Parkway artist offers colorful solution to Van Nest graffi ti
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BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 26 ULY 12-18, 2019 BTR
There’s
Nothing
Like It!
BY ROBERT WIRSING
A local artist has offered
a creative solution to prevent
vandalism at a graffi ti-prone
Van Nest site.
Community Board 11 has
commissioned Pelham Parkway
resident and artist Lovie
Pignata to paint two murals
on the northeast corner of East
Tremont Avenue and Adams
Street, a location frequently
affected by graffi ti.
In January, CB 11 paid Fedcap
$999.98 to rid this problematic
location of graffi ti, however
the vandalism persisted.
Jeremy Warneke, CB 11
district manager, said Pignata
made a proposal before the
board to create murals at the
blighted location as a means of
deterring future vandalism.
According to Warneke, the
location immediately to the
right of The Church of Pentecost
U.S.A., Inc. at 1600 Adams
Street, has been experiencing
vandalism since at least 2008.
Pignata, a Pratt Institute
alumna, is well-known for her
East Bronx History Forumcommissioned
Morris Park
Historical 100 Year Mural on
Sackett Avenue, her Concrete
Plant Park art installation
‘Bronx River Native’ featuring
three geometric designs
created with large, painted
concrete pavers referencing
the borough’s original inhabitants
the Mohegan and its
current residents and her Art
in the Parks: UNIQLO Park
Expressions Grant-funded
‘Daylighting’ art installation
which was displayed at Virginia
Park from June 2017 to
June 2018.
She often incorporates the
Bronx’s history, architecture,
cultures and local waterways
in her work.
The two murals are a 10
foot tall, 500 square feet long
‘Alewifes & Eels’ and 10 foot
tall, 500 square feet wide ‘East
Treemont.’
Both murals were done in
spray paint.
Pignata started working on
the murals on Saturday, June
1 and completed both on the
evening of Sunday, June 30.
According to Pignata, the
Alewifes & Eels mural represents
the Bronx River and
its aquatic wildlife while the
East Treemont mural featuring
vibrant tree roots is a creative
word play on the Bronx
street.
Her public works involve
the community through programming
and collaboration
with various local groups.
She has received help from
several street artists while
working on the murals late at
night.
Pignata added that the 49th
Precinct’s Neighborhood Coordination
police offi cers assisted
in painting eyeballs on
two of the fi sh depicted in the
Alewifes & Eels mural.
She said that the reactions
from and interactions with
passersby have been overwhelmingly
positive.
“People have been thanking
us for creating these murals
because they enjoy seeing
all of the bright colors and imagery
it brings to the neighborhood,”
Pignata said.
She plans to contact Community
Board 6 to see if she
can create a mural to help
mitigate graffi ti affecting an
Amtrak wall at Rosedale and
Bronx River avenues located
diagonally across from the
Adams Street murals.
While Pignata does not currently
have a set idea for her
proposed Rosedale and Bronx
River avenues mural, Pignata
said that it will be colorful.
To view more of Pignata’s
work, visit www.ilovieny.com.
(l-r) 49th Precinct NCO Patrick Nicewicz, Jeremy Warneke, Lovie Pignata and 49th Precinct NCO Stephen Brancatelli
admired Pignata’s murals. Photo by Silvio Pacifi co
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