200+ Miniature Paintings Of NYC Have Been Hidden Around Greenpoint For The Taking
Who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt? Well, Brooklyn-based artist, Steve Wasterval, is the mastermind behind Greenpoint’s community-wide hunt that’s happening right now!
On a typical weekend, you might have been grabbing a coffee with friends or hungover and unmoving in bed. Meanwhile, Wasterval has been spending his weekends sneakily stashing away his miniature paintings all around Greenpoint for the last six years.
“I started the mini hunt because I had always had this idea that I wanted to paint full sized paintings and hang them up on the sides of buildings—like my own version of street art but paintings,” Wasterval told us. “That morphed into a size that I could give away to the neighborhood.”
Wasterval keeps his audience informed about his paintings’ whereabouts through his Instagram and an email list, updating his posts whenever they are found. He shared with us that the wackiest hiding spot over the years was actually a mistake. While attempting to hide a painting in a light pole in McGorlick Park, the canvas instead fell to the base of the pole where it got lodged inside. However, that didn’t stop hunters from creating makeshift tools like gum on the end of a stick to try and rescue the painting.
The teeny tiny paintings are just 2 in. x 1 1/2 in. in size—so little they fit in your pocket! Wasterval shared that they typically take him about one hour each to complete. His mini paintings depict scenes across Greenpoint’s ever-evolving landscape. But that’s not all. Wasterval actually uses his painted scenes to hint at where the canvas can eventually be found.
Though he started the scavenger hunt back in 2018, it wasn’t until 2021 when it really picked up. These days, it only takes anywhere from 5-30 minutes after sharing a new hunt for his mini painting to be discovered. To date, every single painting he has hidden has been accounted for.
When asked his favorite thing about the hunt, Wasterval answered that it’s the fun people have with it. “People share stories about getting ready for the hunt, bring their kids, some hunt for years, so they know each other, there are veterans, rivalries, a wedding proposal, it’s a whole mini-community,” he said.
Stay tuned on his Instagram or learn more on his website to put your scavenger hunt skills to the test and possibly uncover a miniature masterpiece.
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