OUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE BOROUGH OF KINGS
COURIER LIFE, AUG. 27-SEPT. 2, 2021 21
BY BEN BRACHFELD
Coney Island is bursting with new
color after 13 new storefront murals
were unveiled at the People’s Playground
on Tuesday.
The 13 murals were designed by 12
artists as part of the Coney Island for
Everyone initiative, a partnership between
the community group Alliance
for Coney Island and the city’s Department
of Small Business Services. It’s
the second phase of the Alliance’s plan
to mural-fy the amusement district, after
the fi rst round of murals were unveiled
in October of last year.
“For years I have dreamed of bringing
murals and public art to the storefront
gates of Coney Island and am so
appreciative of the Small Business
Services for the funding to make this
a reality,” said Alexandra Silversmith,
executive director of Alliance for Coney
Island, in a statement. “The creative
visions from the artists creates
a vibrant public art gallery for the off
season or at night when businesses are
closed. We are excited to have featured
these local artists and hope New Yorkers
will come see the pieces for themselves!”
The artwork is intended to beautify
the area, but also to show that Coney
Island, devastated by the pandemic,
has remained standing.
The new murals feature bright, vivacious
artwork, in keeping with Coney’s
spirit. At the peninsula’s culinary
capital, Nathan’s Famous, the
artist Subway Doodle drew one of his
notorious blue monsters sleeping on
the side of the building, next to giant
drawings of a hot dog with mustard,
a cheeseburger, a Philly cheesesteak,
fries, and a drink.
Subway Doodle, aka Ben Rubin,
noted his family’s long history with
and affi nity for Coney Island, from
his grandparents who lived in Trump
Village to the present day, now riding
the Wonder Wheel every year with his
family.
“I’ve been coming here since I was
fi ve and now with our family it’s a tradition
to come down here every year,”
Rubin told Brooklyn Paper.
Erin Mathewson has been making
art of the Wonder Wheel, her favorite
ride at Coney Island, for years, and
now that art adorns the gates around
the century-old, 150-foot-tall eccentric
wheel and the amusement park bearing
its name.
“Coney Island is my favorite place
on the planet so to have my artwork
here is a dream come true,” Mathewson
said. “My drawings are on the gates
for Deno’s Wonder Wheel and that’s
my favorite ride, I’ve loved it for years,
it’s really just a dream come true to be
part of this.”
New murals are also adorning
the Brooklyn Beach Shop on the
Riegelmann Boardwalk, the Eldorado
Bumper Cars on Surf Avenue, the Coney
Island History Project on West
12th Street, and several businesses
along Mermaid Avenue.
Additional reporting by Paul Frangipane
Island
dream
13 new murals adorn
iconic Coney spots
COLOR STORY: (Left) Artists Theresa Nasi and
Subway Doodle in front of their mural at Nathan’s
on the Coney Island Boardwalk. (Top) A
mural by artist Megan Watters on the Eldorado
Bumper Cars building. (Above) Murals by artist
Erin Mathewson on the gates of Deno’s Wonder
Wheel Park. Photos by Paul Frangipane