Calicho

Jeff Beler on Washington Walls with: Uncutt Art, Calicho, Paulie Nassar, Jaima, Outer Source, Majo San and Carnivorous Flora

June 14, 2022

While checking out several new murals at Underhill Walls in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn last week, I was delighted to discover a new open air gallery just a few blocks away.  Located at Washington Avenue and Clark Place and, also, curated by community resident and leader Jeff Beler, it hosts a captivating array of murals. A brief interview with Jeff Beler — its founder — follows:

What a wonderful addition go the neighborhood! What motivated you to launch this new project, Washington Walls?

I’ve lived in this neighborhood for 17 years and this spot had always been an eyesore.  It had originally been a garage, but it had been empty for years — with damaged panels in need of replacement.

How did you made this transformation happen — in terms of permissions?

I spoke to the contractor who contacted the owner of the property. The panels were replaced, and I was given the “Go ahead!”

When did it officially launch? And how did it go?

In February — right after Valentines Day. The entire community pitched in. Kids got involved. Everything went beautifully, and we all had fun!

These walls feature such a wide range of talents, styles and themes. I am familiar with many of the artists from Underhill Walls and elsewhere, yet several are new to me. How were you able to engage so many artists? And how did they find out about this project?

I put up a post on Instagram that I was seeking artists to paint, and the response was great.

What’s ahead?

A second edition of Washington Walls in September. We are also planning to launch shirts, tote bags, prints and stickers, along with a  book documenting the past seven years of Underhill Walls. And currently we are completing the newest set of murals at Underhill Walls featuring TV Nostalgia.

Murals:

  1. Uncutt Art
  2. Calicho Arevalo — with Jeff Beler on the left
  3. Paulie Nassar
  4. Jaima
  5. Outer Source
  6. Majo San
  7. Carnivorous Flora

Photos: Lois Stavsky

Interview conducted and edited by Lois Stavsky

{ 0 comments }

Refashioning Vanderbilt Avenue: Jaima, Jason Naylor, Subway Doodle, Majo San, Calicho, Marco Santini, Zero Productivity, Miki Mu & More

August 17, 2021

Under the curatorial eye of Jeff Beler, Vanderbilt Avenue — between  Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street — has been transformed into an oasis of color and positivity. The delightful image featured above was painted by Brooklyn-based artist Jaima. Several more artworks that have recently surfaced on the block’s barriers follow:

Artist and designer Jason Naylor

Multimedia artist Subway Doodle

Muralist and designer Majo Barajas aka Majo San and Colombian artist Calicho Arevalo

New Jersey-bred, NYC-based artist and designer Marco Santini

Artist and graphic designer Zero Productivity

Muralist and illustrator Miki Mu with some great advice–

Included, too, in this project are the talents of  Vince Ballentine, Raddington Falls and Steph Motta. And a particular highlight is the community mural designed by Miki Mu and completed this past Saturday by neighborhood children.

Photos by Lois Stavsky

{ 0 comments }

Back to Soho: Pure Genius, The Creator, Eyes That Love Art, Konstance Patton, Amir Diop, Sule, One Rad Latina, Calicho & Jeff Rose King

December 25, 2020

When the plywood returned to the streets of Soho shortly before the November presidential election, the artists got busy again. What a treat for us street art lovers! The image pictured above is the work of the increasingly prolific NYC-based Pure Genius. A small sampling of what’s been happening on the streets of Soho follows:

Brooklyn-based Manuel Alejandro Pulla aka The Creator with a call to support small businesses

Eyes that Love Art brings his mixed-media aesthetic to Grand Street plywood

Konstance Patton‘s signature lady with Amir Diop‘s political art to her right

Konstance Patton with a message; Sule on the door to her right and Light Noise above them both

Two short-lived works by One Rad Latina in her signature style

One of several collaborative works by Calicho and Jeff Rose King

Photo credits: 1, 4 & 6 Lois Stavsky; 2, 3, 5 & 7 Ana Candelaria; 

