Art in the Parks

Titled 3000 Buddha Chandelier, Liberty Lantern, Soul Catcher and Dirt Devil these monumental sculptures take the form of four large-scale chandeliers made of thousands of plastic water bottles. Addressing the world-wide issue of the single use plastic bottle, the artist underscores the need for fresh drinking water while acknowledging the damage caused to the environment by its disposal.

This exhibition is presented by the Fund for Park Avenue, Alexander and Bonin and Express Newark.

Two Kinds of Nature refers to the fantasy world of Holly Wood and the ornithological world of Fernand Brunschwig. The exhibition is a display of two skilled artist as well as a display of two perspectives involving animals and local wildlife. It inspires one to remember that there are different points of view. And this is exactly what we turn to art for: to have us remember our fellow beings without losing ourselves.

This exhibition is presented by El Taller Latino Americano.

AZIMUTH is a recycled public artwork, previously installed in Washington DC as MERIDIAN. After over a year and a half outdoors, the modules were transported to New York City, rehabbed and transformed with a vibrantly colored makeover. Along with the final touches of a new ground mural, AZIMUTH provides a new community gathering spot on the Pike Street Mall. The pavilion activates this an empty and underused public park median, creating a new place to pause, frolic and play.

This exhibition is presented by the Chinatown Partnership.

Thinking of both colonial Puerto Rican landscapes and the ubiquitous construction sites throughout New York City as thresholds and incomplete environments, this sculpture recreates a guard tower (or garita, in Spanish) from the historic fortresses of Old San Juan, built out of New York City construction fencing material. The work threads commonalities between two locations with long histories, and explores contemporary notions of colonialism as a precarious, never-ending project that affects anyone within it.

This exhibition is presented by Friends of Art Park Alliance and Art Lives Here.

This posthumous exhibition celebrates the monumental sculpture of Sophia Vari, an international visual artist known for polychrome sculptures, paintings, collage, and watercolors. Her exploration into form and balance has evolved into several stages. Vari pushed into the realm of dimensional space, as her nuanced geometric forms probe the relationship between the construction of physical space and the history of art. Her works are a permutation of shapes with a sense of lightness and suspension yet resolving space and structure with an imposing bearing.

This exhibition is presented by Nohra Haime Gallery and the Fund for Park Avenue Sculpture Committee.

This collaborative work of Elizabeth Knowles and Eric Laxman includes three vibrant and dynamic floating sculptures, standing at an height of 60 inches, creating a mesmerizing visual experience for park visitors. These sculptures gracefully sway with the wind, providing an ever-changing display of color and movement.

Pond Blossoms and its companion piece Watching Over You both serve as tributes to the passionate Harlem residents who fought ardently for their park in 1968, contributing to the establishment of the pond and its significance in the community. It symbolizes the celebration of their efforts and the enduring appreciation for the pond's existence today.

This exhibition is presented by Sculptors Guild.

‘Breathing without fear’ is a site specific ceramic sculpture that depicts two life-size figures becoming one, and enjoying the community park post pandemic. The sculpture takes the form of ancient rock formations, but is recognizable as two figures together, happy and enjoying a moment of connection in Marcus Garvey Park. Though the figures are abstract, they represent all of us.

This exhibition is presented by Art Lives Here.

The colorful sculptures comprising Shadows depict ten workers who maintain the park for the benefit of the public, through their outlines. To create the sculptures, Allié spent time with each person and asked them to pose in a manner that reflected themselves. She captured these poses on film, drew their outlines, and translated them into steel silhouettes. Each worker chose their sculpture’s color. Shadows also includes an audio component, in which Allié’s subjects sing songs, whistle, hum, laugh, and share stories about their work.

This exhibition is presented by Hudson Yards Hells Kitchen Alliance.

Tierra Fragil, depicts endangered insects and birds with the flowers and plants imperative to their survival. The mural informs and encourages the preservation of familiar species whose presence we may have taken for granted.

Tierra Fragil is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement a regrant program 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 support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, UMEZ Arts Engagement a regrant program supported by the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation and administered by LMCC. Additional funding was provided by the Friends of Morningside Park.