São Paulo Artists Paint Mural on Grand Street and Manhattan Ave

Artists Senk11 and Super have collaborated on a new mural on Grand Street and Manhattan Avenue! This beautiful mural sits on the side of Big Apple 20 Deli on 669 Grand Street. Both Super and Senk11 are artists originating from São Paulo and longtime friends. They’ve known each other for years but have seldom collaborated - till this piece. The mural has inspiration from both São Paulo and Brooklyn, depicting a woman wearing the Brazilian national soccer jersey, while surrounded by the L train.

The artists mixed their artistic styles together to bring this mural to life, using distinct elements from their respective work. Senk11’s contribution to the mural comes in the form of the woman and two children, while Super worked on the geometric shapes that serve as a backdrop for the mural.

Super lives in the neighborhood, a short distance away from the mural. He says he loves the neighborhood for its people and the restaurants, saying it “the best place to live his life”. He says the closest comparison to Williamsburg in São Paulo is Vila Madalena, with its rich history of artistic galleries and graffiti. Super takes pride in his Geometric art, saying that his favorite aspect of painting murals is taking in his work on larger-scaled projects after he’s finished them. Check out Super and Senk11’s Instagram pages to keep up with their art!

Photos by Bryan Hernandez.

Familia / Famiglia - The Making of the Mural

The Grand Street BID is excited to showcase Familia / Famiglia, a mural we have commissioned on the north-east corner of Grand Street and Graham Avenue! Artists, SON-CORO and Danielle Mastrion worked together to reflect the history and culture of the neighborhood and bring beautiful, vibrant artwork to this important corner. Supporting Son and Danielle on the project are the Grand Street BID, the art production & mural company Dripped On Productions and local media group, OWLEY Studios.

The Making of the mural

“FAMILIA / FAMIGLIA“ . Created by OWLEY Studios.

“FAMILIA / FAMIGLIA” - The Grand Street neighborhood has historically served as a home to many cultures. Its intersection with Graham Avenue has acted as an epicenter for these communities to come together - allowing multiple cultures to co-exist and exchange with one another. Through this project, the Grand Street BID endeavors to honor the culture and historical importance of this intersection with artwork that feels representative of the community even as it continues to change and evolve.

To find the right artists to carry out this vision, the BID recruited art production & mural company Dripped On Productions. Dripped On found two artists with deep ties to both the neighborhood and the Puerto Rican and Italian-American communities; Danielle Mastrion and SON-CORO.

Danielle Mastrion is an Italian-American artist, born and raised in Brooklyn, whose work often amplifies local communities and icons. Her work on this mural reflects her Italian-American culture, like the horn that wards off the evil eye, local Italian business signage, and Italy’s national flower, the white lily. She chose to paint a portrait of her grandmother who originally immigrated to Williamsburg and settled on Grand Street with her family, as a representation of that era. This figure is seen enjoying a cup of coffee with the woman to her right, bringing time and cultural traditions together.

SON-CORO is a Puerto Rican-born, local resident of the Grand Street neighborhood. He has been painting murals here for years, balancing multiple careers outside of his art practice while rapidly developing his painting skills. He often paints Puerto Rican themes in his murals, “it is something in my heart and I can’t get it out.” Son chose to paint a portrait of his wife acting as a character called “Musaraña”, a combination of imagery from icons Celia Cruz and Iris Chacon. The two women sharing coffee represents a cultural bridge that crosses the two street signs; a bridge, not a border, that cascades over a vibrant gradient of color.

The Grand Street BID hosted a community meeting in May to hear people share stories about what they would like to see represented & what it means to be in a community that is constantly changing. This input was used to help the artists design the mural, leading to the creation of a beautiful and vibrant piece of artwork that is representative of the fabric of our community.

