Forest Hills History Mural Embraced By Community

Street artists Praxis & Crisp with Coordinator Michael Perlman, A Tribute To Ascan Avenue & The Forest Hills Gardens Mural

Adding Forest Hills alongside the Ascan Backus Homestead & Mr. & Mrs. Sage, Photo by Michael Perlman

By Michael Perlman

On April 2 to April 4, Forest Hills residents and commuters witnessed the transformation of a blank canvas into a work of art at a long-neglected underpass on Ascan Avenue. With the title “A Tribute To Ascan Avenue & The Forest Hills Gardens,” Forest Hills’ newest mural was born. 

After observing the community’s positive response last summer to the Ramones mural on Continental Avenue by the internationally-known street artists “Crisp” and “Praxis,” natives of Australia and Columbia, this columnist appointed them. The new mural bears homage to influential founding parties of the Forest Hills Gardens, set alongside a Gardens’ street lantern which depicts the neighborhood’s classic two trees and a fountain motif, and also sheds light on a flourishing community. Also resurrected is the Backus family homestead, better known today as Walgreens on Queens Boulevard at 69th Road. 

The underpass now features profiles of financier and railroad executive Russell Sage and philanthropist Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, who amassed her husband’s fortune and helped establish the Russell Sage Foundation, which purchased 142 acres for the Forest Hills Gardens in 1909. Adjacently profiled is “King Farmer” Ascan Backus, regarded as the most successful 19th century commercial farmer in the northeast, when Forest Hills was known as Whitepot prior to 1906. Also honored are Forest Hills Gardens’ principal architect Grosvenor Atterbury and urban planner and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Among the mural’s goals is to establish a face behind the names of frequented destinations including Russell Sage JHS 190, Olivia Park, and Ascan Avenue.

“The support and positive feedback from the local community that passed by while we were painting was overwhelming,” said Crisp. “It was lovely seeing its impact on all ages, from toddlers pointing things out to their parents, all the way up to a 96-year-old reflecting on his time in the area.” One fan stopped his car and later returned to share a photo of Ascan Backus II, Ascan Backus’ grandson. A young child felt passionate enough to ask questions, relay praise, and recommend highlighting the underpass’ “1909” marker, which has been pursued in the mural. Crisp added, “History is easily forgotten, so we educated people about their contributions to the area, and many loved learning about local history visually through the mural.” 

Keeping "King Farmer" Ascan Backus' memory alive!

Local residents and businesses helped shape the content of the mural and contributed nearly $4,000 since December 2016. Organization sponsors were the West Side Tennis Club, Ridgewood Savings Bank, Trylon Vet Care, Exo Café, Ripe, Knish Nosh, London Lennie’s, Belle Arti Center for the Arts, Oliloli Studio, Aigner Chocolates, Banter, Portofino, and Cipollina Gourmet. Fundraisers were held at Knish Nosh, Roast n Co, and La Boulangerie; the latter two restaurants where Marvel and DC Comics artist John Stanisci sold prints of his work and sketched characters upon request to raise funds. Additionally, Century 21 Department Store provided gift cards and wreaths for donors during the holiday season.

“The West Side Tennis Club is proud to have supported this project, particularly during our 125th anniversary,” said Bea Hunt, WSTC, Co-chair, 125th Anniversary Committee. “The mural is a brilliant combination of the people instrumental in creating this community and unique historic architectural elements, and it will raise appreciation of these great pioneers and our rich history.”

Fan Susan Weinstein, a Forest Hills resident, who is an avid walker and history buff said, “It’s a pleasure to learn new things and keep an eye on our quality of life. Now people will learn more about why the Forest Hills Gardens was founded and what it was founded as.”

Another Forest Hills resident, Waice Shah said, “At Russell Sage JHS, I never realized who Russell Sage was, but I always knew that if my school or any street is named after someone, 9 out of 10 times you can do your research and be wowed by their accomplishments.”

