A new 1,100 sq. ft. mural capturing the essence of LICM now adorns the outside walls of the Museum! The piece titled "Kaleidoscope of Imagination" is on full display, showcasing our community stories to all our visitors.

The Process

After finding the perfect partners to create our new outdoor mural, we started by gathering ideas from the LICM community of visitors during special workshops titled “Make Your Mark at LICM!” hosted by the artist Viktoriya Basina and LICM educators in January 2024. 

Two adults and two children sitting at a table drawing.

Visitors met and created with Muralist Viktoriya Basina to share what imagery, stories and colors our visitors feel best represent the LICM community.

Viktoriya Basina took ideas generated by the first set of workshops and created her first draft of the mural.

In a second set of workshops titled “Mural Stories” February 2024, Viktoriya Basina and LICM educators solicited feedback from LICM visitors to inform adjustments to the initial design. Like every project at LICM (and many in life including writing stories or music!) creating a new work is an iterative process, editing and rethinking our piece. We start with a concept, try something, and make adjustments to improve. Viktoriya Basina reflected on feedback and made changes to the mural design. 

A white piece of large paper with various handwritten notes and the prompt "what do you like about the artwork?"

The mural design was presented during a second set of workshops, giving the community an opportunity to share feedback and shape any adjustments.

Time to Start Painting

In her studio, Viktoriya and experienced assistants painted the first portion of the canvas to be installed outside LICM. Check out this timelapse of a piece of the mural!

 

Final Steps of Painting

On March 29 and 30, 2024, LICM visitors joined us for a paint party, as they made a final contribution to the design, including handprints of vistors and other in the LICM community.

A child sitting at a table, painting on a large piece of paper while leaning over the table.

Tracing and painting their handprints on canvas panels were the last elements needed to finish the giant mural.

Installation

The installation of "Kaleidoscope of Imagination" was a three day process! Ensuring each canvas panel is sealed against the elements was an important step to protect its longevity. This is a timelapse view of portion of day one.

The Unveiling 

On May 10, 2024, we proudly unveiled our new exterior mural, "Kaleidoscope of Imagination." We thank muralist Viktoriya Basina and members of our community for bringing this incredible design to life. It is a visual representation of our mission, the history of Long Island and the Museum itself, and the diverse community that we serve.

This project was part of LICM’s Community Voices Take Shape grant supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the Robert & Toni Bader Charitable Foundation.