The sharing of the coffee is representative of cultures coming together, collaborating, and existing together in this area for many years. The two women are shown enjoying a shared cultural staple while laughing and conversing, enjoying a moment of joy and peace. The coffee crosses the intersection, between the two street signs, to connect the cultures and represent that all cultures can thrive when they share, communicate, and share commonalities.

behind the scenes

Dripped On Productions - Behind the scenes

Familia / Famiglia - New Mural On Graham Ave and Grand St

The Grand Street BID is excited to debut Familia / Famiglia, a new mural we have commissioned on the north-east corner of Grand Street and Graham Avenue! Artists, SON-CORO and Danielle Mastrion worked together to reflect the history and culture of the neighborhood and bring beautiful, vibrant artwork to this important corner. Supporting Son and Danielle on the project are the Grand Street BID, the art production & mural company Dripped On Productions and local media group, OWLEY Studios.

Click here to watch “FAMILIA / FAMIGLIA” , a short film showcasing the making of the mural.

SON-CORO

Dripped On Productions prepping the mural site

Son is from Puerto Rico, now living a few blocks from the mural site. Danielle is Italian American, born and raised in Brooklyn; her mothers side of the family immigrated through Ellis Island to the neighborhood many years ago. The artists collaborated on this wall to represent the importance of integrating cultures instead of separating them. Using the personal relationships that each artist has to their heritage and the local area, various historic and contemporary motifs were used to show the cultures coming together in this historic area of Brooklyn. In addition, Graham Avenues’ dual naming as “Avenue of Puerto Rico” and “Avenue of Via Vespucci” that mark the historic makeup of the neighborhood are featured in their respective portion of the mural.

Danielle’s side of the mural is clad with important Italian-American cultural elements. From left to right there is the famous Giglio Statue carried through the streets of the neighborhood during the “The Dance of the Giglio”; a tradition of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church Feast that has been carried out in the neighborhood annually since 1903. The statue blends into the row of typical residential Brooklyn buildings on the bottom. Hanging from the top left is the Italian horn necklace known as a “Cornicello”, which is an Italian amulet or talisman that is worn to ward off and protect against the evil eye (malocchio) and bad spirits as well as promote good luck and fertility. Behind the horn is an old school neon Pastry Shop sign signifying traditional Italian immigrant businesses that still are present in the neighborhood. At the top is the street sign marking the north side of Graham Avenue as Graham Ave Via Vespucci.

The main feature of Danielle’s side is the woman in the left center, holding the espresso cup. This image is a portrait of the artist’s grandmother, Rose (Rosaria Anobile) who grew up in the Williamsburg area after her family immigrated from Italy, hence the Ellis island immigration stamp to her left. Rose, like many immigrant women of all backgrounds at the time, was a seamstress, hence the spool of Italian colored yarn and thimble on the far left.

Danielle Mastrion

Her name is why she sits behind two beautifully painted roses and is surrounded by luscious white Lily’s, the national flower of Italy. Finally, her necklace, a jewelry style typical of both Italian and Puerto Rican cultures in New York City, reads “Italiana” - Instead of the traditional nameplate, representing Italian-American women as a whole. This is also complimentary and matches the other portrait on the wall, who is wearing gold earrings with the words “Boriqua”.

The top right of Son Coro’s portion of the mural depicts the artist’s fiancée as a character she named, “Musaraña”. Musaraña has a combination of characteristics from contemporary icons Iris Chacon and Celia Cruz, with characteristics of a Puerto Rican woman from the 1960s/70s. This character is influenced by motifs from when Graham Avenue was first divided by the street signs “Avenue of Via Vespucci” and “Avenue of Puerto Rico”. In the background an eclipse forms, which only happens under specific circumstances of convergence - A reference to how this mural’s creation took place.

SON-CORO

On the top left of Son’s portion of the mural is the relevant street sign for “Avenue of Puerto Rico”. On the bottom, the Italian flowers from the left side of the mural morph into representative botany of Puerto Rico, the bird of paradise flower and the hibiscus flower. Finally, at the bottom right, perched on the pink Hibiscus, there is an orange Coquí frog. Coquí’s are a species of frog endemic to Puerto Rico and are well known for their loud night calls that sound very similar to their name. Bordering the bottom right are more residential style Brooklyn buildings that warp up to frame the right side of the portrait at the top.

