LONG ISLAND CITY — The concrete barrier that separates cyclists from cars along Vernon Boulevard's bike lane is getting a 90s-inspired makeover this week.
The artwork, called "Jazz City," will decorate the barrier between 31st and 40th avenues with brightly colored zigzags in teal, pink and purple, according to the design released by the Department of Transportation.
The mural was designed by Parsons graduate student Jenny Contour, who wanted it to "re-live the energy and fun of the '90s through a bold color palette and dynamic repeated pattern," according to a press release.
Contour's murals echoes a design reproduced on millions of disposable cups since the '90s: a broad, zigzagging teal brushstroke beneath a skinnier purple one.
"Jazz," as the design is called, has quite the online fan base, including a few thousand followers on Facebook. Internet users frequently post pictures of T-shirts and cars decorated with the pattern.
In June, a Redditor sparked interest in the design's origins, and an enterprising reporter at the Springfield News-Leader tracked down its creator, Gina Eckiss. Eckiss was working as an artist at the Sweetheart Cup Company plant in Springfield when her employer announced an internal contest to design a new stock image in 1989, she said. The company ultimately selected one of the designs she submitted and asked her for its name; "jazz" was the first thing that came to mind.
Contour and about 50 volunteers from New York Cares started painting her "Jazz"-inspired mural on Tuesday. The mural will end up covering 1,080 feet of the barrier's length, and is expected to be completed by Friday, the DOT said.
"Jazz City" is part of the DOT's Barrier Beautification program, which solicits artists to transform unseemly traffic barriers across the city into works of art.
The program has also installed murals in Jackson Heights, Kips Bay and Rockaway Beach.
