The visual arts possess a unique ability to unite women and men from profoundly diverse backgrounds. Transcending the barrier of language, painted imagery can bring people together in ways nothing else can. When those pieces of artwork are unbound by rules and convention, walls of brick and cinderblock become the canvas, asphalt and tile become the matte boards, and alleys and sky become the frames. When the gallery is uprooted from the confines of a museum and transferred to a public street, not only does the audience grow—it becomes an actual part of the living exhibit. Now in its sixth year, the Welling Court Mural Project brings together artists from the Welling Court neighborhood in Astoria with creative minds from around the world. The Welling Court Mural Project began in 2009 when Ad Hoc Art was invited by the Welling Court community to electrify the neighborhood with street art. The first year featured over 44 murals. This year, the collection has grown to more than 120 works of art presented by more than 80 artists. Ad Hoc Art was created by Garrison and Alison Buxton. According to the website, they are “dedicated to showing work that is often marginalized by the larger New York art scene. AHA highlights the areas of street art, pop surrealism, lowbrow, illustration, comic book, tattoo and printmaking, as well as the larger and extensive history of underground art, activism and graffiti. It is a vehicle for artists who are passionate, committed to their craft and challenging the boundaries of a ‘fine art’ isolated from society at large.” Art (continued on page 48) JULY 2015 | BOROMAG.COM | 47
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