Story”

Justin Winslow does Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City”

And Paulie Nassar designs the Harper Lee classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” 

Underhill Walls is located at the corner of St. Johns Place and Underhill Avenue in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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First Street Green Art Park, one of my favorite spots in town, not only introduces me to a wide range of artists who are new to me, but also showcases works by those who’ve been making their mark on the streets for years. Featured above is a tribute mural to Koby Bryant and his daughter by the richly prolific Fumero. Several more images recently revisited in First Street Art Green Park follow:

The artist couple Bella Phame

Puerto Rico-based Deider Díaz aka ElektroTypes

Detroit-born, NYC-based RF3RD

Harlem-based Roycer aka Royce Bannon

Noted graffiti/street artist Hektad

The itinerant Ratchi with the masterful Cram Concepts

First Street Art Green Park is currently accepting proposals for murals to be installed early next month. Check here for specifics.

Photos of artworks: Lois Stavsky

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We were delighted to recently meet up with the nomadic Ecuadorian artist Lasak, view her artwork — on and off the streets — and find out a bit about her.

When and where did you first paint in a public space?

It was back in 2010 in my hometown, Guayaquil, on the Ecuadorian coastline. I was 21 at the time.

Have you any early graffiti-related memories?

No. I didn’t grow up with graffiti. My hometown, at the time, was very conservative. No one would dare leave a mark on private or public property. There were police everywhere. And when I first started, I’d often get into trouble. Now Guayaquil is much more open, and there is street art everywhere.

Who/what, then, inspired you to get up?

Damián Vásquez aka Disaikner, a friend of mine who’s an amazing designer, illustrator and tattoo artist.

Have you any favorite surface?

I like everything, but I especially like metal doors.

Do you prefer to paint on the streets “with permission?” Or do you prefer doing it illegally?

I like both. I like the thrill of painting illegally, but I also like to be able to take my time, which I can only do on legal walls.

What was the riskiest thing you ever did on the streets?

While I was up on a ladder painting, I saw a man trying to rob a lady. I stopped what I was doing to get down to help her. And the next thing I noticed was a gun pointed at me!

Do you prefer painting alone or with others?

I like both. When I paint with other artists, I get to learn from them and we get to share our knowledge.

Have you exhibited your work?

Yes, throughout Ecuador, and in many other places including Necoche, Iguazu, Sao Paulo , Berlin, Barcelona, Berlin, Indonesia, Hawaii and NYC. But the streets are my main canvas.

How does your family feel about what you are doing?

It took them awhile to understand my lifestyle. My mother was upset, at first, that I didn’t finish university, where I’d been studying architecture.

What percentage of your time is devoted to art?

I spend about 6-7 hours a day on art. I’d love to devote the entire day to art, but I also work at assorted jobs to earn necessary income.

What are some of your other interests?

I’m interested in working with community-based projects and helping people. That’s my primary interest and mission. My first experience teaching art was to adult cancer patients in Ecuador. It was super amazing! When I help others, I’m also helping myself, because I don’t get depressed. I’m, also, interested in music, especially electronic music. And I love to dive. When I do, I feel like I’m in another world.

Who are some of your favorite artists?

Apitatán, Inti, and Lauren YS aka Squid Licker immediately come to mind!

What about cultural influences? What are your principal ones?

My main cultural influences are indigenous and Hindu.

Have you a formal art education?

None. My friends – including all those I’ve met in my travels — have been my teachers.

What are some of the countries you’ve traveled to and painted in?

Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Indonesia, Korea and the US.

Do you work with a sketch-in-hand or just let it flow?

I only work with a sketch when I’m commissioned to paint a piece. Otherwise I just let it flow.

Are you generally satisfied with your finished piece?

I’m happy, but I also feel confused. How does one judge artwork?

What inspires you?

Nature…the ocean…my travels around the world…learning about other cultures and sharing my knowledge with others.

How has your work evolved through the years?

My composition has improved. My work is more balanced and more interesting.

How do you feel about the role of social media in this scene?

It helps me get my work out there to people who otherwise wouldn’t see it , but it takes up too much time.

What do you see as the artist’s role in society?

To offer people an entry to another world.

What’s ahead?

I’d like to move to Hawaii and study art there in a formal setting. I’d, also, like to teach scuba diving, and so I need to earn a certificate that allows me to do that. I’m interested, too, in working with organizations engaged with saving sharks. And, of course, creating more art that engages the community.

