By Jack Delaney | jdelaney@queensledger.com
RIDGEWOOD — For years, residents near Rosemary’s Playground in Ridgewood have complained of a recurring rash of graffiti along the park’s eastern-facing wall.
Today, the grey surface along Madison Street is splotched with power-washed patches, evidence of the Parks Department’s Sisyphean efforts to quash the problem.
But things may be about to change, after a new coalition secured $10,000 for a proactive solution that’s worked elsewhere in the city: why not paint a mural?
Paul Pogozelski, a former City Council candidate from Middle Village, struck upon the idea while campaigning in the neighborhood last year. To get a better sense of the area’s needs, he reached out to his friend Antonetta “Toni” Binanti, the owner of Rudy’s Bakery and president of the Myrtle Avenue BID, who highlighted the untapped potential of Rosemary’s Playground.
“When he called, I was so happy,” said Binanti, breaking off the conversation briefly to greet a customer. “It’s a beautiful park right in the middle of Ridgewood. But all the parents who’d come into the bakery would tell me, it’s not a nice place — and I’m a community person, so of course I want to see things taken care of.”
Eight years ago, a group of local parents banded together to clean the playground regularly, fueled by desserts from Binanti’s bakery. Their efforts seem to have pushed the needle within the park itself: on a recent afternoon, dozens of residents sat on benches, soaking in the sun, as toddlers waddled by a collection of whimsical mosaics that line the inner path.
Yet on the park’s eastern sidewalk, a large pile of trash bags loitered next to the mottled and neglected wall.
“This wall has been stuck in a cycle of vandalism and repainting that our Parks resources couldn’t keep up with,” said Pogozelski, as the M train rattled overhead. “We’re hopeful this community mural will bring pride to the park, and I’m grateful to Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi and his team for their quick response in helping make it happen.”
Last year, City Council District 30 — which runs from Ridgewood to Maspeth — allocated approximately $100,000 in discretionary funds for graffiti removal. Hevesi’s office hopes that the mural project, which will feature a graffiti-proof coating and cost a comparatively modest $10,000 in discretionary funds, will save money in the long run.
The mural will be created by Groundswell, a nonprofit founded in 1996 that has completed over 500 installations throughout NYC by hiring young people and local artists. Designs are on track to be finalized this summer, with a projected finish date in the fall. (Students from nearby I.S. 93 will also contribute to the final product.)
A 2006 study in Australia found that murals deter graffiti significantly, partially due to the “rules of respect” — a graffiti artist is less likely to tamper with another artist’s work. As it stands, the planned mural will only cover the left-most section of the wall, but Hevesi and Pogozelski aim to expand it eventually.
“This is a really exciting opportunity to bring in local artwork, by our community, for our community. It’s been grassroots all the way through,” said AM Hevesi in a statement. “I’m really glad we were able to secure funds in this year’s budget to make this happen, and grateful to our partners on the ground who originated the idea [and] who have been involved in each step of the development process.”
