Art in the Parks

Description:

Golem, a 10-foot-tall sculpture made of colorful metal scraps, pays homage to Harlem’s people and history, while embodying the present spirit of growth. Its patchwork, abstracted face is representative of the neighborhood’s different cultures. For many, Marcus Garvey Park is synonymous with the Harlem experience. Golem acts as a beacon, welcoming visitors to the park as they journey onwards.

This work is an extension of May 2016’s FLUX Public Art Projects, a FLUX Art Fair initiative. FLUX embodies Harlem’s creative spirit and cultural significance by bringing together original works, from large sculptural works and sound pieces to performance art and thought-provoking installations.

This exhibition is presented by Art in FLUX, FLUX Art Fair, and Marcus Garvey Park Alliance.

Description:

Looking Up, a 33.3-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture by the American artist Tom Friedman, is by far the most ambitious sculpture from Friedman’s ongoing body of work involving the use of crushed aluminum foil roasting-pans to create figures, which, through a process of molding and lost wax casting, retain the original material’s imprint and markings. A charming yet magnificent piece, the quasi-human figure gazes up to the heavens, inviting others to stand at its base and do the same. The first example of this edition is permanently installed at the Laguna Gloria Campus of The Contemporary Austin in Texas.

This exhibition is presented with Luhring Augustine, New York; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London; NYC Parks; and the Fund for Park Avenue.

Description:

All Along the Watchtower, an interactive public art installation created by artist Lady K Fever, highlights Marcus Garvey Park’s Acropolis and the pathways that lead to it. Beginning at the top of the staircase on the Madison Avenue side of the park leading up to the Acropolis, it continues along the construction fence surrounding the site of Harlem’s fire watchtower and back down the walkway on the west side of Mount Morris. The installation is made almost entirely of light reflective materials, and guests are encouraged to use a flash while taking photos to activate the artwork. The reflective materials illuminate the pathways at night and reflect the musical patterns of the watchtower’s bell. The historic fire watchtower is currently being restored off site by NYC Parks and will return to its original site in Marcus Garvey Park.

This exhibition is presented by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance Public Art Initiative.

Description:

Once a rare and exotic flower, the orchid has become one of the world’s most ubiquitous indoor plants. From corporate offices to domestic interiors, from upscale florists to Home Depot, this tropical plant can now be seen anywhere–and acquired by anybody. It’s a striking and decorative flower without any dominant symbolism, except perhaps a hint of luxury left over from the 19th century when orchids were seen as “the chosen ornaments of royalty.”

For eminent German artist Isa Genzken, the mass-produced white orchid has become the quintessential flower of our age: global, accessible, and open to interpretation. Rising to 28 and 34 feet respectively, the paired stems of Genzken’s towering sculpture wind elegantly skyward, capturing light and casting shadows in a play of rhyming forms. Two Orchids heralds the entrance to Central Park in voluptuous full flower, its pristine white petals free from any blemishes. It stands as an idealized, colossal version of the familiar plant: a civic monument to the perfect orchid, now the chosen ornament of contemporary culture.

This exhibition is presented with the Public Art Fund

Description:

This vibrant banner by internationally renowned artist Kenny Scharf is installed along the waterfront at 116th Street on the East River Esplanade in Harlem. NEVERENDINGOGO spans over 50 feet and conveys the constant motion of New York City, the East River, and the FDR Drive. An accompanying mural by Scharf, TotemOh, is painted on an adjacent brick column and will be on view through June 21, 2017. This public artwork corresponds with an exhibition of the artist’s work at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn Harbor, NY.

This exhibition is presented by the Friends of the East River Esplanade (60th-120th Streets).

Description:

FLUX Public Art Projects features 12 public art installations in Marcus Garvey Park, Harlem Art Park, and Eugene McCabe Field, as an extension of May 2016's FLUX Art Fair. FLUX embodies Harlem's creative spirit and cultural significance by bringing together original works, from large sculptural works and sound pieces to performance art and thought-provoking installations. Works by artists Jordan Baker-Caldwell, Bob Clyatt, Linda Cunningham, Montserrat Daubon, Jon Gomez, Musa Hixson, Lucy Hodgson, Jack Howard-Potter, Naomi Lawrence, Tiffany Smith, Jose Soto, and Stan Squirewell are still on view through August 1. For those who missed the FLUX Art Fair in May, this is a great opportunity to still see part of the fair.

This exhibition is presented by Art in FLUX, FLUX Art Fair, and Marcus Garvey Park Alliance.

Description:

The Morris-Jumel Mansion is pleased to present Boundless - The Women of the Mansion, an exhibition of site-specific, outdoor works created by Andrea Arroyo during her residency at the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the first of its kind for the museum. Inspired by the surrounding community, past inhabitants and history of Manhattan’s oldest house, Arroyo has created a series of works integrated with the house’s façade and within the garden, utilizing the natural environment of plants, grass and other elements of the mansion’s outdoor grounds. Arroyo creates a multi-level conversation, bridging local culture and history and connecting the experience of all women. A variety of public programs will be presented in conjunction with the exhibition. The programming schedule will be posted weekly on the artist’s website.

This exhibition is presented by the Morris-Jumel Mansion, New York Restoration Project, and Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders.

Description:

Eirini Linardaki’s public art installation Whattoseesottahw is inspired by children’s drawings created during artist-led workshops in the park. Her work often concentrates on creating beautiful, unexpected moments within urban and abandoned spaces. As a resident of the East Village, she continues this exploration inher installation Whattoseesottahw, where sheembraces the often ambiguous nature of children’s drawings. In her workshops, children and families visiting Tompkins Square were encouraged to create images of familiar wildlife that they encountered in the park. These drawings and paintings may appear indecipherable at a first glance, similar to a Rorschach test; however, when children are asked to elaborate they create joyful stories about the natural elements they observed.

Several of these drawings were collected and combined to create images that were transferred onto wood panels. The images were then either cut out of the panel, revealing glances of the park, or partially removed with half of the drawing still visible. Some of the cutouts were painted with chalk paint so kids can complete the drawing. The panels, located in the Slocum Memorial Fountain Plaza, are low on the fence in order to maintain a relationship with children’s eye level. Linardaki will periodically conduct workshops throughout the exhibition in the sitting area behind the park house.

All of the paintings that inspire the installation will be uploaded to her website.