Local artist's Belle Harbor mural celebrates historic Yacht Club anniversary

The Belle Harbor Yacht Club’s new 8-foot-long mural was created by Lia Ali to commemorate their 115th anniversary. Photo courtesy of Lia Ali

By Rachel Vick

The walls of the Belle Harbor Yacht Club are a little brighter, thanks to a new mural from  Bulgarian-born artist Lia Ali.

The mural celebrates the early history of the Yacht Club, which received land from the West Rockaway Land Co. in 1905. The mural, depicting the clubhouse and dock, was commissioned to commemorate the club’s 115th anniversary.

Ali has lived in Queens since 2017, and the 80-foot-long mural is her most recent installation — she’s been creating indoor murals for 15 years.

She also created a mural for Connolly’s Corner in Maspeth last September.

Ali graduated from the National Academy of Art in Sofia, Bulgaria before studying at the New York Academy of Art.