Every June for the past ten years, the streets around Welling Court become an open-air art gallery in the making. Join me this year for the 10th annual Welling Court Mural Project street art festival as 150+ street artists show off their talent right here in the streets of Astoria! Every year it's another surprise as artists from near and far gather to unleash their creative styles unto their patch of wall.
As a 30 plus-year resident of Astoria/LIC, licensed educator, visual artist/photographer and street art enthusiast, I would love to hook you up with the art scene in Astoria and LIC. I will guide a small group through an intimate one-on-one guided survey of the Welling Court Mural Project, talk to you about the history of Astoria, the history of street art, point out the artists from the neighborhood and some big global names, and even chat with the organizer/curator. The Welling Court Mural Project has joined ranks with Bushwick Collective as one of the major open-air community-sponsored street art festivals in NYC.
During your tour, you will learn about the street scene in NYC, get an overview of how graffiti morphed into street art, learn about the various techniques of street art (stenciling, wheat pasting, stickers, etc) and get to know some of the local artists and some with big names. You might even go on a scavenger hunt for specific iconic pieces that put Astoria/LIC on the map.
Price: $20/person
Includes:
-guided insider's look into the street art scene with a professional artist and educator
-history and styles associated with the development of graphing/street art as a sub-genre
-interviews with branded artists as they work
Does Not include: transportation costs via subway, food expenses, gratuities
Event lasts from: 12 noon to 7 pm
Tour lasts : 2-4 hours
Itinerary:
12:00-12:30 meet at foot of N/W Astoria Blvd subway stop (even if it is closed during weekends) at the statue of Christopher Columbus at OR alternatively arrive via NYC Ferry at ASTORIA landing (easier and faster from Manhattan)
12:30-1:00 walk to Welling Court Mural Project and talk about history of Astoria and its landmarks
1:00-3:00 explore the scene and learn about the history of street art
witness techniques of street art "live" with artists at work
chat with event organizers, artists, fellow enthusiasts
3:00-4:00 de-brief at local cafe and/or art scavenger hunt
Don't forget to charge your camera! It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to snap up photos.