Art in the Parks

As part of her "Inflatable" series, artist CJ Hendry set out to reconceptualize public art through the lens of public space and its utilitarian components, like seating. The "Pink Chair" is an experiment in weight and scale by subverting the idea of the usually light and impermanent inflatable chair.

This exhibition is presented in partnership with the Prospect Park Alliance and CJ Hendry Studio.

The youth photographers who contributed their work to this exhibition were a part of a 12-week youth photography program organized by the Red Hook Community Justice Center. Facilitated by Salvador Espinoza, students learned about photography basics and techniques and how to document their lives, interests, and the world around them. This collection of images represents the diverse aspects of life and the world around the participants, showcasing emotions, stories, and beauty. Using their camera lenses as their eyes, they invite viewers to see the world from their perspective.

This exhibition is presented by the Red Hook Community Justice Center and Photoville.

This exhibit features artwork – selected from an open call – by emerging and established Brooklyn-based LGBTQIA+ artists working in various styles and media. The works depict and celebrate what “pride” means to the artist and/or Brooklyn’s LGBTQIA+ community. The banners will be displayed on the fence surrounding The Old Stone House & Washington Park and J.J. Byrne Playground in Park Slope.

This exhibition is presented by Arts Gowanus, Brooklyn Pride and The Old Stone House.

In Beacon, a profile of a child’s face represents the flame of a candle. The base of the sculpture forms the stylized candle, and the face rises from it, driving out the darkness with their light, serving as a guiding beacon through life’s troubles. Though made of bronze, a hard material, the sculpture is designed to form a light, wispy profile. It is inspired by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote, which would be on a plaque accompanying the sculpture: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

This installation consists of a pair of playful benches crafted in the shape of bananas, one large and one small, serving both as functional seating. By creating a welcoming space for rest and contemplation, this installation becomes a focal point for community engagement, fostering social interaction and unity.

This exhibition is presented by the Park Slope Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District.

Artist and activist Sari Carel’s A More Perfect Circle, curated by Jennifer McGregor, connects our encounters with disposable objects to the wider systems that fill our lives with waste. A More Perfect Circle is informed by research the artist conducted in collaboration with Nicholas Hoynes, a PhD student in Environmental Sociology at NYU. Carel and Hoynes surveyed employees and patrons of local coffee shops about their daily experience with single-use objects. The sculptures featured in this exhibition are modeled after stacked disposable coffee cups and are accompanied by ceramic pieces in the shape of plastic cup covers that are glazed to evoke pie charts drawn from Carel and Hoynes’ research.

This exhibition is presented by KODA in partnership with Greenpoint Library and the Environmental Education Center.

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.