Mickey Leigh, brother of the late Joey Ramone, even stopped by. He chuckled and said, “I much prefer a mural than an abstract design of bird droppings.” As a notable himself, he pointed to the wall and said, “I am working my way towards obtaining the status of these accomplished people.”

Nearby residents also praised the mural. Kew Gardens resident Seth Welins said, “The Forest Hills Gardens is gorgeous and leads into an interesting shopping area. I would often walk through the underpass very quickly, but the finished product will encourage me to slow down a bit and admire the artwork. It’s also an educational resource and a win-win for everyone.”

Richmond Hill resident Shamim Arman views the mural from an artistic perspective and as a representation of a diverse community linking yesterday to today. “If we have the space, art is the best way of providing information to many people. You really have to think in detail that not anyone can do this, and I don’t think any other group features as much about a diverse community than artists.”

Fundraising hosts emphasized the importance of collaborating and contributing. La Boulangerie co-owner François Danielo explained, “As I like to say, Forest Hills is a small village, and part of it is to interact and help each other. Those responsible are creating a soul for our village, and it’s important to differentiate ourselves from the rest of NYC.” Hichem Ammous, co-owner of Roast n Co said, “Partnerships are a great tool to make the community stronger and well known, and we feel proud that we participated.” 

Multi-generational fans come together

Recreating a Forest Hills Gardens historic streetlamp, shedding light on Forest Hills' past & future

A similar version of this feature appears in Michael Perlman's Forest Hills Times/Queens Ledger column: www.queensledger.com/view/full_story/27396817/article-Community-embraces-Forest-Hills-history-mural- 

Forest Hills History Mural On The Rise!

Crisp & Praxis painting the Forest Hills History Mural, Apr 2, 2017, Ascan Ave underpass, Photo by project coordinator Michael Perlman

Project coordinator Michael Perlman posing at Crisp & Praxis Forest Hills History Mural, Apr 2, 2017, Ascan Ave underpass

"A Tribute To Ascan Avenue & The Forest Hills Gardens" mural rendering by Crisp & Praxis

"A Tribute To Ascan Avenue & The Forest Hills Gardens" mural rendering by Crisp & Praxis

"A Tribute To Ascan Avenue & The Forest Hills Gardens" mural rendering by Crisp & Praxis

2/12 Art Sale To Benefit Forest Hills History Mural

Special Community Event: On Sun, Feb 12 from 4:30 PM – 9:30 PM, meet best-selling artist John Stanisci at RoastNco, a unique café/restaurant at 100-12 Queens Blvd. This Marvel & DC Comics artist will sell & sign prints of his great works including Spiderman, Batman, Star Wars, & Captain America. Character sketches upon request. Proceeds to benefit the Forest Hills History Mural Fundraiser. Now's your chance to own something special, give a gift for Valentine’s Day, & help beautify Forest Hills, while paying tribute to historic influential figures & scenes. This will benefit our local arts, culture, & education.

Questions? Contact Michael Perlman at unlockthevault@hotmail.com

Please spread the word & invite friends through our Facebook event page: www.facebook.com/events/598707950319836

NY1 News coverage of our recent fundraiser:
www.ny1.com/nyc/queens/news/2017/01/22/comic-book-artist-helping-to-bring-mural-to-queens-.html

1/22 Art Sale To Benefit Forest Hills History Mural

Special Community Event! On Sun, Jan 22nd from 3:30 PM - 8 PM, meet best-selling artist John Stanisci at La Boulangerie, a unique bakery cafe at 109-01 72nd Rd. This Marvel & DC Comics artist will sell & sign prints of his great works including Spiderman, Batman, Star Wars, & Captain America. Character sketches upon request. Proceeds to benefit the Forest Hills History Mural Fundraiser. Now's your chance to own something special, give a gift, & help beautify Forest Hills, while paying tribute to historic influential figures. 

Questions? Contact Michael Perlman at unlockthevault@hotmail.com Please spread the word!

