Long Island City
Long Island City's rapid transformation from industrial waterfront to arts hub has left a rich layer of murals across its warehouse walls. The 5 Pointz era established LIC as a global street art destination; though the original building was demolished in 2013, the mural tradition it sparked has spread throughout the neighborhood's remaining industrial blocks and new mixed-use developments.
Featured Artists
All artists →Meres One
Jonathan Cohen, known as Meres One, served as the curator of 5 Pointz from 1993 until its controversial whitewashing by developer Jerry Wolkoff in 2013. "After 5 Pointz" was his response — a mural on an adjacent building memorializing the pieces that were destroyed overnight, reconstructed from photographs. Cohen later won a $6.75 million lawsuit over the destruction under the Visual Artists Rights Act.
Hellbent
Queens-based abstract muralist whose flowing, water-influenced compositions have appeared on building facades from Long Island City to Hong Kong. "Queens Water" was inspired by the East River views visible from the LIC waterfront — a 50-foot abstraction of currents, tides, and reflections rendered in the blue-green palette that defines the work.
Roa
Belgian street artist known for large-scale monochrome wildlife murals that appear in cities worldwide. "Skyline Study" on Vernon Blvd features a massive hawk rendered in black and gray, its wingspan spanning three stories against the LIC industrial backdrop. The piece comments on the wildlife habitat of the East River corridor — an ecological corridor that persists despite the surrounding urban density.