Shantell Martin: Church and The May Room

Shantell Martin’s free-flowing, black-and-white line drawings adorn Our Lady Star of the Sea, a Catholic chapel built on Governors Island during World War II. The artwork covers the exterior and interior of the structure—now open to the public for the first time in more than 20 years—including the steeple, walls and floor. The inside space offers seating for visitors in the shape of letters, which can be rearranged to form words, as well as a wall painted with a cascading series of phrases that all begin with the word “may,” such as “may your light shine.” Note that The May Room is not currently open for indoor viewing.