See the massive new mural at Rockaway Beach

Shantell Martin, the artist behind the bold and swirly installations at Governors Island, the Oculus and Lincoln Center, has transformed a new space with a 16,000-square-foot mural.

The massive work can be found at "The Big Yard" at Waterside Children's Studio School's Seaside Playground and seen in its entirety from above, by visitors to The Rockaway Hotel's rooftop and from the windows of airplanes taking off and landing from JFK.

The 360-degree installation uses fluid and interconnected lines to incorporate text and images as part of an effort to revitalize and beautify the neighborhood, according to Friends of Seaside Playground and The Rockaway Hotel, which led and sponsored the project, respectively.

"Through the wonder, movement, and layers of details embedded in her canvases, Shantell Martin's work naturally engages the collective imagination and brings people together," said Laura Frank and Carolina Cisneros of FOSP.

Martin was the winner of an open call for designs to represent the vibrancy of the Rockaway Community and its urban beach landscape and bring social impact and art and culture initiatives to the community year-round, which is key to the hotel’s ethos to add to Rockaway's vibrant community and bring more magic to it, it says.

The Rockaway Hotel, by IGC Hospitality and 7G Realty, is a 84,000 square-foot hotel with 53 guest rooms and eight long-stay residences that all have an Atlantic Ocean or Jamaica Bay view from its place on 108th Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard.

"Art can be the connective tissue of a community, and we are so honored to work with Shantell Martin to bring her iconic vision of unity to the Rockaway peninsula," said Michi Jigarjian, partner and Chief Social Impact Officer of the Rockaway Hotel. "Facilitating public art initiatives for social change is paramount to the hotel’s social impact goals."

View this post on Instagram

What a great turn out to the Community Day Event with Shantell Martin as the transformation of the Big Yard takes place!!! Many thanks to everyone involved!!! We can’t wait to see the faces of the kids Tuesday morning when they return to school. The Big Yard Mural is made possible by generous support from The Rockaway Hotel, 7|G Foundation, and Citizens Committee for New York City. #Shantellmartin #therockawayhotel #friendsofseasideplayground

A post shared by Friends Of Seaside Playground (@friendsofseasideplayground) on Oct 11, 2020 at 1:39pm PDT

Most popular on Time Out

- The best October events in NYC
- The most haunted places in NYC
- The best Halloween events in NYC
- The 100 best movies of all time
- Broadway is now officially closed until June of 2021

Want to know what’s cool in the city before your friends do? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest and greatest from NYC and beyond.