A new glass mosaic mural celebrating Long Island City and the residents that make up the community has been unveiled at the LIC Hotel.
“A Moment of Belonging,” by Colombian-born artist Santiago Rodriguez, measures 13 by 5 feet and stands as the largest outdoor glass mosaic mural in the neighborhood.
Featuring 18-karat gold leaf details and Italian mosaic techniques, the mural tells the story of a fictional woman, named Alicia, who finds home in Long Island City and provides a blend of cultural heritage and contemporary artistry.
Rodriguez, who operates a studio based in Long Island City, had previously installed a mural at the nearby Information Technology High School at 21-16 44th Rd. celebrating the “global community” at the school.
The new mural, installed on the walls of the LIC Hotel at 44-02 21st St., represents Rodriguez’s largest outdoor mural in the neighborhood and depicts a red-haired woman who has just moved to the neighborhood.
“It’s a fictional story that I came up with about this woman that came to New York,” Rodriguez said. “She wanted to have her New York experience, to be part of us, the New York collective. She went to a bunch of places, and LIC is the one place that she felt safe and she felt wanted.”
Rodriguez also replaced the “I” in LIC with a golden key for the piece, signifying that it is the local resident who make the neighborhood what it is.
“She is now part of this community and that makes this place stronger and more beautiful,” Rodriguez said at an unveiling event on Aug. 27..
Rodriguez said he has received funding from a private donor to complete several other murals over the next three years, adding that he hopes to connect with local businesses to find more locations for similar pieces in the future.
However, his next two pieces will be installed outside the neighborhood, with his next mural set to be installed in Corona.
Ideally, Rodriguez would like to create more artwork in the neighborhood where he operates his studio.
“I see the changes that LIC has undergone ever since I got here. It keeps changing. It keeps thriving and it’s really close to my heart,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez described the neighborhood as a “golden nest” and said public art can help make the area more vibrant for people living locally.
“The street has been transformed with this one piece of art,” he said. “It just pulls you in because it’s so vibrant.”
A representative for the Long Island City Partnership, which helped connect Rodriguez with staff at the LIC Hotel, said creating public art is “really important” for the organization. LICP encouraged local businesses to reach out if they are interested in providing space for similar projects in the future.
Jean Woods-Powell, principal of Information Technology High School where Rodriguez installed an earlier mural, said Rodriguez’s mural has helped to brighten up the school’s entrance, greeting students and staff with a powerful message of “global community” as they enter the building.
“It is not only beautiful, but a reminder of love, community, culture and celebration,” Woods-Powell said.
She said students were heavily involved in creating the mural, providing input on what should symbolize the school and the local community.
Woods-Powell said Rodriguez has also collaborated with the school to teach students various techniques and said the mural has helped to “really beautify our school.”
“We’re really appreciative of Santiago, and we’re looking forward to more work ahead with him,” Woods-Powell said at Wednesday’s unveiling.
