Public Art

Little Amal, a 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee, has come to New York City to bring attention to the needs of migrants and refugees. After landing at JFK Airport with her big green suitcase on Wednesday, Amal began her 17-day tour across all five boroughs in which she will take part in 55 unique events, considered one of the largest public art festivals in the city's history.
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NYC is looking for volunteer artists to paint its garbage trucks

Image courtesy of James O’Connor/DSNY on Flickr

August 31, 2022

NYC is looking for volunteer artists to paint its garbage trucks

New York City's Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is looking for volunteer artists to paint murals on their garbage collection vehicles as part of "Trucks of Art," the department's new zero-waste challenge. Artwork that encourages New Yorkers to use litter baskets or that honors DSNY workers will have a higher chance of being selected. The department is accepting applications until September 18, and the trucks are expected to hit the road by October.
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Gerald Chukwuma, OGBUNIGWE. All images courtesy of Allison Joseph/USTA

August 25, 2022

The Armory Show unveils large-scale sculpture installation at the US Open

An art installation of large-scale outdoor sculptures opened this week outside of the US Open tennis tournament in Queens. Created in partnership between The Armory Show and the United States Tennis Association, Armory Off-Site at the US Open includes sculptures by contemporary artists from underrepresented backgrounds. The artworks will be on display outside of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center from August 23 through September 11, coinciding with the tournament and the Armory Show's art fair at the Javits Center.
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Colorful paintings by artist Wendy Red Star on display at 100 bus shelters across NYC

All images by Nicholas Knight, courtesy of the Public Art Fund, NY

August 23, 2022

Colorful paintings by artist Wendy Red Star on display at 100 bus shelters across NYC

Artist Wendy Red Star's first-ever public art exhibition was unveiled in New York City this month. Curated by the Public Art Fund, "Wendy Red Star: Travels Pretty" is based on 12 paintings by Red Star inspired by "parfleches," vibrantly painted rawhide bags created by certain nomadic tribes of the Great Plains. Used to store and transport food and other items, the handpainted containers were typically made by women and designed to compel "means of both self and tribal expression for those who created them," according to a press release. Reimagined on 100 bus shelters across New York City, Red Star's paintings celebrate parfleches and bring to light the history and importance of their use.
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Hudson Valley’s Storm King Art Center unveils $45M redesign

Rendering of the new South Meadow, to be reclaimed from a former parking lot. ©Storm King Art Center

August 8, 2022

Hudson Valley’s Storm King Art Center unveils $45M redesign

The Storm King Art Center in the Hudson Valley will undergo a $45 million revamp this fall to enhance the visitor experience and better serve its growing community, the 500-acre outdoor museum announced last week. As first reported by The Art Newspaper, the project includes a new welcome area, improved parking and accessibility, and a new facility to support grand-scale works. Construction will begin later this year and the redesign is expected to be completed in 2024.
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In Brooklyn, Fred Wilson’s first large-scale public sculpture examines concept of freedom

All images courtesy of Daniela G. Maldonado

July 7, 2022

In Brooklyn, Fred Wilson’s first large-scale public sculpture examines concept of freedom

Bronx-born conceptual artist Fred Wilson last week unveiled his first-ever large-scale public sculpture. Located within Columbus Park in Downtown Brooklyn, Mind Forged Manacles/Manacle Forged Minds features the use of ornamental gates, fences, and 10-foot-tall statues of African figures as metaphors for systematic racism and "acts in conversation" with the neighborhood's nearby landmarks and buildings. Presented by More Art, Wilson's sculpture is on display through June 2023.
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Meriem Bennani reveals first-ever public sculpture on the High Line

“Windy” by Meriem Bennani, co-commissioned by High Line Art and Audemars Piguet Contemporary. Image courtesy of the artist, High Line and Audemars Piguet

June 28, 2022

Meriem Bennani reveals first-ever public sculpture on the High Line

New York City-based artist Meriem Bennani last week debuted her first public sculpture, a captivating kinetic structure that kicked off the summer season of the High Lines Art's program. Windy, co-commissioned by High Line Art and Audemars Piguet Contemporary, is a 9-foot-tall spinning structure comprised of approximately 200 black foam discs that spin at different speeds and in unique sequences. Located on the High Line at 24th Street, Bennani's piece will stay on view to the public until May 2023.
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Manhattan Park’s annual Pop-Up Pool Party gets a new mural, inspired by an ocean wonderland

Photo by Max Touhey.

June 8, 2022

Manhattan Park’s annual Pop-Up Pool Party gets a new mural, inspired by an ocean wonderland

Roosevelt Island luxury rental community Manhattan Park has just unveiled the mural that will highlight its outdoor pool this summer. Now in its eighth year, the art transformation has graced the community's Pop-Up Pool Party each summer starting on Memorial Day. This year's mural, created by Syrian-Armenian artist Hratch Arbach, "reflects imaginary scenes inspired by the ocean wonderland.”
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Judge rules artists’ work won’t stop Manhattan jail demolition

Streetview of murals by Richard Haas at the Manhattan Detention Complex; © Google 2022

