Art in the Parks

Fascinated since childhood by ancient Greek and Roman mythology, Ailene Fields had these stories and characters form the core of her early bronze sculptures. Taking harsh materials such as bronze and stone and transforming them into gentle characters is a major goal for the artist. It is a process of finding what has been trapped within since time immemorial and allowing it to reveal itself to the world. Her sculptures in Dag Hammarskjold embody whimsy and playfulness in the form of a fairy perched on a branch and a larger-than-life frog prince.

This exhibition is presented by Six Summit Gallery.

This exhibition is presented by Taglialatella Galleries.

Representing trees spreading roots and symbolizing stability, Roots on Fire is a two-dimensional installation situated on the lattice fence in Harlem Art Park. Within the roots and trunk of the tree, unfurling flags represent a call to preserve the cultural heritage of the diverse ethnic groups that have come to live together in East Harlem over the past 150 yearsRoots on Fire is an invitation to celebrate the East Harlem’s continuous growth and strength, extending to outsiders and newcomers to learn about the cultural forbearers of a historically immigrant community. 

Roots on Fire is made possible in part with funding from the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation and administered by LMCC. Additional funding provided by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance with support from the Harlem Community Development Corporation and the Durst Organization.

This exhibition is presented by the NY Knicks and Squarespace.

Prompted by the artist Capucine Bourcart’s observations of children in her neighborhood unhealthy snacks as they were heading to and from school, this playful and humorous installation encourages all who pass by, especially youth, to make nutritious food choices. The artist created 1,500 photo-printed aluminum square tiles in her signature photo assemblage style, which are hung on the field’s chain-link fence and spell out the text “EAT ME!” The images printed on the tiles are fragmented, detailed pictures of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, all of which the artist purchased locally in the neighborhood. From a distance, the images appear abstract in their composition, with various textures and unique colors. Up close the deconstructed presentation reveals the true subject of this installation: nutrition, a global health challenge especially present in Harlem.

EAT ME!  is made possible in part with funding provided by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance with support from the Harlem Community Development Corporation and the Durst Organization.

Naomi Lawrence’s crocheted flowers are beloved and familiar accents around the East Harlem neighborhood. Using acrylic yarn, Naomi Lawrence has created a colorful mural fence mural made of crocheted flowers that celebrate the diversity of people who make up the East Harlem community one intricate, crocheted petal at a time. There is a trio of giant flowers including a pink dahlia for Mexico, a purple and yellow Christmas orchid for Colombia, and a red hibiscus for Puerto Rico. These are surrounded by smaller flowers like white frangipani representing the Ivory Coast, lush pink bayahibe representing the Dominican Republic, and impala lilies representing Ghana. The smaller flowers were created in collaboration with fiber artists from the neighborhood. At 12 feet high and 25 feet wide, this is the largest installation the artist has completed to date.

La Flor De Mi Madre is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and administered by LMCC. Additional funding provided by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance with support from the Harlem Community Development Corporation and the Durst Organization.

Saya Woolfalk is a New York-based artist who uses science fiction and fantasy to re-imagine the world in multiple dimensions. Through a series of multi-year projects, Woolfalk has created the world of the Empathics, a fictional race of women who are able to alter their genetic make-up and fuse with plants. With each body of work, Woolfalk continues to build the narrative of these women's lives, and questions the utopian possibilities of cultural hybridity. In her design for Marcus Garvey Park, Woolfalk has turned the court into a fantastical, colorful mandala. Her court has been painted with the nonprofit youth development organization Publicolor, which uses design-based programs to engage at-risk students in education, college and career.

NYC Parks’ Creative Courts initiative transforms dated sports courts and asphalt plazas across Manhattan into vibrant and welcoming places by inviting artists to create original murals that re-engage communities with their local parks. The Facebook Art Department’s Artist in Residence program (FB AIR) invites artists to create site-specific art installations around the world at Facebook offices and, increasingly, in the public realm, with the aim of bringing together diverse communities in real life and encouraging the exploration of creative and innovative thinking.

NYC Parks’ Creative Courts initiative transforms dated sports courts and asphalt plazas across Manhattan into vibrant and welcoming places by inviting artists to create original murals that re-engage communities with their local parks. The Facebook Art Department’s Artist in Residence program (FB AIR) invites artists to create site-specific art installations around the world at Facebook offices and, increasingly, in the public realm, with the aim of bringing together diverse communities in real life and encouraging the exploration of creative and innovative thinking.

Now in its seventh year, the Art Students League’s Model to Monument (M2M) sculptors are addressing the theme “Coming Ashore” with monumental works exploring topics of immigration, refuge, fluidity, organic and ancient forces. The artists are: Damon Hamm & Jeff Sundheim (Wavehenge), Gaia Grossi (Gaea), and Frank Michielli (Moiré.) “The scale and ambition of these installations reflect a long tradition at The League to support great sculpture and elevate the daily lives of New Yorkers,” says Executive Director Michael Rips.

This exhibition is presented by the Art Students League.