Amityville Village seeks artists for downtown mural project

Amityville Village officials are searching for a little color.

The village last week launched a request for proposals to have three murals painted on the blank walls of businesses in the downtown. The request seeks one or more artists to create murals on the north and south side of New China restaurant and on the north side of St. Martin's Cloak Room Thrift Shop. The businesses are on the east side of the intersection of Broadway and Oak Street.

In a request on the village's website, officials said the murals are intended to “to celebrate Amityville's waterfront heritage, history, and vibrant community through public art.”

The work is part of Amityville’s facade improvement program, one of 11 projects approved by the state. The state awarded the village $10 million in Downtown Revitalization Initiative funding in 2022.

Six Amityville businesses received nearly $500,000 in 2024 to spruce up their buildings in an effort to draw more people to the downtown. Business owners had to contribute 20% of the expense, which included new windows and awnings, while the state money covered the rest, officials said.

Tawaun Whitty, co-director for Northport-based Vision Long Island, which is overseeing the facade program, said that work is wrapping up.

"It's finishing touches, the pretty bells and whistles at this point," she said. The creation of murals is the final part of the project, Whitty said.  

"The buildings themselves as far as the businesses, they contribute with their own individual looks but the mural sets a theme of what the overarching feeling is to be downtown, it sets that sense of character, it represents the entire area," she said. 

Expressions of art have become a significant part of downtown revitalization efforts, Whitty said, with murals going up in villages such as Patchogue. 

"It can really become a staple," Whitty said. "It's where tourists come and they can have that background Instagram shot where they can stand there and pose ... where they can feel they can be a part of the downtown."

According to Amityville's request for applicants, the anticipated budget for the project is about $10,000 to $15,000 per mural. The request specifies the village is seeking artwork that “reflects the character and spirit of Amityville,” and applicants are encouraged to “draw inspiration from our waterfront, maritime history, historic downtown, architecture, natural beauty, community traditions, and the people who make Amityville the ‘Friendly Bay Village.’”

Mayor Mike O’Neill told Newsday that even though the village recently came up with new logos for marketing and wayfinding, the murals don’t have to incorporate those images or their colors.

“I didn’t want to put too strong of a guardrail on it,” he said.

Artists with all levels of experience are encouraged to apply, O’Neill said. While the project is open to “artists and artist teams,” according to the request, “ideally, I think I’d like for it to be an artist ... as opposed to a cookie-cutter graphic artist company,” he said.

As such, the village plans to reach out to the local artist community, including organizations such as the nonprofit Babylon Citizens Council on the Arts.

Applicants must submit a portfolio of their work, which should demonstrate “creativity, originality, technical skill, and the ability to successfully complete the project,” according to the request for proposals. The chosen artist must supply the materials and equipment.

Submissions will be reviewed by village trustees and decided on a mix of weighted criteria: 35% artistic quality and creativity; 25% overall fit with the project; 20% portfolio and experience; 10% budget; and 10% ability to meet schedule.

The submission deadline is Aug. 12 and officials hope to have the murals finished by the end of September.

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.