Cheryl Molnar, World's Fair, 2018, glazed handmade earthenware tiles and Italian glass mosaic tiles, PS 19, Queens

For PS 19 Queens, artist Cheryl Molnar created World’s Fair, a ceramic and glass mural that spans the lobby wall of the school’s new addition. World’s Fair is 43 feet long by 11 feet in height. It depicts a re-imagined scene of the 1964 World’s Fair, which took place in nearby Flushing Meadows Park. The historic fair aimed to represent modernity and forward-thinking, and to serve as a bridge between the city and the suburbs as families moved outward. The fair showcased mid-20th century American culture and technology and ideas about the American Dream.  
 
The central focus of Molnar’s mural is the New York State Pavillion’s “Tent of Tomorrow” and the “Unisphere”. To the right, the AMF Monorail signals a new, quieter method of transportation. On the left, a neighborhood comprised of perpendicular box-like homes sits on a hill. Surrounding these structures is overgrown foliage meant to represent the lush and innovative concepts displayed at the fair. Molnar hopes that her mural can inspire new generations of New Yorkers to imagine a brighter future.