By Prem Calvin Prashad
A Flushing community group is seeking to revitalize the Long Island Rail Road station in the heart of downtown with a community-funded project to paint a mural.
John Choe, director of One Flushing, said although a number of community and business groups already exist in Flushing, this is the first community development center that actively strives to incorporate all faiths and ethnic groups in Flushing into a cohesive community organization.
Organizers of the Flushing Community Mural Project want to beautify the staircase that leads to the LIRR station on 40th Road with a 14-by-45-foot mural on the wall next door.
Choe said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has “failed in their obligation to maintain the area,” which is unkempt and heavily graffitied.
Flushing’s LIRR station has been a point of contention for area officials for years as it is not only rundown, but also plagued by overflowing garbage and limited by the lack of an elevator for the elderly and disabled.
Choe hopes this project will put pressure on the MTA to fund the necessary improvements to the station.
He pointed out that although Flushing is the fourth-largest commercial center in the city, it lacks the power and clout of other neighborhoods, which affects the willingness of the MTA to invest in Flushing.
Community artists, students and residents, under the direction of the accomplished lead artist Sandra “Lady Pink” Fabara, will paint the mural.
In addition to making a powerful statement, Choe hopes this mural will foster a sense of civic pride.
“We have the elements of what downtown Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn have,” he said. “There is a lot that I think we have the potential to become, but we don’t have a space for people of all backgrounds to come together.”
According to its mission statement, One Flushing seeks to expand local economic opportunity as well as foster a sense of community, anchored by local business owners, faith-based institutions and civic groups.
Choe said the group’s ultimate goal is “to give people the resources to change and improve our community.”
He also said the mural would attempt to re-envision the neighborhood with a nuanced view of what is special about Flushing. For that reason, the organizers want to make the mural project inclusive and speak to the diversity of the community.
While noting that Flushing does not have any murals at this point unlike many other communities in the city, Choe said “people take pride in creative and artistic works that are present in each of these neighborhoods.”
One Flushing has raised half of the money for the mural project so far and is hoping to collect the remaining $3,500 to subsidize the cost of materials, equipment and artist fees, which will include design workshops leading up to the project. Donations of painting supplies and refreshments for volunteers are also being accepted.
Those who wish to participate in the design and painting of the mural should contact Choe at john@oneflushing.org for more information.
