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The Bean Coffee House of Patchogue made Main Street a bit more colorful Wednesday, thanks to a brand new mural on the building’s west-facing wall.
Local artist Dylan Gaches painted a seven-foot tall peace sign comprised of multichromatic flowers. For eight hours, the artist alternated between latex, acrylic and spray paints, before outlining each flower with a paint marker.
“In the world right now, we have a lot going on,” Gaches said, during a brief break. “There’s nothing like a peace sign to send out a message of world peace.”
“I chose flowers because of how diverse they are, and they kind of represent us — the human species, where it’s all the same kind of flower, but we’re all unique in our own ways,” he continued. “It just represents love and peace, and I’m trying to get that message out there because that’s what we really need in the world right now.”
Gaches, a professional artist since 2014, first met Patchogue Bean owner Rob Cutrone at a 2018 art show in the BrickHouse Brewery across the street. Cutrone issued a contest open to local artists who envision the village and the Bean as a welcoming place in trying times, and Gaches’ vision fit the bill.
“We were really looking for someone from the community, someone who was really going to speak toward our times right now,” Cutrone said. “Obviously a lot going on in the world, and it’s Pride month. Between the gun violence and the school shootings, the Bean is a safe space for so many people — all genders, all races.”
More paint in the pallet
Cutrone said he does not want Gaches’ mural to be a one-off deal. He envisions more local artists leaving similar marks along the Bean’s western wall. He also hopes to exhibit more local art inside the coffee shop.
“I want to be hosting some art nights, maybe once a month where we get a local artist, we kind of shut down the store early, we kind of have a gallery kind of vibe,” Cutrone said. “I really want to get to the community, and continue to make the Bean a community spot.”
