James Gulliver Hancock's artwork Connection Cultivating Communities for the LIRR Merrick station waiting room begins with the idea of the LIRR map as a tree branch extending outward, imagining each town along the train line as blossoms. The unique communities of Long Island are depicted in Gulliver Hancock’s s whimsical and playful style, documenting the small details in the artist's colorful world. The blooms depict vignettes of the station's community.  

Residents will recognize Long Island landmarks such as Montauk Point Lighthouse, the post office, fire houses, Chatterton School, Merrick Library, Merrick Gables Spanish architecture, and the Merrick station itself. The artwork combines ceramic mosaic created by Miotto Mosaic Art Studios and handmade ceramic tile created by Fank Giorgini Handmade Tiles, Udu Inc.     

James Gulliver Hancock is a well-travelled illustrator known for his playful illustration style. His personal project "All the Buildings in New York" stems from an interest in obsessively recording places, and what began as a blog is now a multi-city book series. He has created murals for NYU Medical Center and Woolworths, as well as illustrations for Chipotle, The New York Times, Coca-Cola, and many others. The artist grew up in Sydney, Australia, and he splits his time between that city and Brooklyn, New York.