20. Guardians of Jackson Heights

Photograph by Annabelle Popa

PArtist Annabelle Popa drew on her childhood growing up in Jackson Heights to create Artsite’s latest mural. Popa’s Guardians of Jackson Heights was inspired by her ramblings through the gardens and courtyards of the neighborhood where she would find a variety of “guardian” animals along the pathways. The mural can be found on the wall of Image Heights Pharmacy along 76th street at 37th avenue, a location that has overhead lighting so the mural can be viewed at night, and was long enough for Popa to create a narrative that reveals itself as viewers walk along the block. The artist told the Queens Council on the Arts that she hopes the mural will inspire people in the neighborhood to use their imagination and see elements of Jackson Heights that may be overlooked.

The mural will be on display through Spring 2019.