The sharing of the coffee is representative of cultures coming together, collaborating, and existing together in this area for many years. The two women are shown enjoying a shared cultural staple while laughing and conversing, enjoying a moment of joy and peace. The coffee crosses the intersection, between the two street signs, to connect the cultures and represent that all cultures can thrive when they share, communicate, and share commonalities.

All photos provided by OWLEY Studios. Story written by Dripped On Productions, OWLEY Studios, and The Grand Street BID

New Graham Avenue Mural: We Want To Hear From You!

The Grand Street BID is excited to announce that we are commissioning a mural at the corner of Grand Street and Graham Avenue! The mural will reflect the history and culture of the neighborhood and bring beautiful, vibrant artwork to this important corner.

Luna nueva, for Bushwick Collective (2020) - SON-HIJO

Cover Mural Artwork, “Do The Right Thing” 30th Anniversary, for Spike Lee (2019) - Danielle Mastrion

We have selected two artists to collaborate on this project – SON-HIJO and Danielle Mastrion. Both artists have deep ties to our community and can capture the unique qualities of our neighborhood, tell the stories of new and long-term residents, our strong entrepreneurial history, and the diversity and cultural melding that are an important part of our past, present, and future.

We know that many of our neighbors would enjoy an opportunity to connect with this artwork and inform its design so we’re hosting a community meeting over zoom on Thursday, May 25th at 6:30PM. Please join us to share your stories and inspire the artists. RSVP here.

If you aren’t able to attend the zoom session but want to share your stories with the artists, you can email the BID your thoughts at info@grandstreetbk.org before the end of the day Friday.

The artists will begin working on the mural in just a couple of weeks with the hopes that it will be completed before the end of June. Keep an eye on the corner and our socials to watch the piece come to life and stay tuned for more announcements about additional artwork coming to Grand Street next month!

Edit: The mural has been completed and named - Familia / Famiglia ! You can read more about the new mural here

Grand Leaners Brings New Mural To Grand Street

A new mural has arrived on Grand Street! Our very own Grand Leaners has debuted a mural on its gate, bringing vibrant graffiti art to the neighborhood. Owner, Joshua Kristal, collaborated with well known Brooklyn artist @muffinmannyc to create this mural; it depicts a muffin serving as bait on a hook for skeleton fish. Muffinman’s work can be seen throughout Williamsburg and Bushwick, his signature muffin tag being easily recognizable. 

The mural is the first of many rotating murals that Joshua plans on bringing to Grand Leaners, with plans to update the mural every 3-4 months. While this mural has an environmental message, the plan for the next mural is to showcase the Puerto Rican history of the neighborhood; he’s hoping to collaborate with local artists of Puerto Rican descent to paint his gate next.

Joshua chose 765 Grand Street as the home for his vintage emporium back in March 2022. His collection of clothes, art, and household items fill the shop with a wide variety of vintage goods he’s gladly shared with the community. The storefront used to be a dry cleaners and he took advantage of the existing infrastructure, repurposing the rotating clothing rack to showcase his selection. 

Stop by Grand Leaners to browse their diverse collection and check out their new mural. Stay glued to our socials to stay updated for when the mural rotates!

Cover Photo Credit: Grand Leaners

New Mural Brings Messages of Positivity to Grand Street

Grand Street got it’s newest mural last weekend! Commissioned by the Nieves Latin Dance School, the striking piece by artist, Andres Medina is located at 670 Grand Street on the side of Nieves’ storefront. For a while, owner of the dance studio, Wil Nieves, had been seeking a solution to the graffiti that had overtaken a previous mural. After receiving multiple proposals from several artists, Nieves commissioned local artist and friend, Andres Medina, for the placemaking project.

