A Block-long Mural In St. Albans Will Honor Queens Icons: JCAL

QUEENS, NY — A block-long mural, “Queens Reflections,” will depict hip hop icons Q-Tip of St. Albans and LL Cool J, among other legends from the borough.

The mural shepherded by the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning will be unveiled Aug. 10 at 11 a.m. at Daniel M. O’Connell Playground in St. Albans..

The unveiling comes just days after the hip hop festival Rock The Bells in Forest Hills Stadium, as well as Hollis native LL Cool J being honored with a Key to Queens.

“Queens Reflections” is an eye-popping triumph of boundless imagination and endless pride, said JCAL Executive Director Leonard Jacobs in a statement.

“It proves yet again that right here, living among our families and friends and neighbors are some extraordinarily expressive and fiercely imaginative artists with the power and skill to draw all of New York City’s attention to the O’Connell Playground," he said.

Other legends to be depicted on the mural include tennis superstar Naomi Osaka, who grew up on the Queens/Long Island border at Elmont, but practiced her sport at the Detective Keith L. Williams Park in Jamaica, and Jackie Robinson, Count Basie, Sweet Tee, Lani Guinier, Camille A. Brown, Gregg Vance (also known as Coach Chuck), W.E.B. Dubois.

The mural is by Eric Black, a Cambria Heights native, and Brown and Sweet Tee, two of the people in the mural, are expected to attend the unveiling along with other artists, according to a JCAL spokesman.

“How blessed are we to celebrate his work as he lifts up the legends of our community across time,” Jacobs added.

The mural is a visual trip down memory lane, paired with notable quotes that should inspire and motivate the viewer, Black said.

“It's more than a collection of images,” Black said in a statement. “For me, it's a museum outside that should take people through the rich and inspirational history of this part of Queens. I wanted to have a healthy mix of people from all aspects of life — some figures that people instantly recognize, to some that might be overlooked. These creative portraits should spark people's memories and remind them of the power that we all have as individuals and as a collective.”

Elected officials are also expected to attend, including St. Albans Councilwoman Nantasha Williams, Council Majority Whip Selvena Brooks-Powers, and City Council District 27 Leader Daneek Miller.

The mural was a part of Miller’s vision to highlight Southeast Queens.

“Like a well-trained 4x400 relay team, the baton started in the office of then-Council Member Miller, then passed to JCAL, then to NYC Parks, and finally into the masterful hands of artist Eric Black,” said JCAL Artistic Director Courtney Ffrench in a prepared statement. “What started as a dream has arrived.”

Miller said the people who are honored in the mural are luminaries.

“They also worked to shape and intricately define our values,” said Miller in a statement. “We now have an opportunity to recognize the sheroes and heroes of Southeast Queens, control our own narrative, and tell our story not only in our own backyard but with the world.”