RSVP & Invite Your Friends: www.facebook.com/events/1301631239875875 

12/21 Art Sale with Best-Selling Comic Artist John Stanisci To Help Benefit Forest Hills History Mural Fundraiser

Marvel & DC Comics Artist John Stanisci to sell & sign prints of his great works including Spiderman, Batman, & Star Wars. On December 21 from 6 PM - 10 PM at RoastNco, a unique cafe at 100-12 Queens Blvd, meet a best-seller & Forest Hills' own "Legendary Local."

You will also get a free wreath & Century 21 gift card. Proceeds to help benefit the Forest Hills History Mural Fundraiser. The holidays are here & now's your chance to own something special or give a gift. More info: Michael Perlman at unlockthevault@hotmail.com Please spread the word!

Those who are interested can share the event page link, as well as RSVP & invite friends: www.facebook.com/events/668201913340058

Interview with mural project coordinator Michael Perlman on NY1 News: www.ny1.com/nyc/queens/news/2016/12/13/forest-hills-resident-raises-money-for-mural-.html  

Preservation Call: Public Art in Forest Hills & Rego Park

By Michael Perlman

Forest Hills and Rego Park are home to classic examples of public art, which foster a neighborhood’s distinctive identity and are often impacted by a community’s development and societal events. However, without educating property owners about their value and applying for NYC Landmark and National Register status, artistic works are being altered or demolished rather than restored.

Rego Park resident Pat Morgan is a regular on walking tours, who explained, "The design on our architecture is the creation of an artist put together by artisans of decades past. It was accomplished usually by hand, as computers were not available in the 30s and 40s for design, and relied upon the mechanical engineering of architects and their engineers." She continued, "As we bear witness to the work of the last century, we have proof that those designers and workers were truly artisans creating works that with proper care and maintenance, can last for more than a century."

Come upon the International-style Forest Hills Post Office façade, embellished with the “Spirit of Communication,” which is a terra-cotta relief designed in 1938 by famed Sculptor Sten Jacobsson. It features a female figurine holding a carrier pigeon and a clock, relating to timely services. It was commissioned by the Treasury Department Section of Fine Arts, where the goals were to enhance the public’s experience with art during the Great Depression while assisting impoverished local to national artists. The building earned National Register status in 1988 and the sculpture is part of the New Deal Art Registry.

Places of worship often become a showcase of religious art, where one acquires an appreciation regardless of faith. The Art Deco and Bauhaus-inspired Rego Park Jewish Center, completed in 1948, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 in response to local advocacy. The façade displays a massive mosaic mural depicting Old Testament scenes and symbols, which was designed by the notable 20th century Hungarian-born artist Alexander Raymond Katz. 

Banks were often designed on a more elaborate scale, meant to instill confidence while demonstrating commitment. Therefore, another mosaic mural was installed on the façade of Home Savings Bank of America at 108-36 Queens Boulevard (now TD Bank). It was designed by Richard Haas, an internationally recognized architectural muralist in 1989. It was nearly demolished, until owner Cord Meyer Development Company decided to cease lease negotiations with a prospective tenant that would not preserve it. Work was executed in Spilimbergo, Italy, and features views of the Forest Hills Gardens with Forest Hills Stadium, and the Twin Towers in the backdrop. 

There are other incidents where public art has vanished or perhaps temporarily, as in the case of Bank of America at 99-01 Queens Boulevard, which opened in 1952 as the Metropolitan Industrial Bank, and has sat vacant since 2015. A 22-by-25-foot mural, which illustrated Forest Hills’ growth was a focal point of the main lobby, but may have been covered over decades ago. It was situated in an International-style building designed by the award-winning architect, Philip Birnbaum, which consists of triple-height windows, a rotunda, and a colonnade of granite columns with stainless steel fins; an achievement of open planning that made patrons feel invited at a time when the norm was to erect banks in the Colonial and Art Deco styles with traditional materials, rather than industrial materials. 

