Manhattan Park’s annual Pop-Up Pool Party gets a new mural, inspired by an ocean wonderland

Roosevelt Island luxury rental community Manhattan Park has just unveiled the mural that will highlight its outdoor pool this summer. Now in its eighth year, the art transformation has graced the community’s Pop-Up Pool Party each summer starting on Memorial Day. This year’s mural, created by Syrian-Armenian artist Hratch Arbach, “reflects imaginary scenes inspired by the ocean wonderland.”

Arbach’s design was chosen from several local artists’ submissions to grace the pool deck; for the first time, entries were given a theme–in this case, sustainability. The pool mural is an extension of an existing series, “Letters from the Ocean,” by Arbach, who has a Ph.D. in microbiology and virology. The mural’s precise, intricate hand-drawn lines took two weeks and 75 gallons of paint to complete.

“Manhattan Park’s pool is the perfect place for this piece from my series, given Roosevelt Island’s location in a tidal estuary and its relationship with the Atlantic Ocean,” Arbach explained.

“I am proud of the work and feel privileged that so many will enjoy the mural this summer.”

“We were so intrigued by Hratch Arbach’s approach to his design for the pool deck. This year we wanted to draw attention to the influence of nature on art and artists,” Jodi Stasse, EVP of New Developments at The Corcoran Group, the exclusive marketing agent for the community, said.

“Our winning artist highlights this beautifully in this year’s installation from his ongoing series ‘Letters from the Ocean.’ This has now become a Manhattan Park tradition that we look forward to every year, and we’re excited for residents of the community and all of New York City to enjoy this summer.”

The 60-foot pool at the 8.5-acre residential waterfront residential complex boasts a sun deck with dazzling city views and a park-like vibe. The pool is available for Roosevelt Island residents as well as non-residents to join on a seasonal, monthly, or daily time-slot basis.

Manhattan Park has promoted local artists throughout the project’s eight-year run while providing an exciting backdrop for the pool deck. More information on pool memberships and the community itself can be found here.

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Photos by Max Touhey