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‘Roses for Rosendale’ Brings Lady Pink and Many Blooms to Upstate New York

‘Roses for Rosendale’ Brings Lady Pink and Many Blooms to Upstate New York

A community-fueled project in a small town in Upstate New York has the draw of Lady Pink, the well-known 1970s/80s NYC graffiti writer, who lends her art and name, and spearheaded the project.

Today we go outside our fair city for “Roses for Rosendale”, a town-sprucing initiative two hours north of NYC that just bloomed with a number of murals by artists whose names you’ll recognize like Shiro, Queen Andrea, Alice Mizrachi, Muck and others – along with some local talents.

Matt O’Connor from a design by Lady Pink. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)

On-the-spot veteran photojournalist Martha Cooper hopped the bus up there to catch the action and she reports that the heroes of the day were the many volunteers who assisted in every way to assure that the artists had what was needed to adorn many walls here.

“The rose murals were painted both on Rosendales’s charming vintage brick and clapboard buildings as well as on the shopfronts of a nearby strip mall,” the renowned graffiti and street art photographer Cooper tells us. “It was a sweet little festival in a non-urban location familiar to a lot of Brooklynites.” It is true that many New Yorkers, especially Brooklynites, escaped to this region in a huge wave along the Hudson River Valley after September 11th, and then again recently many city types ‘discovered’ this storied region after the Covid lockdowns chased them to find greener pastures.

“We have over 16 locations with over 35 volunteers painting,” says Lady Pink on her Instagram posting. “Professional and emerging artists, people who just wanted to help! Locals and artists from as far as Japan came to paint roses and beautify a town. It was a weeklong painting extravaganza that filled hearts with joy.”

Jenna Morello. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
The front facade was painted by Lizzy Dimuccio, Chloe Mosbacher from a design by Lady Pink. Side painted by Brian Curry. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Jean Tansey. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Jean Tansey. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Thistle Pernot. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Thistle Pernot. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Lady Pink. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Lady Pink. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Stef Skills, Alice Mizrachi, and Queen Andrea. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Chloe Mosbacher, Jennifer Jackowitz, and Phil and Amy Dooley from a design by Lady Pink. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Baru. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Lady Pink. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Cheryl, Tim, and Mia. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Cheryl, Tim, and Mia. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Muckrock. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Kira. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
John Breiner, DocTC5, Kira, and Halfguy. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
Kira, Doc TC5, John Breiner, and I Lovie NY. Roses for Rosendale. Rosendale, New York. (photo © Martha Cooper)
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