Bright and dynamic, the painting is calligrapher and illustrator, Andres Medina’s first ever large scale mural. Mr. Nieves was hoping to commission a piece that is not only dance oriented, but also community oriented in response to current events including the pandemic, police brutality, racial inequity and resulting social unrest. The calligraphic style of the piece is a trademark of Medina’s artwork. Central imagery of shaking hands within the medallion and the surrounding words are meant to evoke a “universal, positive and inspiring sentiment.”

The mural’s intent to represent hope for the future is clearly captured through Medina’s design. This eye-catching piece is a stunning addition to the streetscape and demonstrates the strength of the Grand Street community. Andres Medina is a long time friend of the Nieves Latin Dance Studio and used to teach classes there. His creativity spans multiple mediums and as he is now mostly focusing on visual art, the timing of Mr. Nieve’s commission was serendipitous, enabling the creation of the mural.

Just as the mural emphasizes cooperation and collaboration, the dance school creates a similar atmosphere within the community. Nieves specializes in Salsa Dance for all ages and also offers courses in Bachata and Cha Cha Cha. This Latin studio has been bringing people together through dance for years at their locations on Grand Street and in the Bronx. In light of the pandemic, the studio also offers online courses.

We’re so excited about the newest addition to our public art scene! Make sure to stop by and check out the mural, and maybe sign up for some salsa lessons while you’re there.

Film Festival Winner: Grand Street BID’s “Olor a Azucenas, El Perfume Del Barrio”

This past week, Olor a Azucenas, El Perfume Del Barrio (The Scent of Lillies, the Perfume of the Neighborhood) received the “Best Spirit of Puerto Rico” Award at the Rincon International Film Festival in Puerto Rico! The short film was commissioned and curated by the BID, produced by OWLEY, and documents the the installation of the community mural at 609 Grand Street completed by Don Rimx and for which the film is named. This placemaking project encompasses the mural’s prominence as a symbol of Puerto Rican heritage and entrepreneurship in the Williamsburg neighborhood and Brooklyn at large.

RIFF is the largest film festival in Puerto Rico, and Olor a Azucenas, El Perfume Del Barrio was chosen the winner out of over 200 other shorts films. With categories ranging from Documentary to Comedy to Drama, the Spirit of Puerto Rico is a niche section of the program highlighting films that embody the essence of life on the Island. The film was also accepted into the ENFOQUE Film Festival in Puerto Rico and Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, in Brooklyn, NY.

The colorful mural on Grand Street was painted by Puerto Rican street artist, illustrator, and muralist Edwin Sepulveda "Don Rimx" Cruz. Don's style of painting is conducted "The Puerto Rico way" and illustrates a flower vendor famous to San Juan, Puerto Rico who is holding a large arrangement of beautiful azucenas—white lilies—the image of the vendor represents the hardworking small business owners of Grand Street who come from different cultures and places to pursue their goals and dreams. As the vendor walks through the city, he calls out “azucenas” and the distinct scent of the flowers radiates around him. A known figure in the community, people can hear and smell him as he arrives.

The figure is interwoven with ancient beads in tandem with a rounded wooden frame as a tribute to the ancestors who were here before us. The vibrant colors, variously angled bricks, and window elements represent the uniqueness of the surrounding Grand Street neighborhood - a representation of each person's own vibrancy and hue they give off from the life they build. Together, these elements symbolize the community, perseverance, unity, sharing, and love of the Grand Street community and how so many cultures come together to thrive in the same place they call home.

Throughout the installation of the mural, Don Rimx and Owley’s process became a community affair. Many gathered in the parking lot where the artists were set up to hang out, share stories, dance, and watch the painting come to life. This community-centric process emphasizes the mural’s symbolization as "a cultural bridge". As stated in the film, “Once you start seeing the process, that’s when you make the real connections.”

We are honored to have worked with OWLEY, Don Rimx, and all our of our neighbors in the generation of both the mural and the film. We are also grateful for project funding from Council Member Levin, without which the installation would not have been possible. If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to watch this award-winning film that beautifully shows the intersection of culture, art, and community on Grand Street.