Earlier this month, the Welling Court Mural Project commemorated its fifth annual celebration of “streets, solidarity, community, and culture,” in an arts event that brought graffiti artists from around the world together in Astoria, Queens. Explains the event’s organizers, “The Welling Court Mural Project began in 2009 when Ad Hoc Art was invited by the community of Welling Court to slay some aesthetic blights in their neighborhood.” Each year since then, the Mural Project has attracted groundbreaking artists who have helped to transform the mostly working class, residential neighborhood into a vibrant graffiti and paint-covered mecca.
In its first year, the Welling Court Mural Project yielded more than 40 murals. Each year since, more and more artists have been eager to participate in the event, if not for the chance to leave their mark on a diverse community, then to immerse themselves in the energetic presence of likeminded artists and welcoming neighbors and residents. Some artists that have participated in the Mural Project include Queen Andrea, Caleb Neelon, Cake, Vera Times, Zam, SeeOne, Topaz, Damien Mitchell, and many others.
According to Brooklyn Street Art founders Jaime Rojo and Steven Harrington, “We look forward to this annual event for a number of reasons, among them: the unpretentious spirit of community creativity at work as [artists] straddle ladders and stepstools side by side painting walls, the friendly inquisitive neighbors who hang out and discuss the art and prepare a variety of foods to share on folding tables in the middle of the street, and the unbridled enthusiasm of the kids who race through the neighborhood on foot, bicycle, scooter, even grocery cart,” of the energy and sense of community that exudes from the annual arts event.
Though the actual live painting event took place on June 14th, Ad Hoc Art happily points out that the resulting murals are on view 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Images: via Flickr user Wally Gobetz.