6
QUEENS WEEKLY, NOVEMBER 10, 2019
A painting from Clare Stokolosa’s “NYC Faces” series.
Photo courtesy of Clare Stokolosa
BY JENNA BAGCAL
College Point residents
can now enjoy a newly
renovated park following
an extensive $5.4 million
renovation project that restored
waterfront access
for visitors.
Elected officials and
representatives from NYC
Parks and Community
Board 7 unveiled improvements
to MacNeil Park on
Oct. 24. The project reconstructed
over a quarter of
a mile of the esplanade to
give visitors a new shoreline
walkway,
The park also features
a stronger concrete retaining
wall, an aluminum sea
rail, a fishing overlook,
and a kayak launch.
Borough President Melinda
Katz allocated $2.3
million for the project,
while Councilman Paul
Vallone and Mayor de Blasio
provided $1.7 million
and $1.3 million, respectively.
“The revitalized Mac-
Neil Park Esplanade will
provide the College Point
community and visitors
with an accessible waterfront
park and green
oasis,” said NYC Parks
Queens Borough Commissioner
Michael Dockett.
“We are grateful to Mayor
de Blasio, Borough President
Katz, and Council
Member Vallone for their
support and commitment
to preserving this incredible
recreational asset.”
In addition to the $5.4
MacNeil Park in College Point. Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks
million renovation, Parks
is also working on a separated
project to reconstruct
the existing concrete
stairs and construct
new granite stairs at the
jetty. This project will
feature the installation
of new benches at the new
granite stairs to provide
new space to sit and relax.
“In northeast Queens,
our waterfronts have always
been an important
part of daily life and the
overall character of our
great neighborhoods,”
said Vallone. “With the
dream of a vibrant Mac-
Neil Park with waterfront
accessibility now realized,
I know that these
great new amenities will
be enjoyed by local families
and park visitors for
generations to come.”
In 1930, the city acquired
the land where
MacNeil Park is currently
located. Prior to that time,
there had been a failed
plan to open an Episcopal
seminary on the 134-acre
land. In 1839, St. Paul’s
College — for which College
Point is named —
opened but closed approximately
10 years later.
When Parks acquired
the land, the agency put
in a new playground, football
field, roller skating
rink, baseball diamond
and picnic grounds. Back
then, residents knew the
waterfront property as
Chisholm Park and College
Point Shore Front
Park.
“The long-awaited restoration
of the MacNeil
Park Esplanade project
truly illustrates all of the
natural beauty Queens
has to offer,” said Assemblyman
Daniel Rosenthal.
“Now College Point residents
of all ages will be
able to take advantage of
this open-air amenity that
helps make our borough
unique.”
“The repairs to the
MacNeil Park esplanade
have restored access to
the park’s waterfront
and have made MacNeil
Park an even more enjoyable
place to visit for the
families of College Point
and all of Queens,” added
Katz. “The funds allocated
for these repairs are an
important investment in
College Point and in our
Queens waterfront.”
Reach reporter Jenna
Bagcal by e-mail at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone
at (718) 260-2583.
Bayside-based artist
introduces new exhibit
BY ANGELICA ACEVEDO
“NYC Faces,” a series
of paintings depicting New
Yorkers in transit by artist
Clare Stokolosa, is returning
to La Galeria at Boricua College
on Friday.
The Bayside-based artist
began sketching people while
on the LIRR one morning in
2016, when she noticed what
she called a “phenomenon.”
“Everyone was on the
phone, so I pulled out my
sketchpad,” Stokolosa said.
“I wanted to document people
and the way we interact, and
how it’s changed over time.”
Stokolosa first showcased
her work in 2017 at
Boricua College, where she
also served as an art history
professor for a semester.
She has since expanded the
collection and added new
pieces, which she said come
in small, apartment-friendly
sizes and “bigger-than-life”
sizes that are up to 64 inches
in height.
Some of her pieces were
even showcased on more
than 1,700 of the city’s
LinkNYC kiosks this summer,
as part of the #ArtOn-
Link program.
To celebrate the opening
of “NYC Face,” a reception
will be held on Nov. 8 at Boricua
College’s La Galeria,
located at 3755 Broadway in
Manhattan. Visitors will be
able to meet Stokolosa, and
enjoy refreshments.
The exhibit will run until
Nov. 22 by appointment.
Stokolosa, who recently
received the Italian Heritage
and Culture award from
Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz, hopes that
this project starts a conversation.
“We do live in harmony,
and the pieces are a very
good example of that” she
said. “I want it to start a conversation
about how we can
live peacefully.”
For more information
and to schedule your visit,
contact Stokolosa at info@
clarestokolosa.com.
$5.4 million project complete
Visitors now have waterfront access to MacNeil Park in College Point
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