28 THE QUEENS COURIER • OCTOBER 29, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Newly unveiled mural at LIC school
brings awareness to climate change
BY DEAN MOSES
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
A commemoration was held to celebrate
the completion of a gigantic
mural depicting humanity’s infl uence
on climate change along the exterior
of Hunters Point Community Middle
School in Long Island City on Oct. 21.
To honor the artwork’s offi cial completion,
students from the campus, elected
offi cials and the artist himself held a ceremony
christening the piece overlooking
the East River and the United Nations
headquarters.
Aft er Federico Massa (also known as
Iena Cruz) was awarded fi rst place in a
street art competition held by GreenPoint
EARTH 2020: Screens2Streets, he
was commissioned to create a painting
that would represent the community
of Newtown Creek while also drawing
attention to the changing environment.
Over the course of 10 days, Massa was
elevated using an aerial work platform to
the vivid work of art to life so thousands
of residents and passersby can enjoy its
beauty for years to come, making it a
multi-generational experience.
It is with this sentiment that the celebration
kicked off , with two young students
from Hunters Point Middle School,
who took to the podium to express their
admiration for the eye-catching display.
Due to the current pandemic eighthgrader
Briana Naranjo attends remote
lessons, so it was exciting for her to see
the fi nished product in person.
“It is inspiring because it showed me
that expression can happen on a much
larger scale. It shows art happens in
many diff erent ways, shapes and sizes,”
Naranjo said.
On the other hand, Heronima Valledor,
another eighth-grader from Hunter’s
Point Middle School, is participating in
blended learning, so she had the privilege
of watching the creation process unfold
over the two-week period.
“I have been lucky to view the process
of the mural. Some of the things
that I think are intriguing about this
piece, artistically, is the contrast of colors
between the bright blue and vibrant
orange. However, the orange elements
blend seamlessly with the existing features
of our building,” said Valledor.
Th e painting portrays Newtown
Creek with its native bird, a giant
heron backlit by an engulfi ng
auburn sunset. Th e mural also
blends a pluming chimneystack, symbolizing
the struggle of nature alongside the
pollution of human industry.
Additionally, the materials used to craft
this project were repurposed and recycled,
and the paint itself absorbs carbon
emissions, really driving home the
call for action to be taken against climate
change.
Councilman Donovan Richards echoed
Photos by Dean Moses
this feeling by gesturing to the mural and
stating, “To the climate change deniers,
this is our message to you.” Before continuing,
the Queens borough president
frontrunner made another gesture, this
time toward the middle-school students
watching the proceedings from Hunter’s
Point South Park.
“We need to move to a 100 percent
renewable energy; we can only do that
with you. My generation messed up,”
Richards said.
Representatives such as Councilman
Jimmy Van Bramer and Congresswoman
Carolyn Maloney were also in attendance,
as well as the Principal of Hunters
Point Community Middle School Sarah
Goodman and Lisa Bloodgood, director
of advocacy and education for the
Newtown Creek Alliance.
Th e mural’s creator, Federico Massa,
radiated with pride as he addressed the
group of students and dignitaries dressed
in a paint-splattered jacket and jeans with
every dried speck a testament to the work
he had put in to the previous 10 days. It
is this commitment to his art and passion
for environmental conservation Massa
sought to share with onlookers that aft ernoon.
“I feel so proud to be a part of this project
and to be the artist selected to use my
voice to highlight issues in our society. We
want to show that we can do better, and
we must do better to protect our environment.
We can do it,” Massa said.
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