Checking in with Chico

[Photo from 2011 by Single Linds Reflex]

Over the weekend, rumors started circulating that Antonio "Chico" Garcia, the prolific graffiti artist and muralist whose work adorns dozens of walls around the East Village and Lower East Side, had died.

This is absolutely not true.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy spoke with him by phone last night from Florida, his home these past 10-plus years.

The rumors seemed to originate at a group art show on 11th Street Saturday afternoon, where this tribute was on the wall...


[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

"I am still alive and kicking. And I am still creating artwork and new paintings," he told Stacie last night. I took a little break [due to COVID-19] but I'm still here [in Florida] and doing well!"

You can see some of his more recent work on his Instagram and YouTube accounts.

Chico, who still has family in the neighborhood where he grew up, returns from time to time for new work and commissions. He hopes to be back in NYC as soon as travel is safer. He also has some ideas about new wall work to give back to the community.

Meanwhile, here's a look at a few of his murals...
















[Lucy, Chico and Ray via Single Linds Reflex]

Flashback: A mural for Princess Diana on Houston and Avenue B

As you likely know, today marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Shortly after her death in the Paris car crash, LES-based artist Chico created a mural in her honor on Houston at Avenue B (6 E. Houston St.) ...



Someone wasn't a big fan of the Royal Family....hence the "die" mustache ...

Paint out the barrel...

Chico is at working on a new mural for the gate at Zum Schneider on Avenue C and Seventh Street, as these photos by EVG reader Daniel Root show ...



By the way, Zum Schneider celebrates its 16th anniversary on Aug. 19 starting at 4 p.m. Details here.

Headline H/T

's makes triumphant return to Ray's Candy Store

[Photo from July 7]

Earlier this month, Chico updated the facade at Ray's Candy Store, 113 Avenue A ... And as many people noted, the apostrophe s was missing from Ray's name. Ray Candy Store.

The punctuation help has arrived. EVG correspondent Steven notes that the 's has been added to the sign...

An updated facade at Ray's

Chico started work at Ray's Candy Store, 113 Avenue A, yesterday... not sure of the status given the late afternoon/early evening rain...

Back in October 2011, Chico created a tribute awning here in memory of the late Bob Arihood.

The previous hand-painted sign was quite weathered ...


[Photo via Forgotten NY]

Chico's tribute to Muhammad Ali on Avenue B

Between Second Street and Houston.

The last tribute mural that we recall longtime LES graffiti artist Antonio "Chico" Garcia creating was for Robin Williams on East 13th Street in August 2014.

Does this 'Alphabet City' mural on Avenue C represent the community?

[Photo by Bobby Williams]

If you've been over on the southwest corner of Avenue C and East Sixth Street in the last week or so, then you've likely seen the new mural in progress on the (rather mysterious) RCN Cable building.

The mural, called "Alphabet City," is the work of Brooklyn-based artists The Yok and Sheryo who work for the Jersey City-based arts group Green Villain.


[Photo last week by Magic Brian]

All this has arrived with controversy, according to The Villager:

Is RCN whitewashing Loisaida culture and history? Celebrated street artist Antonio "Chico" Garcia and the community group Loisaida Inc. are crying foul after the company nixed their plan to create a mural celebrating L.E.S. “heroes” on the RCN cable building on Avenue C.

Apparently RCN officials are still pissed at Chico for his unauthorized Obama-McCain murals back in 2008. (RCN finally had them painted over in 2010.)


[EVG photo from 2008]

Elizabeth Colon, a founder of Loisaida Inc., told The Villager, "Is that what they think the community is, ‘A, B, C, D’? When we were talking about representing 50 or 60 years of Lower East Side history?"

You can read the rest of The Villager piece here.

And here was how the RCN wall was looking back in the summer…



Previously on EV Grieve:
RCN Cable discovers 'illegal graffiti' two years later

Chico creates a mural in memory of Robin Williams on East 13th Street

[Photo by Michael Paul via Facebook]

Longtime LES graffiti artist Antonio "Chico" Garcia finished this up yesterday at B Cup Café on East 13th Street and Avenue B.

And here's a shot of the finished mural last night at 9:30 via EVG Facebook friend Kathleen O'Regan...

