Art in the Parks

This exhibition is presented by the Fort Greene Park Conservancy. Funding and support provided by the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, the Buckhorn Association, UrbanGlass, GasWorksNYC, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York City Council.

Flags are typically used to mark territories, boundaries, and ownership. In this case, Frazier subverts their normal use by displaying living things and migrating species that do not know or abide by boundaries.

In quilting a sampler is a quilt that does not repeat the same block pattern within its layout – a representative collection of one's technical skillset. In this case, the public artwork is not only a sampler of quilt blocks, but a sampler of the local ecology.

The site for this artwork is on the Atlantic Flyway bird migratory path, and features a large body of water. These two characteristics make this park, which is a protected wetland, a uniquely hospitable ecosystem for migrating birds. There are over 160 bird species that inhabit or travel through Highland Park, in addition to a diverse network of local plants and wildlife. Through educating the community about its unique flora and fauna, Frazier hopes to inspire a new generation of citizen conservationists to keep urban communities safe and clean for all wildlife species.

Popularized by early 20th century immigrants to the United States, handball is among the most democratic sports, requiring nothing more than a small ball and a wall to play. The handball court is also the only type of playground that offers a freestanding double-sided wall which, according to the artist, “offers a unique possibility to show painting in a public space.” Ancart’s immersive sculpture will create a place for interaction, while bringing to light the ever-present painterly qualities that inherently exist in the structure of the handball court.  The title of the work poetically references the unintended abstract compositions and patterns created through their use and wear in relation to the standard lines that mark the limits of the playgrounds. 

This exhibition is presented by Public Art Fund

This exhibition is presented by Public Art Fund.

Medusa With The Head of Perseus is a seven-foot bronze sculpture that inverts the narrative of Medusa, portraying her in a moment of somberly empowered self-defense. In Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Medusa was a maiden in the temple of Athena, who was stalked and raped by Poseidon. Athena, in a rage, banishes and curses Medusa with a monstrous head of snakes and a gaze which turns men to stone. Medusa is herself blamed and punished for the crime of which she was the victim; she is cast away as a monster and then with the cruel assistance of Athena and Poseidon, eventually is hunted-down and beheaded by the epic hero Perseus, who displays her head as a trophy on his shield. Garbati’s sculpture speaks directly to the 16th Century Florentine bronze masterpiece Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini (1545-1554). Through this work, Garbati asks “how can a triumph be possible if you are defeating a victim?”

This exhibition is presented by MWTH Project.

Drawing on both his past professional experiences, and those of his contemporaries, Rennert composes thought-provoking works through simplified figures and forms. Together, these three monumental bronze sculptures are inspired by artist Jim Rennert’s past experiences in the competitive world of business. Each title works together with the visual image to illustrate the experience, sometimes physical, sometimes psychological and showcase the thoughts and ideas we all deal with in our contemporary society.

Cast in bronze in 2020, this sculpture was originally created by Brooklyn-based artist Noa Bornstein ten years ago out of sisal fiber and burlap in structolite and plaster over an armature of wire mesh and plumbing sections. The sculpture is mounted on a low concrete base inscribed with the word for ‘friend’ in 90 languages—beginning with the six official languages of the UN--all learned or verified with speakers of the languages over the last year. For additional/interactive content please visit peacegorilla.noabornstein.com.

What does it mean to create space for reflection and visioning? What does it mean to know your past, present and future? What does it mean to know that you are more than enslaved people? Harlem Needle Arts is pleased to present We the People | Disrupting Silence, a public art installation that pays tribute to the ingenuity, creativity and sacrifices of Africans of the Diaspora, who suffered the atrocity of enslavement, marginalization and disenfranchisement. This installation by Alex Reynoso joins Nacinimod Deodee’s A Long Walk to Freedom and Reflection on the opposite side of the park.

This project is presented by Harlem Needle Arts.