Art in the Parks

Through collaborations with a diverse group of arts organizations and artists, Parks brings to the public both experimental and traditional art in many park locations. Please browse our list of current exhibits and our archives of past exhibits below. You can also see past grant opportunities or read more about the Art in the Parks Program.

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Will Ryman, The Roses, stainless steel, fiberglass, marine paint, brass

Will Ryman, The Roses

January 25, 2011 to May 31, 2011
Park Avenue, between 57th and 67th Streets, Manhattan
Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan

Please note: This is a past exhibit that is no longer installed in the park.

Description:
​Transforming Park Avenue into a fanciful garden, Will Ryman’s 38 sculptures of rose blossoms towering as high as 25 feet, complimented by 20 individual scattered rose petals, will festoon Park Avenue Mall between 57th and 67th Streets in the artist’s inaugural public art exhibition. Reflecting Ryman’s flair for the dramatic and absurdly wonderful, roses painted in shades of pink and red will spring up in vibrant contrast to the traditionally bleaker winter months preceding spring in the artist’s large-scale love letter to New York City.

Drawing inspiration from nature’s cycles and seasons, each cluster is complete with an inhabiting brass ladybug, aphid, beetle or bee for an element of both reality and humor in reference to the viewers’ own bug’s-eye-view of The Roses’ gigantic blossoms.

Ryman, familiar with non-traditional materials such as plaster, wire mesh, and PVC tubes, adopted industrial materials—stainless steel, yacht-grade fiberglass resin, automotive paint, and brass—creating sculptures designed to withstand the elements and be enjoyed by viewers throughout the seasons. The Roses will be on view from winter’s dormancy through spring’s regeneration, suggesting the cycle of nature, as well as the eternally changing landscape of New York.