For longtime Prospect Heights resident Jeff Beler , art is more than an image — it’s something that can transform a neighborhood.

Ten years ago, he founded Underhill Walls , the now-famous open-air gallery on Underhill Avenue. He has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years, just a few blocks from the project.

The idea grew from a chance encounter with an abandoned building. After a laundromat caught fire 25 years ago, Beler approached its former owner in 2015.

“I saw all these green barricades going up all over the city. I thought it was an opportunity to get some public art there,” he told Brooklyn Paper.

With the property owner’s blessing, Beler teamed up with curator Frankie Velez and a group of artists to bring the walls to life. Their first installation featured a zod

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