Sage AppleJack Old Fashioned “It was great seeing 501 (See) (Streets) beautifying our neighborhood,” Constantinides said. “This mural will leave a long-lasting and colorful piece of art in a residential area.” Artist, illustrator and painter Kenji Takabayashi is the artist behind the Astoria mural. Takabayashi, who grew up in Ozone Park, graduated from the High School of Art and Design and began to do grafitti on subways and buildings around the city as a teenager. His work got him noticed by Time Inc., where he became a photographer and began displaying his artwork in galleries. An art director for Major League Baseball for 28 years, Takabayshi quit last year to do graffiti full time. Sheroff said he wants to expand his organization’s work to include more neighborhoods in Queens and eventually the tri-state area. The name behind the nonprofit, in addition to being a play on the term 501(c)(3), is meant to inspire civic engagement. “The goal is to eventually get people to pay attention to what’s going on in their community, especially locally,” Sheroff said. “I think this art is something that is unfortunately undervalued but it’s really, really beneficial to the community.” A nonprofit organization is transforming an Astoria wall with art This mural will leave a long-lasting and colorful piece of art in a residential area Photo by Angela Matua
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