One of the best parts of summer 2015 will be the Coney Island Art Walls, yes, Coney Island! Although it's a haul unless you live in Bay Ridge or near the world famous amusement park, Coney may be a tad far but it's worth the hour plus train ride to see some of the best street and graffiti artists in the world. Legends!
Summertime 2015 by Crash
Famed curator, art advisor and "Art In The Streets" book and exhibit front-man Jeffrey Deitch and Joseph J. Sitt have curated a fabulous public art walls project via Thor Equities in the middle of Coney Island, Brooklyn steps from the boardwalk and behind Nathans' Famous Hot Dogs at 1320 Bowery Street. The project will feature the debut of Smorgasburg Coney Island, with 12 diverse food vendors presented by the founders of the popular food market.
First finished wall by How & Nosm
Deitch, a leading art advisor and former director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles and Sitt, CEO of Thor Equities, are gathering some of the most prominent street artists in the world to create more than 20 wall murals for Coney Art Walls.
Artists who have completed pieces (see photos below), include (in order so far), How and Nosm, Daze, Crash, Lady Pink, Jesse Ward, Futura, IRAK, Skewville and a Shepard Fairey wheat paste. Also this week/weekend expect Ben Eine, Lady Aiko and Lee Quinones. Approx. 20+ more are on the way including Kennny Scharf, Icy Signs, Miss Van, Buff Monster Kashink and many more.
“Coney Art Walls will be an outdoor museum, featuring the most innovative street artists from the 1970s to the present,” said Jeffrey Deitch. In 2014, Coney Island recorded its best season in decades, with more than 11.45 million people visiting the beach and boardwalk, according to NYC Parks.
“Thor Equities is committed to honoring Coney Island’s past while preserving its future, and we believe the art wall project and Smorgasburg will go a long way towards achieving that goal,” said Joseph Sitt, CEO of Thor.
Make the trip and see what all the fuss is about, and have a look here in the meantime from day one...
How and Nosm, early on...
Jaime Rojo from Brooklyn Street Art getting an epic shot
Crash day one
Lady Pink and Lee Quinones
Jesse Ward day one and two
Ward's portrait of Martha Cooper going up next, (Martha is below)
Epic wall by Daze
Group photo; Daze, Crash, Lady Pink and Lee Quinones
Group photo with Marth Cooper
NYPD loves art, talking with Lee Quinones...
Another group photo including Futura
Futura (signing) on the cover of the latest Very Nearly Almost magazine
Crash in action
Crash wall with Daze to the right
"Instant Art Exposure" time, yes, another photo for my upcoming book
Lady Pink finishing up
Futura. Period.
Jess Ward just about finished
IRAK in progress
Even more Coney developments: Wahlburgers, the gourmet burger franchise owned by Mark and Donnie Wahlberg, recently signed a lease at Thor Equities’ retail property at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenue. National retail chain IT’SUGAR is also located in the building. Biederman Redevelopment Ventures will implement programming, events and other amenities at Coney Art Walls. So there you have it, many great things for this summer happening at our furthest point south in Brooklyn.
And there you have it, week one. Stay tuned for much more ahead at art-and-amusement park central. Welcome to summer 2015!
