Ten years ago, as the Patchogue Arts Council (PAC) planned an exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, curator John Cino approached the Patchogue Medford Library (PMLib) with the idea of using its exterior south wall as a temporary canvas. Although there may have been some initial hesitation about what Cino calls “a presumptuous idea,” the library agreed and soon decided not only to keep it up for an entire year, but also to partner with PAC to make it an ongoing project.
Now, each year, an artist is chosen to create a new work for the 45-foot-long, 15-foot-high space. PMLib Director Danielle Paisley sees the value it has to the Library and the community. “Our library is smack in the middle of downtown Patchogue. Without the murals, it is kind of boring, sort of industrial. We want the library to be exciting, enjoyable, and welcoming to our community, a space that people want to come to.”
This year’s mural, titled Communicating Through Love, was created by Rafael Algarin, a graphic designer, muralist, and abstract figurative artist. It is a message of love to the community, featuring vibrant orange and blue, with ASL lettering set against a sea of New England asters. Algarin’s use of ASL conveys a theme of communication and inclusivity for all, ideas that Paisley says are central to the library’s mission and also serve as a tribute to Algarin’s mother, a special education teacher. Upon viewing his imagery and reading his story, Fire Island News editors knew they had found the artwork that would illustrate the cover of their July 31, 2026 edition.
This work joins another one of Algarin’s murals, Knowledge is Power, located on the library’s adjacent east wall. Completed in late 2025, that piece was funded by a grant from the New York Council for the Arts. It features flora and fauna from New York State, as well as portraits of Andrew Carnegie and Elizabeth Oaks Smith, two icons connected to the library. Paisley says this imagery supports the PMLib’s mission to “educate, empower, and entertain the community.”
“Communication Through Love” can be seen through June, 2027; “Knowledge is Power” will be on display until Fall, 2030. For more information about PAC, visit patchoguearts.org/
