Standing amidst the buzzing construction crews and a dust-covered marble floor, Mark Stutzman watched on as two murals he created were installed in the lobby of the UBS Arena on Long Island, New York. The newly-erected $1.1 billion facility is a dazzling upgrade for the Islanders hockey team and an 18,000-seat performance venue for concerts and shows.
Dwarfed by the enormity of the arena's towering lobby that cost $50 million alone, Stutzman awaited the reveal of his artwork one sheet at a time. His anticipation percolated with nearly a year passing since he first began work on the project. Two mural spaces flank the main staircase leading to the arena concourse. They feature an illustrated map of Long Island that speaks to the historical significance of this New York City metro area which includes the cherished Belmont Racetrack. A small but impressive team with experience in design, architecture, and history collaborated with Stutzman to develop two visual narratives for the thousands of people who will enter the building for hockey games and live performances.
The shorter of the two murals depicts the history of the Belmont Racetrack that sits next-door to the arena.
The mural project was spawned from a previous commission with the advertising firm, Love & War. The agency worked with the UBS Arena and Stutzman to create vintage-style posters that would be part of an elaborate campaign introducing the new sports and performance venue. The posters boasted the arena's new location convenient by train and all its amenities located away from more congested areas of Brooklyn and Manhattan. The sprawling park complex the architects envisioned was a foretelling of new social behaviors that would comfortably accommodate the pandemic. Wide-open spaces, a sophisticated air filtration system, and an open-air bar almost seemed a prophetic wishlist that predated public health concerns over indoor venues. Following a brief lockdown in 2020, the five-year construction project got back on track to finish on time for the first Islander's game on November 20, 2021. Donned with CDC-approved protective gear, which is pictured in one mural, project managers took great pride in keeping their work crews safely employed and meeting construction benchmarks.
Four promotional posters designed by Adly Elewa at Love & War, and illustrated by Mark Stutzman, lead to the mural project.
As the arena rose from the ground, Stutzman completed the promotional poster series and was then referred and commissioned to create a set of three murals for the main lobby. The largest mural would illustrate note-worthy locations and showcase the significance of Long Island. Another would highlight the neighboring Belmont Racetrack that now shares the same complex grounds, and the final and smallest mural would expand upon what the arena will offer. Although three panels were set aside for decorative murals, with some reshuffling of content, just the two framing the main staircase would be executed.
Built To Impress
The $1 billion, 18,000-capacity UBS Arena is state-of-the-art, catering to the Islander’s team and their fans. The bowl has clear sightlines even in the back rows. Private suites and clubs cater to corporations and big spenders, and spacious bars up to 100 feet long attract ticket holders to gather and watch the action. Multiple food markets end long wait times along with the 68 pristine restrooms.The venue also features the highest-resolution scoreboard display at 34 million pixels across four sides that each measure 42' by 27' which beats any other arena in the New York metro area.
"As the first thing you see when entering the UBS Arena, I realized the importance of telling a good story," said Stutzman. "Whether you’re a local or visitor, there is something to learn or enjoy from the artwork."
And there is a lot to take in. The longer of the two murals is themed The Exilheration of Achievement. Two small scrolls over a map of Long Island say Manhattan to the west and Montauk to the east. A message of diverse contributions to the state of New York consider the pride of its citizens. In the center is a figure depicting the Goddess Nike who rewards her victors with a laurel wreath she bares in her left hand. In front of her is the Stanley Cup (an earthly reward) along with other references to education and exploration. She is draped in a carnation blanket that is also bestowed on the winning horses at the Belmont. There are references to a legacy of construction, aviation, fishing, and of course, Islanders hockey. Each element in the mural bears significance to Long Island, and as people gaze upon it, they are encouraged to learn about and celebrate this important region in one of America's most beloved and complex cities.
The long mural depicts The Exhilaration of Achievement with Nike draped in a victory carnation blanket while framing the Stanley Cup.