Interview conducted by Lois Stavsky with  City-as-School interns Basil Lyons and Alyssa Torres and edited by Lois Stavsky

Photo credits: 1-3, 5, 6 & 8 courtesy of the artist; 4 & 7 Lois Stavsky

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Famed world-wide for its exciting night life, Downtown Las Vegas is also home to a rich array of murals fashioned by celebrated national and international artists. The image featured above was painted by the hugely talented Puerto Rican artist Alexis Diaz in 2013, the year that the annual Life Is Beautiful festival was born as part of “the major transformation of Downtown Las Vegas as a cultural hub.” What follows are several more images from the streets of Vegas captured on a recent visit by travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad.

LA-native Tristan Eaton for Life Is Beautiful, curated by Just Kids, an award-winning, women-led art platform, 2016

 UK-based D*Face on the side of the Plaza Hotel & Casino for Life Is Beautiful, curated by Just Kids, 2017

Portuguese “trash” artist Bordalo II, for Life Is Beautiful, curated by Just Kids, 2018

Swedish artist Joakim Ojanen for Life Is Beautiful, curated by Just Kids, 2018

Chicago-based Kate Lewis, for Life Is Beautiful, curated by Just Kids, 2019

Photos by Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad 

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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In addition to the first-rate graffiti in the vicinity of Philly’s 5th Street and Cecil B Moore, the entire city is home to a remarkable range of public art — hosting everything from striking unsanctioned interventions to hundreds of hugely impressive murals. The image featured above is the work of Philly-based Adam Crawford. Several more images I captured on my recent visit to Philadelphia follow:

Baltimore-based duo Jessie and Katey 

Philly-based crochet street and installation artist Nicole Nikolich aka Lace in the Moon

Philly-based San Salvador-born Calo Rosa

Philly-based Jes

And Philly’s iconic stikman

Photos by Lois Stavsky

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Conceived in 2014, the RAW Project has been bringing color, intrigue and inspiration to schools in Miami and beyond at a time when American schools continue to see their programs defunded. During the week of Art Basel 2019, a group of local, national and international artists painted murals at the Enedia W Hartner Elementary School and the Jose de Diego Middle School. The mural featured above was fashioned by the Netherlands-based duo  Telmo Miel. Several more images — all captured by travel and street photographer Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad — follow:

Frankfurt-based Case Maclaim

  Montreal-based Kevin Ledo

UK-based Dale Grimshaw

LA-based Eric Skotnes

Miami native Amanda Valdes

London-based Fin DAC

Photos by Karin du Maire aka Street Art Nomad 

Note: Hailed in a range of media from WideWalls to the Huffington Post to the New York Times, our Street Art NYC App is now available for Android devices here.

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During the UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 held earlier this month in Madrid, Spain, NYC-based Greenpoint Innovations teamed up with Barcelona-based, Cuban-American artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada.

Two new street art murals, fashioned by the hugely talented artist for the first international activation of Greenpoint Innovations‘ art plus purpose series, now grace Madrid’s visual landscape as they bring awareness to the impact of climate change.

Pictured above is Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada‘s completed mural, Past, Present, Future, featuring a portrait of Hilda Pérez, a leader of the Indigenous Ashaninka Community and Vice President of ONAMIAP, the    National Organization of Andean and Amazonian Indigenous Women of Peru.  Several more images of the two murals, captured by photographer Fer Alcalá, follow:

Past, Present, Future — in progress

Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada at work on Forest Focus — an eye of Planet Earth with the Amazon rainforest as the pupil and Chile clearly visible as a homage to the official COP 25 host country. The mural shines a light on the opportunity to address natural forest loss as a pathway to climate stability, habitat conservation, and ecosystems preservation.

Forest Focus, the completed mural

Greenpoint Innovations founder and curator Stephen Donofrio with Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada

The wall host for the murals is the Occupational Center in Lineal City ( Centro Ocupacional Ciudad Lineal), a center for people with intellectual disabilities.  Aligned with the goals of GreenPoint EARTH, this facility is dedicated to helping people develop professional, personal and social skills.

The project was completed with support from local and global organizations — including the City and Community of Madrid, UNFCCC, National Wildlife Federation International, Arbor Day Foundation and Forest Trends.

Photos: Fer Alcalá 

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