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May 7: Coney Island Boardwalk Trash Can Art Contest

Posted in art, Photography, tagged Boardwalk, Bruce Handy, Coney Island, free event, New York City Parks, trash can art on May 5, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Composite Hand Painted Trash Can - Three Sides, Coney Island. July 22, 2008. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

Calling Picassos of all ages! On Saturday at 10 am, you’re invited to create trash can art that will be displayed on Coney Island’s world-famous Boardwalk all season long. The Parks Department provides the barrels and painting supplies for the 5th annual Boardwalk Barrels of Fun, you supply the talent.

On flickr, ATZ found almost 200 photos of Boardwalk trash can art from past seasons, including abstracts, seascapes, and carnival-themed art. The above composite by Coney Island photographer Bruce Handy shows the three sides of a striking Cyclone, Wonder Wheel and mermaid-themed barrel from 2008.

To get an early start on your masterpiece, register in advance by phoning 718-965-8917. You may also register at the event, which begins at 10 am on the Coney Island Boardwalk between W. 10th and W 12th Street. Judging starts at 12 noon and awards are presented at 1 pm.

The free event is sponsored by New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement & Kiddie Park, Coney Island Development Corporation, New York Aquarium, Brooklyn Cyclones, Luna Park & Scream Zone.

UPDATE May 8, 2011…The new crop of Boardwalk Barrels of Fun are looking good! Here’s a link to Bruce Handy’s flickr slide show of Saturday’s event.

UPDATE May 2, 2012…This season’s Boardwalk Barrels of Fun is scheduled for Saturday, May 5th. Registration starts at 10 am on the Boardwalk between West 10th and West 12th Streets in front of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park and Luna Park. Paint and brushes are provided.

Photo Album: Coney Island Reliefs by Deborah Masters

Posted in art, Photo Album, Photography, tagged Arts for Transit, Bruce Handy, Coney Island, Deborah Masters, MTA, Ocean Parkway, relief sculpture on April 29, 2011| 1 Comment »

Deborah Masters' Coney Island Reliefs on Ocean Parkway Viaduct. October 2, 2009. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

See Queen Mermaid, sideshow performers, sunbathers and Cyclone riders in cast concrete on the gateway to Coney Island! On Saturday, April 30th, MTA Arts for Transit is hosting an event from 2 to 5 pm to celebrate the completion of Deborah Masters’ Coney Island Reliefs at Ocean Parkway Viaduct. The station is on the Q line at Ocean Parkway and Brighton Beach Avenue. Masters was awarded the commission in 1992 and the piece was completed in 1994, but the viaduct needed repair before the concrete panels could be hung on its facade. The reliefs were in storage for 15 years!

Coney Island photographer Bruce Handy’s series of photos of the Ocean Parkway sculptures were taken when the installation began in 2009. “They look much nicer now with painted borders and the screw holes filled in,” says Bruce who plans to take a new series of photos this weekend.

UPDATE April 30…Here’s a link to Bruce Handy’s flickr slide show of the finished installation. Just beautiful!

Deborah Masters' Coney Island Reliefs on Ocean Parkway Viaduct. September 25, 2009. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

According to the MTA’s Arts for Transit page on the work…

Sculptor Deborah Masters created the Coney Island Reliefs in cast concrete. The 1260 sq. ft. of relief panels fit within existing recesses in the viaduct. Tinted a terracotta color to harmonize with the sandstone color of the Ocean Parkway viaduct, a massive structure that carries the subway across six lanes of traffic and an Olmstead parkway, the reliefs portray scenes from the history and legends of Coney Island, including Neptune, a mermaid, beach, boardwalk, and amusement park scenes. The designs are based upon photographs, drawings, and interviews by the artist with local residents and visitors to the famed amusement park.

Deborah Masters' Coney Island Reliefs on Ocean Parkway Viaduct. October 2, 2009. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

The original commission was for the inside of the subway station, but when the artist looked at the Viaduct surface, she noticed indentations she felt sure were intended for reliefs. She felt that the Olmsted Parkway, the widest old road to the beach, and the Art Deco Viaduct decorated with red, green, blue, yellow, and orange deco tiles from 1915 was intended by Frederick Law Olmsted, the founder of landscape architecture, to be the “Gateway to Coney Island”. She proposed adding 1650 sq. ft. of reliefs about Coney Island to the viaduct.

Coney Island Scream Zone’s Official Opening Set for Today

Posted in amusement park, Amusement ride, Photography, tagged Bruce Handy, Coney Island, MotoCoaster, Scream Zone, Steeplechase coaster, Zamperla on April 20, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Zamperla's Steeplechase Motocoaster Under Construction in Scream Zone. April 19, 2011. Photo © Bruce Handy/Coney Island Photo Diary via flickr

On Wednesday at 1 pm, Mayor Bloomberg and other electeds, officials and guests will celebrate the “Grand Opening” of Scream Zone. The new thrill park in Coney Island will open to the public on ~~Thursday~~ at 12 noon. (UPDATE…. On Thursday, Luna Park’s Facebook page said “Scream Zone will open to the public this weekend. We appreciate your patience and enthusiasm as we work on the finishing touches.” Coney Island Fun Guide updated the event page for Saturday, April 23rd. As of April 30, all of Coney Island’s 64 rides, including Scream Zone, Luna Park, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park and the Cyclone are open Saturdays and Sundays through end of May, when the summer schedule begins.)

Which one of the park’s four rides do you suppose will appear in the photo op? We wouldn’t be surprised to see the Mayor and officials sit astride the “Steeplechase coaster” horses still under wraps in the above photo. Zamperla’s Steeplechase MotoCoaster takes its name from Coney Island’s signature horse race ride that made a circuit around Steeplechase Park. But it does differ quite a bit in design. Most notably, the horses are part of a single train instead of racing against each other on multiple tracks. Another big difference: The ride’s seating design and restraint system are new and improved to comply with current-day safety standards.

At last year’s opening of Luna Park, official “Lunatics” took a group picture on the Electro Spin, though they did not actually go for a spin. We don’t expect them to go for a ride on the coaster, which is still getting finishing touches. But perhaps one of their assistants will be daring enough to try the Sling Shot, which has already been tested and is ready to ride?

Here’s a look at Zamperla’s Pony Express-themed MotoCoaster at Knott’s Berry Farm courtesy of Ryan Childers via YouTube…

UPDATE 8pm…As it turns out the Sling Shot provided the photo op. Mayor Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough Prez Marty Markowitz pulled the switch to launch a couple of daring 12-year-old kids into the air. Here’s the video!