Closing Bell: India Street Mural Project
Open Space Alliance and North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition have merged on a project to create a wall of murals on India Street between West Street and the East River in Greenpoint. This means they need local artists to help out. The murals will be on display through Fall 2009, after that the building is…
Open Space Alliance and North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition have merged on a project to create a wall of murals on India Street between West Street and the East River in Greenpoint. This means they need local artists to help out. The murals will be on display through Fall 2009, after that the building is slated for demolition. Five artists will be chosen to each create their own mural, plus receive a nice stipend. Submission form is here; the deadline is April 24th. If you need more info, Greenpointers has the complete rundown.
I found out about the project details and submission due date two days after the deadline. Someone forwarded this link to me. With all the community groups I belong to, (including the India St group) I never recieved the details of this contest. I’ve lived here all my life and my son & I would have loved to enter this contest. In the 1970’s I was the only white street artist who would put there art up on the wall with the Puerto Rican community during the race riots in Greenpoint. I had to cross turf lines to do it. I believe it was the wall on Java between West and the waterfront. And took a turf beating for being there ( not from the other peaceful art demonstraters ). I painted a ladies hand sporting the peace sign wearing two friendship bracelets. One in spanish that said “Amiga”. And one in English that said “Friend”. Some oldtimers may remember it. As a result of that art demonstration with the other peaceloving puerto ricans, there was a wave of peace. People started to bring candles down to the site & start thinking. I wasn’t able to go back to the art site to see the candles. I was only about 14 and my mom kept me home since I had a black & blue face with cuts all over. So it’s a real insult from the North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition that long time residents/street artist weren’t included in this contest. Over the years there were many Greenpointers that were very much against street art. In my opinion, street art, was a very important part of protest and demonstration in this neighborhood during a time when not much of anything else was working. I actually contacted David Yassky’s office to ask for an extension for this contest and was told it couldn’t be done. I was told, if my son & I could get the submission in the next day, he’d see what he could do. My son might have had a shot at that. But I had school AND an important community meeting that night. So even with years of ideas streaming through my head, I still wouldn’t have had the opportunity to enter. My son wasn’t able to come up with the proper format overnight. Since I am part of the India St group I knew OF the contest but didn’t have the details and was actually waiting to hear about it. In looking at the submission details, it is clear to me that this contest is only meant for professional artist. To compliment the development. Which begs a question. Does the contest have anything to do with real street art and a message? Which is also insulting to me.
Laura Hofmann
There is a very large mural of the history of Buchwick somewhere near one of the big high schools in that neighborhood. Hopefully the vision and scale of this new project mirrors that.
lol denton.
that is awesome though, urban murals are great. and they are usually rarely tagged or vandalized ive noticed.
*rob*
Looks like the ‘local artists’ are already at work!