Art in the Parks

Returning for its 13th consecutive year, the annual Photoville Festival features open-air photography exhibitions throughout all five boroughs of New York City. Collaborating with hundreds of artists and programming partners to curate and present over 80 outdoor exhibitions, Photoville Festival addresses a wide range of issues giving visitors a unique experience of thought-provoking and exceptional photography from across the globe.

Locations: Exhibitions in parks can be found in Barretto Point Park and Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx; Anchorage Plaza in Brooklyn; Bella Abzug Park, Corporal John A. Seravalli Playground, Jackie Robinson Park, Seward Park, and St. Nicholas Park in Manhattan; Travers Park in Queens; and Alice Austen House and South Beach Promenade in Staten Island.

BENCHMARKS is a comprehensive student arts residency program that inspires young people to tackle major social issues and become engaged citizens. Students create large-scale, meaningful artwork on benches for public display, to effect social change. Issues such as racism, gender inequality, drug abuse, homelessness, and religious intolerance are addressed through research and facilitated discussion. The project culminates in a visit to a guest artist’s studio and in the creation and public display of issue-based works of art on benches in parks citywide.

The benches can be found in Rev. T. Wendell Foster Park in the Bronx, Prospect Park Parade Ground in Brooklyn, Thomas Jefferson Park in Manhattan, Juniper Valley Park in Queens, and Clove Lakes Park in Staten Island.

This exhibition is presented by the Center for Educational Innovation’s Arts Education Program.

The Pulse consists of two intertwining light strings with a central heart piece. It is customizable to change colors according to occasion and time of the year, holiday, and cultural celebrations. The Morris Park Business Improvement District was awarded a Commercial District Lighting Grant by the NYC Department of Small Business Services to address commercial district lighting improvements in the Morris Park Avenue commercial district in the Bronx. As a central point of attraction for the Morris Park Avenue corridor and surrounding community, Loreto Park plays a very important role for social and cultural activities, and as a community gathering space.

This exhibition is presented by the Morris Park Business Improvement District.

The Buried Brook is an augmented reality (AR) application and sound walk that explores the historic course of Tibbetts Brook in Van Cortlandt Park. The experience is designed to be accessed through a mobile app, which takes users on a self-guided walking tour through the park and surrounding streets, guided by the app using a smartphone or tablet device. As viewers walk, they will be able to see virtual elements overlaid on the physical environment through their device's camera, creating an augmented reality experience.

This exhibition is presented by CALL / City as Living Laboratory.

This pair of tennis court murals at St. Mary’s Park, Bronx promotes the importance of public park courts and free youth tennis programs.

This exhibition is presented by Lacoste.

This vibrant temporary art installation brightens and beautifies Loreto Playground. Consisting of circular medallions that are individually designed to resemble flowers or are based on flowers, they were created using the handcraft technique of crochet. The crocheted medallions are multi-colored and densely worked, thereby creating an explosion of color which will be seen from a long distance.

This exhibition is presented by Morris Park Business Improvement District.

Sing for Hope places artist-designed pianos throughout NYC’s parks and public spaces for anyone and everyone to play. The pianos bring individuals and communities together in an open festival of art for all. After their time on the streets, Sing for Hope transports the instruments to NYC public schools, where they become hubs for Sing for Hope’s ongoing creative programs and enrich students’ lives for years to come. The pianos can be played at various sites across the city, including four Parks sites. For more information and a list of locations visit Sing for Hope’s Pianos webpage.

This exhibition is present by Sing for Hope.

​This installation consists of a baseball bat and baseball doubling as functional benches and a symbolic representation of the game. This dual-purpose structure is designed to encourage visitors to pause, take a break, and reflect on the rich history and deep-rooted love for baseball.

This exhibition is presented by 161st Street Business Improvement District.