Frank Ottomanelli has just released a second Request For Proposals (RFP) for the community mural at Ottomanelli’s By The Water. He’s already installed five sections, and now he’s looking for more art as he builds a roughly 11,000-square-foot, three-foot-high panorama that’ll wrap around his concession’s outside dining area in Hunter’s Point Park South. Talisa Almonte, Kerri Boccard, Adela Navarro, Victoria Nieto, and Annabelle Popa were the first-round winners. Their pieces were installed during a ceremony on Dec. 16, 2023, and are still on display.
He’s building it…and they’re coming.
Frank Ottomanelli has just released a second Request For Proposals (RFP) for the community mural at Ottomanelli’s By The Water. He’s already installed five sections, and now he’s looking for more art as he builds a roughly 11,000-square-foot, three-foot-high panorama that’ll wrap around his concession’s outside dining area in Hunter’s Point Park South.
“The goal is to erect a large, beautiful, and diverse mural created by local individuals and groups that promotes the wonderful things about Queens,” stated the Maspeth native, who also owns F. Ottomanelli’s Burgers & Belgian Fries in Woodside. “A secondary goal relates to the mural becoming a tourism destination whose image is shared on many visitors’ social media channels.”
Ottomanelli made the point that, “It’s the very definition of ‘Instagrammable,’” as the Midtown Manhattan skyline and East River are on one side with the burgeoning Long Island City skyline and park amenities on the other. Plus, an NYC Ferry landing is nearby.
First priority goes to Western Queens residents and students. People from other parts of the borough also get VIP consideration. (Ottomanelli emphasizes that everybody — amateurs, emerging artists, seasoned professionals, etc. — should apply as he’s seeking heavy representation from the LGBTQ, immigrant, and minority communities.)
Visit www.tinyurl.com/p9mvac6k to find out how to submit a proposal. Then, an eight-member advisory committee will blindly review proposals with a special eye towards appropriateness and compliance with the Community Togetherness theme.
The application deadline is March 19, and the selectees will be announced in early April. Each one will receive $500 and supplies. (They’re encouraged to create the mural on-site.)
As mentioned in the first paragraph, this is a continuation. Talisa Almonte, Kerri Boccard, Adela Navarro, Victoria Nieto, and Annabelle Popa were the first-round winners. Their pieces were installed during a ceremony on Dec. 16, 2023, and are still on display.
