Loreto Playground

New Yorkers can see the opposite of a black hole, a heart-pounding riff on carnival rides, and much more at free public art installations throughout the city this winter

This winter, New Yorkers can enjoy free public art through NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program, which brings beautiful and thought-provoking art installations to parks in all five boroughs. Parks works year-round with local artists, community groups, nonprofits, and other partners to enhance New York City’s shared greenspaces with world-class art, transforming public parks into open-air art galleries.

The full list and a map of current exhibits can be found on Parks’ Art in the Parks page. Here are some highlights this season:

MANHATTAN

Sydney Shen, SBNO (Standing But Not Operating)

Riverside Park South

On view through September 3, 2025

As an artist, Shen is interested in ambivalent emotional states such as fear, wonder, pleasure and pain. A roller coaster enthusiast, Shen is particularly fascinated by how theme parks sublimate the thrill of near-death into a form of amusement. SBNO (Standing But Not Operating) takes the form of something unsettlingly between an anatomical model, a carnival ride, and a metronome, which measure time through beats akin to the human heartbeat. This piece speaks to an innate human desire to be moved–physically and metaphorically–beyond our limits.

The Works in Public program, formerly known as Model to Monument, is a professional development program which began in 2010 in partnership with NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program. This exhibition is presented by the Art Students League of New York and the Riverside Park Conservancy and includes three other works.

STATEN ISLAND

A+A+A & Urechi Oguguo, Abuelita Masala

Tompkinsville Park

On view through September 12, 2025

Abuelita Masala is a functional art piece named after Afro-Caribbean and Latinx words for ‘grandmother’ to recall a powerful ancestral figure of kindness, versatility and strength. It serves as an information center for a weekly market and a hub for regular arts and culture programming inspired by past activations at the park. Its versatile doors and cabinets can be opened in multiple configurations to host diverse activities. Ultimately, Abuelita Masala acts as an open invitation to the community to discover and engage with local cultural programming as well as artists that represent the Afro-Caribbean and Latin heritage on site.

This exhibition is presented by Staten Island Urban Center, Bait-ul Jamaat House of Community, and Staten Island Therapeutic Gardens. It is supported by the Urban Design Forum’s Local Center, which assembles interdisciplinary project teams that support local organizations to advance their visions for public space.

BROOKLYN

George Boorujy, Red Hook, Brooklyn Mural Trail: Anchoring People and Wildlife

Red Hook Park

On view through July 7, 2025

Red Hook, Brooklyn Mural Trail: Anchoring People and Wildlife is a colorful, vibrant display of the native plant and bird species that frequent Red Hook Park. The mural starts on Bay Street, spanning from Hicks Street to Clinton Street. It then wraps around the corner, incorporating the perimeter of Clinton Street between Bay Street and Halleck Street. As this is a collaborative effort with the Audubon Mural Project, many of the birds will be climate-threatened as indicated in Audubon’s ‘Survival By Degrees’ report.

This exhibition is presented by Red Hook Conservancy, National Audubon Society Mural Project, Gitler &_____, and the Monarch Foundation.

QUEENS

Drew Seskunas, What Is the Opposite of a Black Hole?

United Nations Avenue North, Flushing Meadows Corona Park

On view through October 7, 2025

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.

This exhibition is made possible by the Art in the Parks: Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park Grant, which supports the creation of site-specific public artworks by Queens-based artists for two sites within Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

BRONX

Morris Park Business Improvement District and Limbic Media, The Pulse

Loreto Playground

On view through May 1, 2025

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 improve commercial district lighting 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.

About Art in the Parks

For nearly 60 years, NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program has brought contemporary public artworks to the city’s parks, making New York City one of the world’s largest open-air galleries. The agency has consistently fostered the creation and installation of temporary public art in parks throughout the five boroughs. Since 1967, NYC Parks has collaborated with arts organizations and artists to produce more than 3,000 public artworks by 1,500 notable and emerging artists in more than 200 parks. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/parks/art.