COURIER LIFE, OCT. 9-15, 2020 43
OUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE BOROUGH OF KINGS
BY TODD MAISEL
The COVID-19 pandemic kept Coney
Island’s amusement parks closed
and left the neighborhood in a prolonged
state of limbo — but the pandemic
couldn’t stop the seaside community’s
creativity.
The Alliance for Coney Island recently
hired six noted artists to paint
sprawling murals on storefront gates
in an effort to liven up the area, which
has become plagued by graffi ti as most
businesses remain closed during the
pandemic.
On Oct. 1, members of the Alliance
unveiled the artwork as part of their
People’s Playground Mural Project.
“We are trying to beautify it,” said
Alliance Executive Director Alexandra
Silversmith. “We think public art is a
big benefi t to the area, and these are all
local artists — some living close by. But
the goal is to beautify Coney Island
and to make it a more pleasant visitor
and business environment.”
Featuring New York-based artists
Amethyst Nutting, Danielle Mastrion,
Julia Cocuzza, Megan Watters,
Nell Breyer, and Zeehan Wazed, the
People’s Playground Mural Project is
located along Surf Avenue, where the
gates of season businesses will likely
remain down until next spring.
The new murals adorn the frontages
of businesses like Coney Island
Beach Shop, Fly Wheel Eats at Luna
Park and Sneaker Town USA.
Breyer, an artist from Windsor Terrace
with a studio in Industry City, said
the mural she created at Luna Park represents
hope for the community.
“Hopefully it’s something and will
help the neighborhood,” she said. “In
the meantime, I’ve enjoyed learning
about the community.”
Mastrion, an artist based in Marine
Park, said her mural took 13 days
to paint, and in all was a three-week
process.
“I grew up in Coney Island and
wanted to pay tribute to the historic
rides, past and present,” she said of her
mural, which also pays homage to the
neighborhood’s annual Mermaid Parade.
Silversmith hopes the art will invite
locals and visitors alike to stop
and look around, and that it will help
keep business owners in good spirits
until next season.
“We are hoping that next year we
will be open and it will be 10 times better
and we will have beautiful gates,”
Silversmith said, “but more importantly
businesses will open and they
can survive.”
As for the mural project, Silversmith
said, “Anything that brings joy
and excitement to our Coney Island
community during this diffi cult time
is a much-needed distraction. We encourage
New Yorkers to visit us and
experience the work in person while
supporting our local businesses and
the New York Aquarium.”
Keeping it colorful
Bold new murals brighten up barren Coney Island
SURF’S UP: Danielle Mastrion shows off her
work on a store on Surf Avenue.
Photo by Todd Maisel