When community residents picked up a copy of The Forest Hills-Kew Gardens Post on September 18, 1942, they came across an ad for the soon-to-open Art Moderne style Midway Theatre, designed by Thomas Lamb and S. Charles Lee. It read, “The Midway Theatre has been so named and dedicated as a tribute to the gallant men of our armed forces who achieved so brilliant a victory at Midway Island.” The glory was captured in a WWII “Battle of Midway” mural, but today it could likely be rediscovered under layers of paint. Patrons were ready for a single-screen theater, where they could enjoy films and attempt to escape the pressures surrounding WWII.

Four Art Deco murals once accentuated the facades of the Thorneycroft Apartments complex, completed during the 1939 World’s Fair along 99th Street and 66th Road, but today only one 99th Street mural remains intact, while the others have been concealed and removed. “The image of a man and woman sitting under a tree, with a dog on one side and a cat on the other, adds a personal touch,” said resident Carol Hagarty. “Over the past 30 years, my husband and I had several cats and dogs as companions, so the building’s rooftop artwork came to symbolize my own little family within those buildings. I hope that other neighbors know to look up and appreciate it, since artwork adds meaning to our lives.” A former Rego Park resident David Kalfus, who recalled his childhood, said, “I was puzzled by those murals when we passed them in our explorations, and I would tell my gullible brothers they were ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.” 

“Public art is a gift to the masses that should be celebrated and treated with the utmost level of respect,” said architect Matthew Ferraro, president of the board of directors of Chatwick Gardens, an Elizabethan and Tudor cooperative from 1929 in Forest Hills that is overseeing a large-scale façade restoration. “Previous renovations may have eliminated some historic features, but capital improvements provide a unique opportunity for owners to explore the history of their property, in order to evaluate how and if particular elements should be maintained or restored.”

A similar version appears in the Forest Hills Times: www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/27307687/article-Public-art-abounds-in-Forest-Hills--Rego-Park  

Dancing The Night Away at Forest Hills Stadium's FOLD Fest!

Nile Rodgers with CHIC at FOLD, Photo by Michael Perlman

 Dancing The Night Away at Forest Hills Stadium's FOLD Fest!

by Michael Perlman

It was history-in-the-making, as Grammy award-winning songwriter, producer, and guitarist Nile Rodgers coordinated and presented the “Freak Out Let’s Dance” (FOLD) Festival at Forest Hills Stadium on October 8. It was the penultimate concert of the 2016 season, which turned America’s earliest tennis stadium and a restored and renovated concert venue into a 5-hour outdoor disco party. 

The heavens must have shed tears of joy, as citywide concertgoers and out-of-towners danced and sang, refusing to allow intense downpours to place a damper on their plans. It was largely a celebration of the soul of the 1970s and 1980s, followed by a few more recent hits. Decades have passed, but the vocals were very much in tune and complemented by rich instrumentation.

The prediction of concert manager Jon McMillan, who said that the evening would be “the party of the year,” came true. He explained, “We’re used to having one legend on stage at a time, but in this case, we're ecstatic to have four on one night.”

Nile Rodgers at FOLD, Photo by Michael Perlman

The lineup featured Nile Rodgers & CHIC, the band which he co-founded in the 1970s, with showstoppers such as “Le Freak,” “Everybody Dance,” and “Dance, Dance, Dance.” 

Bette Midler in the moment, Photo by Michael Perlman

Bette Midler, a special guest, performed with Nile Rodgers. Her set included her classics such as “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” and marked her return engagement following her August 1983 concert. Midler said, “This is only the second time I’ve ever been to Forest Hills. It is so gorgeous and glamorous up here.” She exchanged witty banter with the audience and said, “When Nile invited me, I was confused and knew it was going to be ‘Ahh… Freak Out,’ and he looked at me. I was going to break out my platform shoes from the old days, but I realized I’d fall from that height and end my life.” 

