Art in the Parks

​Led by artist Lady Pink, this mural was designed and painted by students from the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. The mural depicts faux storefronts with various images taking imaginative and fanciful shapes, painted in a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors. The mural can be found on the back wall of the DOT Steinway #2 Municipal Parking Lot, which is the reverse side of the back wall of Sean’s Place.

This exhibition is presented by the Steinway Astoria Partnership, sponsored by the Martin Wong Foundation.

Since 2021, community members, neighbors, kids, parents, grandparents, artists, musicians, seed finders, cooks, gardeners, farmers, bird watchers, writers, poets, thinkers, finders, seekers, and explorers have gathered at Socrates to intentionally build a body of knowledge together as part of the Field Guide program. Teaching artist Aneesa Razek has gathered and woven together a constellation of drawings and observations from Field Guide participants.

This exhibition is presented by Socrates Sculpture Park.

The Socrates Annual exhibition marks the culmination of the 2023 Socrates Annual Fellowship. The central theme of this year’s exhibition revolves around transformation, echoing the Park’s evolution – from an abandoned landfill to a flourishing gathering space. These five projects reflect on diverse stages of growth, change, and renewal while also invoking a keen understanding of how visitors use this space, informed by the artists’ firsthand experience fabricating these works on-site over the summer. Many of these works are constructed with found and recycled materials that have been ingeniously repurposed, breathing new life into objects that were once discarded or considered undesirable. Collectively, these artists compel us to value the histories embedded in materials and the surrounding landscape.

This exhibition includes works by Ashley Harris, Ndivhuho Rasengani, Bat-Ami Rivlin,Kate Rusek, Maryam Turkey, and Stefania Urist.

This exhibition is presented by Socrates Sculpture Park.

The Red String is an art installation inspired by the Chinese knot, a type of Eastern folk art consisting of distinctive patterns that symbolize unity and love. The installation integrates a series of physical banners with short animations using an Augmented Reality (AR) application on mobile devices. Viewers are advised to scan the banners’ QR codes to watch the animations, which reinterpret Chinese folktales or traditional operas to reflect on the modern Asian-American identity. The Red String calls for unity and dialogue across the cultural and ethnic boundaries within the social spectrum.

Presented on PhotoCubes placed at four locations throughout the park, the photographs in this exhibition scrutinize what it is to be both at one and apart from the natural world. Together the works explore the interactions between humanity and ecology, and how they shape each other. This exhibition is spread across a landscape seeded with native vegetation and designed for climate resiliency. As the photographic works examine our relation to nature during a time of ecological change, the park itself gives an ample backdrop to further explore that relationship.

This exhibition includes works by Delaney Allen, Barrett Doherty, Daesha Devón Harris, Elise Kirk, Jennifer Latour, and Denisse Ariana Pérez.

This exhibition is presented by Hunters Point Parks Conservancy and Photoville.

Grounding is a site-specific outdoor artwork that is experienced through Augmented Reality (AR). By scanning a QR code on the sign near the site, viewers will experience an installation of thousands of large, reflective mirror-finished sequins on the grass in the shape of a tree shadow.

This mural is a celebration of the power of imagination coming to life in the playground where children are free. It tells a peaceful story through children interacting with each other in the spirit of joy. The themes of the mural emphasize nature, unity, respect, and the magic that children emanate. 

This exhibition is presented by Project Attica.

Dog Island Summer features various interactive items including a large fire hydrant, a dog biscuit-shaped park bench, a large collar tag, and two music boxes which are covered in original designs by local artists Ashley Betito and Kerri Boccard. The music boxes play original songs from Queens musicians including the Broadway Junior team from Queens Community School 111 by students from Pre-K to the 8th grade and Argentinian jazz musician Yanko Valdes. The dog theme is a reference to the large dog population and proliferation of dog related businesses in Long Island City.

This exhibition is presented by the Long Island City Partnership.

The Park’s teen group, Socrateens, has curated the Broadway Billboard after conducting studio visits with a line-up of recent Socrates artist alumni. After studio visits with each artist and reviewing proposals, teens selected the work by Joiri Minaya from her series The Marooned Picturesque. Socrateens Jessica Reynoso and Tasfiya Mubasshira note about the work: “It evokes the universal experience of remembering snippets of a place and has a dreamy quality fitting to New York City.” This collaboration provides a unique opportunity for teens and future art workers to participate in the curatorial and exhibition process, and deepens our relationship with artists dedicated to the Park.

This exhibition is presented by Socrates Sculpture Park.

Ebb of a Spring Tide is an exhibition of new sculptural works by Mary Mattingly exploring our relationship to coastal ecosystems and the shifting nature of rivers and water lines. The exhibition features a 65-foot living sculpture titled Water Clock, fabricated on-site in response to the Park’s unique waterfront location along the East River. The exhibition also includes a Flock House, expanding on the artist’s ongoing series of mobile, self-sufficient living systems that challenges notions of home and community.

This exhibition is presented by Socrates Sculpture Park.