Art in the Parks
Through collaborations with a diverse group of arts organizations and artists, Parks brings to the public both experimental and traditional art in many park locations. Please browse our list of current exhibits and our archives of past exhibits below. You can also see past grant opportunities or read more about the Art in the Parks Program.
Public Art Map and Guide
Find out which current exhibits are on display near you, and browse our permanent monument collection.
Search Current and Past Exhibits
2025
Manhattan
Myles Zhang and Stephen Fan, Pedestrian Observations: Mapping Chinatown's Public Realm
January 27, 2024 to January 19, 2025
Columbus Park, Manhattan
Map/Directions (in Google Maps)
Please note: This is a past exhibit that is no longer installed in the park.
Pedestrian Observations: Mapping Manhattan Chinatown’s Public Realm is a collaboration by artist and architectural historian Myles Zhang and architect/designer Stephan Fan. This project explores the blurred boundaries between Chinatown’s public and private spaces in a graphic installation formulated and executed through various community-engagement efforts over the past two years. It is a horizontal map that presents iconic elements of Chinatown’s streetscapes. The streetscape draws familiar, if not legendary, scenes woven together in segments to suggest the many layers of human activation and experience of these vibrant congested historic streets.
This exhibition is presented by CALL / City as Living Laboratory.
Various Artists, Global Photo Exhibition-PEACE FOR ALL
October 30, 2024 to January 5, 2025
John Jay Park
Chelsea Green, Manhattan
Washington Market Park, Manhattan
Map/Directions (in Google Maps)
Please note: This is a past exhibit that is no longer installed in the park.
Global Photo Exhibition-PEACE FOR ALL is a creative photography exhibition to tell a unique story. The exhibition features a curated collection of striking, joyful, profound photographs from Magnum photographers Cristina de Middel, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, and Olivia Arthur, who travelled to Vietnam, Ethiopia, and Romania to capture moments of PEACE FOR ALL-funded support activities from their own perspectives. The project is intended as a worldwide reflection on the value of peace. Global Photo Exhibition-PEACE FOR ALL will be held in over 10 major world cities, hosted in public locations over several weeks, and freely accessible to all. The global initiative was first launched in London in September with other participating cities to follow, including New York City.
Queens
Larry Ng, Queens, the World’s Borough
March 22, 2025 to March 17, 2026
MacDonald Park, Queens
Map/Directions (in Google Maps)
Annalisa Iadicicco, BUMPERMAN
October 25, 2024 to October 25, 2025
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens
Map/Directions (in Google Maps)
Bumperman, a life-sized superhero sculpture made from recycled car bumpers and auto parts, stands as a powerful symbol of resilience and renewal, celebrating the redevelopment of Willets Point. Created by artist Annalisa Iadicicco, this striking figure honors the area’s vibrant history as a hub for affordable auto repairs, paying tribute to the hardworking immigrant community that defined it. Now, as Willets Point undergoes a transformation into a mixed-use community, Bumperman reminds us of its enduring spirit.
Drew Seskunas, What Is the Opposite of a Black Hole?
October 8, 2024 to October 7, 2025
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens
Map/Directions (in Google Maps)
If a black hole absorbs all light and information surrounding it, the opposite would project light and propagate information. This sculpture celebrates the rich history of science in Queens by highlighting residents who worked to expand our understanding of the universe, casting light where before there was darkness. The artwork honors the contributions of Queens-born scientists Dr. Joseph Weinberg, Dr. Lisa Randall, Dr. Marie Maynard Daly, Dr. Eugenie Clark, Dr. Ivan R. King, and Dr. Arthur Cooper.
Chhaya Community Development Corporation, Richmond Hill Art Hub
September 15, 2024 to September 14, 2025
Lt. Frank McConnell Park, Queens
Map/Directions (in Google Maps)
A collaboration between Chhaya CDC and two NYC-based design firms, Hive Public Space and Studio For, this vibrant multi-use park installation celebrates Richmond Hill's diverse cultural heritage. It takes the form of a community stage for events, classes, and gatherings, adorned with colors inspired by neighbors' homeland flags. This installation aims to activate the space, showcase local culture, engage residents, and promote long-term preservation of cultural identity in public spaces.
Kenny Greenberg, Lumina Arcana
July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025
Vernon Mall and Gordon Triangle, Queens
Map/Directions (in Google Maps)
Created by Long Island City-based neon light artist Kenny, each pergola of Lumina Arcana is built from wooden materials and metal railings, adorned with vibrant neon lighting. These installations are strategically placed at Vernon Mall and Gordon Triangle to transform under-lit areas into lively, inviting spaces. The project aims to boost the visibility and allure of Vernon Boulevard, especially at night, encouraging increased foot traffic and supporting local businesses along the corridor. The Long Island City Partnership was awarded a Commercial District Lighting Grant by the NYC Department of Small Business Services to address commercial district lighting improvements in the Vernon Boulevard commercial district.
Marcus Brown, American Gold: A Ship of Human Bondage
June 19, 2024 to June 18, 2025
Queensbridge Park, Queens
American Gold: A Ship of Human Bondage is an Augmented Reality (AR) installation based on slave ships and enslaved people. The installation describes the captives as figures made of gold. American Gold aims to draw attention to the monetary value of captives and the inhumane treatment of African captives. American Gold makes the slave ship an almost invisible structure that floats above the viewer, giving the viewer a glimpse of how many people were squeezed into a slaving vessel from below. The installation is part of a larger series of art installations about slavery called Slavery Trails, placed at historical sites throughout the United States.
Leonard Ursachi, Peace Like a River
October 25, 2024 to April 26, 2025
Hunter's Point South, Queens
Map/Directions (in Google Maps)
Peace Like a River is an installation of sculptures, identical except for their colors. Each is cast in concrete from a mold Ursachi made from a large piece of driftwood he salvaged from the East River, steps from his DUMBO studio and downstream from Hunter’s Point South Park.