Village People, Photo by Michael Perlman

The high energy, elaborately costumed 6-member Village People’s performed their most memorable number “YMCA,” “In The Navy,” and “Macho Man.” 

Earth, Wind & Fire, Photo by Michael Perlman

Earth, Wind, & Fire energized the stage with a multiplicity of genres with hits such as “Shining Star,” “Let’s Groove,” and “Fantasy.” The festival also featured Alex Newell, Studio 54’s DJ Nicky Siano, a most successful DJ of his time, and the iconic DJ Cassidy, who mastered works in front of a 24 karat gold mic and ornate table. 

DJ Cassidy, Photo by Michael Perlman

Alex Newell, Photo by Michael Perlman

Among the crowning moments was “We Are Family,” where Nile Rodgers was joined by the multitude of musicians and numerous dancers. This topped off his vision for the festival, where he explained his goal as “to demonstrate the evolution of dance music as defined by his own life and the spirit of collaboration.” He called FOLD “a fun, open, and wonderful experience with real people and real music.”

Miri Malach flew in from Boca Raton. As part of her VIP package, she met Rodgers. “I enjoyed getting a minute alone with Nile, who is friendly, affable, and warm, and I had a photo-op.” She continued, “The Village People instructed us on the proper way to do the ‘YMCA’ at weddings and Bar Mitzvahs. Bette Midler has been one of my favorite stars for decades, and I was thrilled to finally see her.”

Bette Midler, Photo by Michael Perlman

For New Jersey resident Sandy Goldbeck King, the festival sparked a recollection of Midler’s 1983 concert. “The incomparable Bette Midler is fun and energetic, but also moving. I have distinct memories of when her backup singers, the Harlettes were dressed as mermaids.” 

A concert ticket from 1983

The most memorable moments for some attendees related to music’s impact and the diversity of genres. Forest Hills resident Evan Ginzburg, who regularly features varied genres on his Net TV show, “Evan Ginzburg's Legends TV,” said, “Hearing what was voted the happiest song of all time, Earth, Wind, & Fire’s ‘September,’ a mere two weeks after my beloved mom Barbara Ginzburg passed on, was uplifting for me, as music is always therapeutic.” Another local attendee, Alicia Venezia explained, “When Nile Rodgers said he found out he had cancer, he wrote more and sang more, and then went on to perform ‘Get Lucky.’”

Catherine Joyner, a Bronx resident, who was raised during the disco era, attended with her friends from the High School of Music & Art, and the concert was a continuation of her reunion. “We were vocal majors and sang along to most numbers such as ‘Good Times’ by CHIC, which wakes me up each morning. If it wasn’t for our reunion, we wouldn’t have seen this concert, and now we hope to see more in Forest Hills.”

Manhattan resident Halli Moskowitz recalled intriguing moments. “I’m a huge fan of old school hip hop artists Grandmaster Melle Mel and Doug E Fresh (who made an appearance), and back in the day, I actually danced with Felipe Rose of the Village People on the dance floor.” Also from Manhattan, Kyle Supley of the web series, “Kyle Supley’s Out There,” said, “The trip was quick and the architecture of the stadium and surroundings is a historical throwback that everyone from Manhattan should experience.” 

Concertgoers dancing the night away! Photo by Michael Perlman

The concert became a family affair for many including Kara Hailey, who commuted from Brooklyn Heights. She commented, “I was incredibly impressed with how tight Nile Rodgers and his band were, and of course how Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind, & Fire can still hit those high notes!” Praising the stadium, she said, “It is intimate, which is rare for an outdoor venue.” 

Where the magic begins - Photo by Michael Perlman

"America's 1st tennis stadium" & a foremost concert venue, Photo by Michael Perlman

Note: A similar version of this feature story was published in Michael Perlman's Forest Hills Times column: www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/27288386/article-Dancing-the-night-away-in-Forest-Hills

Additional photos are available upon request.