A sad day for Mother Earth at the former Sapporo East

Renovations continue at the former Sapporo East space on First Avenue and East 10th Street … the 30-year-old Japanese restaurant closed for good at the end of December, as we first reported.

However, the space will remain a sushi restaurant. Yuji Umeki, who manages Kenka at 25 St. Mark's Place, is one of the principals at the restaurant that will be called Beronberon. EVG regular William Klayer, who took these photos on Friday, hears that they will be offering a menu very similar to Sapporo East's offerings.

Unfortunately, the renovation plans didn't include keeping Chico's longtime "Love Mother Earth" mural on the East 10th Street side… or the ad for Crystals Garden next door. (While the murals were nicked up, people liked them — based on how many readers passed along news of their demise this past weekend.)







Workers blacked out the murals on Saturday…


[Photo by EVG reader Fallon]


[Photo by EVG reader Fallon]

For now, just a section that reads "Love Moth" remains. We understand that workers will be adding windows in this space.


[Photo by Kevin Decatrel]

Chico's 9/11 tribute mural reappears on Avenue A

[Image via Google Street View]

We can't really recall the last time that we saw Chico's 9/11 mural on Avenue A at East 14th Street … it has been covered with ads for years now. (The above screen grab via Google Street View is from the summer of 2011.)

However, the billboard was recently removed, bringing what's left of the tribute back into view, as these photos from an East Village resident and EVG reader show…




The proprietor of Dion Cleaners on the corner was unaware of what the building's landlord has in store for the wall.

Here's a video via Michael Paul showing a new billboard going up on Feb. 17, 2012...



Chico created this mural on the night of Sept. 11, 2001. As one Times reader said of the work: "It filled me with hope and sadness and some kind of love for all of the other New Yorkers living through the hours and days yet to come."

And this was the second 9/11 mural to disappear in place of revenue-generating ads in the East Village. Back in 2003, Cooper Union had the "Forever Tall" mural painted over at 35 Cooper Square to make way for ads. (The whole building was eventually demolished anyway.)

Chico's mural corner painted over on East Houston

Through the years, the East Houston Street side of 6 Avenue B has been home to a variety of tributes and ads by Chico... (the most recent ad on the corner space was a colorful spot for Wafels & Dinges...)

[September 1997]

This past weekend, several readers were surprised to see that someone painted over the existing murals... (apparently a trend)





So far, no one seems to know who ordered the paint-over for the corner... and we're told that Chico is quite upset by this development...

Previously on EV Grieve:
An appreciation of Chico's work

Houston and Avenue B in 1997....and 2007

Chico finishes his Ramones mural at Croxley Ales

As we first noted last Saturday, Chico was creating a mural of the Ramones on the gate at Croxley Ales...he wrapped his work earlier this week on Avenue B...

Now I wanna sniff some glue

Chico is working on a new mural at the newly reopened Croxley Ales on Avenue B ...

... and a better shot via @salim ...

Chico creates new mural for Wafels and Dinges on East Houston and Avenue B

We spotted Chico working on a new mural yesterday morning on East Houston and Avenue B... for the incoming Wafels and Dinges, which is likely to open this month on Avenue B and East Second Street...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Is Wafels & Dinges opening a café on Second Street and Avenue B?

First sign of Wafels & Dinges on Avenue B

Chico at C-town

Bobby Williams spotted Chico this afternoon brightening up the exterior of C-Town on Avenue C...

Chico's cab fare

Chico was at work today on a mural for the rolldown gate at Percy's on Avenue A at East 13th Street...

[Bobby Williams]

...and later...

[‏@danielleintheev]

A Kiss mix tape

As we've pointed out, renovations continue at the former Nice Guy Eddie's space on Avenue A at East Houston ... where (maybe!) a gastropub called Boulton & Watt is opening...

Anyway, must be a pain to reassemble Chico's Kiss plywood mural every day...

Before!

Now!

Though we do like the mix-and-match challenge...

Chico's Healthy Choice gates

Chico is keeping busy... fresh off the former Nice Guy Eddie's plywood project ... today, several readers spotted him at work on the incoming New York Healthy Choice market at Avenue C and East 11th Street....

[By Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C]

[EVG reader David]

The last tenant, the Monk Thrift Shop, closed in December 2010. At the time, neighbors heard that a bank branch would open here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Monk Thrift Shop is closing — but, it remains open for now