The shorter mural explores the arena's location that has been home to The Belmont Race Track since 1905. Ringed by white carnations, Mr. August Belmont, Jr. is a focal point, of whom the horse racing track is named. What may come as a surprise is Long Island's lengthy history of aviation that includes demonstrations and races at Belmont Park. The first woman to earn her pilot's license, Harriett Quimby, was a New Yorker and frequented Belmont Park. She also made history after flying across the English Chanel. Also featured is Edward Brown who was born enslaved, yet he rose to become a Belmont Stakes-winning jockey. He was inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame after an extensive and successful career in horse racing. Others depicted in the mural are Thomas Edison who filmed air races, Jacqueline Bouvier who was a known guest of the Belmont, and Secretariat, the famed race horse that won the American Triple Crown at Belmont by over 20 lengths.
The shorter of the two murals highlights the Belmont Racetrack’s rich history. It’s founder is centered and surrounded by white carnations.
"Creating the artwork took quite some time," said Stutzman. "There were so many elements to either include and even more to discard. Over 150 sketches were rendered before we could all agree on the final composition."
Once the content was nailed down, Stutzman set to work stitching together the elements so they would flow together as a single image. The multi-step process of creating the final painting can be labor-intensive. He starts with researching the various aspects of what he is going to paint and begins with what he calls “rough” sketches. The rough ideas help him compose and arrange the full image so the image flows and guides the viewer through the image. Once everything is laid out, he then proceeds to a tight drawing. This phase is a more exacting plan that acts as the blueprint for the final paintings. In some cases, Stutzman photographed local models to act out the roles of certain characters in costume.
The next stage is painting a color rendition in miniature so he and his team can review the work in advance of the final painting. In this case, Stutzman created two versions of each panel from which to choose. The first version used a softer pallet which was decided to be too subtle for the scale of the space and the distance from visitors. An added border and more contrasting colors was decided to be the final direction.
Color study
Color study alternate
Color study
Color study alternate
Once everything was reviewed and edited, he began the paintings breaking the large mural into three 30" x 40" panels and the smaller mural into two panels of the same sizes. The final artwork was then scanned and digitally assembled. They were reproduced at full scale, both measuring eleven feet tall and over 27 and 36 feet wide respectively.
Digital files were then sent to the fabricator who printed a series of press proofs for Stutzman to compare with the original artwork. Without the need for adjustments, the art was reproduced on large canvas rolls measuring 52 inches wide and installed like wallpaper. In just over half a day, the two-man crew stretched the limits of their lift to install each sheet until the entire image filled the two reserved spaces.
"My biggest concern was that the measurements I was given for the spaces were exact to the physical space," Stutzman said. "I was holding my breath until the last sheet when up. Low and behold, everything fit perfectly which is to the credit of the construction crew who were exacting to the inch."
The final artwork in progress closely follows the approved color study. The artwork is painted with watercolor and gouache.
With the lobby art installed, there were just two weeks to go before the Islander's first scheduled game. Crews were working around the clock to finish setting up food service stations, pouring and grinding floors, painting, hanging additional wall graphics, signage, and completing a punch list that included a full cleaning.
On November 19, a soft opening welcomed roughly 4,000 guests to preview the finished arena with glowing reviews. Virgin staff had a chance to test run processing tickets, guiding guests, answering questions, and learning their way about the enormous facility. Spirits were high as everyone celebrated the arena's completion following years of anticipation. The ice floor was fully covered for the opening to make room for concert seating. After a string of announcements, congratulations, appreciations, and acknowledgments, the band Chicago took the stage. The energized concert had everyone on their feet demonstrating their hunger for live entertainment after nearly two years of isolation. Not only will the UBS Arena be a spectacular home for diehard Islander's fans but a coveted venue for generations to come. A grand and glorious future awaits the UBS Arena of which Stutzman said he is very honored to have played a part.