Glen Cove’s welcoming mural on Route 107 almost done

Artists are putting the final touches on a new mural that welcomes drivers to Glen Cove.

The geometric mural, which spells out “Glen Cove” in a gold-tinged yellow, burnt orange and brown against a blue and green background, replaces a more literal waterfront scene that was painted more than a decade ago.

Artists Sean Sullivan and Scott Zimmerman have been painting the mural for the past two weeks on a retaining wall of southbound Route 107 about a half mile from the city’s southern line. They hope to finish by Friday.

The artwork is designed to be viewed while driving by, because there’s no time to carefully examine it, Zimmerman said as cars sped by on the busy highway.

“It’s got to be something they can experience in a very short amount of time, and a mosaic pattern translates better in their minds than seeing a detailed ship in the water,” he said. “In the few seconds they’re driving by, they’ll be able to absorb and understand the colors and patterns and hopefully they’ll read the letters.”

Each color of the squares, circles and partial circles has a meaning, Sullivan said. The blue and light green represent the water of the coastal city. The dark green depicts wealthy families who settled in Glen Cove. The yellow-gold is for the Gold Coast that Glen Cove is part of, and the burnt orange represents the sun. The brown is for the woods. The latitude and longitude will be toward the bottom.

Before the artists began painting, volunteers scraped off the old mural and power-washed and primed the wall. After the painting is complete, a weatherproof sealant will be applied to protect the mural for 10 to 15 years, said Parks and Recreation Director Darcy Belyea.