{ 0 comments }

“What’s Your Sign?” at Underhill Walls: Jeff Beler, BLJ, Calicho, Savior Elmundo, Nassar, Megan Watters, Justin Winslow & Subway Doodle

November 12, 2020

Celebrating five years of Underhill Walls — the model community art project spearheaded and curated by Jeff Beler — “What’s Your Sign?” recently surfaced at the corner of Underhill Avenue and Saint Johns Place.  Featured above is Jeff Beler — standing to the left of his mural, adjacent to BLJ ‘s . Several more images from “What’s Your Sign?” follow:

North Carolina / NYC-based BLJ creates a passionate, assertive Aries, the ram — the first astrological sign in the Zodiac

Colombian artist Calicho Arevalo‘s Sagittarius and Savior Elmundo‘s Scorpio

Paulie Nassar designs an alluring Gemini

Visual artist and producer Megan Watters honors Ruth Bader Ginsburg with an elegantly balanced Libra

Brooklyn-based Justin Winslow fashions a mesmerizingly playful Aquarius

And Brooklyn-based Subway Doodle adds a bit of playful sarcasm

Photos of images by Lois Stavsky

{ 0 comments }

The Politically Driven “Shared Freedom” Mural Art Project at First Street Green Art Park, Part II: Calicho, Sacsix, Early Riser, Danny Minnick, Zimad and Heart1

October 29, 2020

Pictured above in Part II of our documentation of the politically-driven “Shared Freedom” mural art project — curated by Will Power at First Street Green Art Park — is Calicho Arevalo‘s playful mural, as captured by Ana Candelaria. A few more artworks follow — with even more to be featured on the StreetArtNYC Instagram page.

NYC-based Miami-native Sacsix, “Chokey on the Smokey”

NYC-based multimedia artist Early Riser

Painter, actor and professional skateboarder Danny Minnick in front of huge segment of his beguiling mural — as captured by Berky

Veteran Bronx-based graffiti writer and painter Zimad – as captured by Berky

And Zimad earlier at work — as captured by Berky

Painter and graff master Heart1

And Heart1 — with spray can in hand — as captured by Berky

While visiting the “Shared Freedom” mural art project, be sure to stop by the  POP UP GET OUT THE VOTE / RETAIL STORE that has been set up  adjacent to First Street Green Art Park — on 35 E 1st Street. And don’t forget to VOTE!

Photo credits: 1 Ana Candelaria; 2, 3 & 7 Lois Stavsky and 4, 5, 6 & 8 Berky

{ 0 comments }

At Underhill Walls With: Subway Doodle, Zero Productivity, Paolo Tolentino, Gotham Pro Arts Academy Students w/Jeff Beler, Jaima, Calicho, Marivel 333, Justin Winslow, Paulie Nassar & More

March 23, 2020

Curated and managed by Prospect Heights resident Jeff Beler, Underhill Walls, a model community-based mural art project, always delights. Earlier this month, while the streets were still somewhat occupied, I visited Underhill Walls‘ current installation, where over a dozen artists refashioned the covers of some of their favorite books. Featured above is the wonderfully talented Subway Doodle‘s rendition of Maurice Sendak’s classic, Where the Wild Things Are. Several more images that I captured follow:

Zero Productivity refashions A A Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” with Paolo Tolentino‘s rendition of Sara Gruen’s “Water for Elephants” to its right

Gotham Pro Arts Academy students in collaboration with Jeff Beler with some additional assistance from Paulie Nassar

Jaima does Dr. Seuss’s “Horton Hears a Who!”

Colombian artist Calicho Arevalo designs the Herman Melville classic “Moby Dick”

Manhattan-based artist and art teacher Marivel Mejia does Arthur Laurents’ “West Side Story”

Justin Winslow does Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City”

And Paulie Nassar designs the Harper Lee classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” 

Underhill Walls is located at the corner of St. Johns Place and Underhill Avenue in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Photos by Lois Stavsky

{ 0 comments }