May 20, 2022

Judge rules artists’ work won’t stop Manhattan jail demolition

On Wednesday, a judge ruled against halting the demolition of the Manhattan Detention Complex at 124-125 White Street at a hearing in a lawsuit brought by two artists whose works at the site may be moved or destroyed, the New York Times reports. The plaintiffs had requested a preliminary injunction; Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York denied the request, citing a lack of proof that preserving the artworks outweighed the community value of a newly-constructed jail planned for the site. The artists–with support from Neighbors United Below Canal, a neighborhood group opposed to the new Chinatown jail–had invoked the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 as grounds for the lawsuit.
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New public art exhibit in Brooklyn Bridge Park explores ‘hybrid identities’ created by diaspora

Kiyan Williams, “Ruins of Empire,” 2022. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Nicholas Knight, Courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY Kiyan Williams, “Ruins of Empire” was commissioned by Public Art Fund and presented as part of Black Atlantic at Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York City, May 17–November 27, 2022

May 17, 2022

New public art exhibit in Brooklyn Bridge Park explores ‘hybrid identities’ created by diaspora

Spread across three piers at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Black Atlantic is a new outdoor art exhibition inspired by the diaspora across the Atlantic Ocean and which proposes "an open, multifaceted, and heterogeneous idea" of Black identity in the United States today. Co-curated by artist Hugh Hayden and Public Art Fund Adjunct Curator Daniel S. Palmer, Black Atlantic features work from Hayden, and artists Leilah Babirye, Dozie Kanu, Tau Lewis, and Kiyan Williams. The exhibition is on view through November 27.
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These giant sculptures in the Garment District ‘wave hello’ to New Yorkers

New Yorkers will be greeted with outstretched arms the next time they walk through Midtown. Located on Broadway between 38th and 41st Streets, Here is a public art exhibition featuring 14 oversized sculptures with their hands raised high above their heads. Created by artist Santi Flores, Here is meant to represent unity, diversity, and individuality, and is dedicated to all New Yorkers. The installation is the latest public art exhibition to be sponsored by the Garment District Alliance and is free and open to the public until August 29.
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9 sculptures of the world’s most endangered animals unveiled in Greenwich Village

All photos courtesy of Cayla Spatz

April 4, 2022

9 sculptures of the world’s most endangered animals unveiled in Greenwich Village

A public art installation consisting of sculptures representing nine of the world's most endangered animals was unveiled on Friday. Created by husband-and-wife art duo Gillie and Marc, the six-foot-tall sculptures are located within Greenwich Village's Ruth Wittenberg Triangle. Each sculpture is accompanied by a QR code which spectators can scan to learn more about each of the animals as well as donate to the World Wildlife Fund, Gillie and Marc's charity partner. The exhibit will be on display until July 31 when its next location is announced.
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New mural in the East Village honors history of Ukraine

All photos courtesy of Mike Krautter

March 28, 2022

New mural in the East Village honors history of Ukraine

A new public art installation was unveiled in the East Village this weekend that aims to show solidarity with Ukraine and its people. Created by New York-based Ukrainian artist Misha Tyutyunik, "Ukraine: A History in Solidarity" depicts a famous monument inspired by the story behind the naming of Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv. A gift from Citizens Bank, the artwork was designed with help from Kyiv residents during Tyutyunik’s time in Ukraine in 2019 and painted on Saturday with help from the public.
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New art installation is a tranquil sanctuary in the heart of Times Square

Rendering of Raúl Cordero’s Public Art Project, The Poem. Courtesy of the artist and Times Square Arts.

March 22, 2022

New art installation is a tranquil sanctuary in the heart of Times Square

Take a moment to escape the hustle and bustle of the city at this new public art installation opening in Times Square. Next month, Times Square Arts will debut Raúl Cordero's The Poem, a large-scale sculptural tower with illuminated text in its interior and cascading foliage on its exterior, reminiscent of a temple sanctuary. Guests step into the artwork and look up through 20 feet of cascading mountain laurel foliage only to see the night sky and the lines of a haiku fixed to the walls. The Poem is on view from April 8 through May 4.
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Fernando Botero’s 8-foot ‘Sphinx’ sculpture has landed in the Meatpacking District

Photos courtesy of David Benrimon Fine Art

March 11, 2022

Fernando Botero’s 8-foot ‘Sphinx’ sculpture has landed in the Meatpacking District

Concurrent with an exhibition of celebrated Colombian artist Fernando Botero's work at David Benrimon Fine Art, Botero’s iconic "Sphinx" will be holding court in the Meatpacking District’s 14th Street Square until April 19. The exhibition and sculpture also mark the 90th birthday of Colombia’s most successful living artist. Botero's familiar style interprets mythological and everyday subjects with exaggerated, voluptuous proportions and flat, bright colors. The latest Meatpacking addition features the iconic creature with a human head, a lion's body and a falcon's wings in classic zaftig Botero style; there's no indication that it will be offering riddles.
International flair for a downtown square

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New art exhibit lets you walk through a glowing tunnel in the Garment District

Image courtesy of Alexandre Ayer / @DiversityPics for the Garment District Alliance

January 11, 2022

New art exhibit lets you walk through a glowing tunnel in the Garment District

A small section of Broadway in the Garment District has been transformed into a glowing tunnel. The Garment District Alliance today revealed Passage, an art installation consisting of 20 illuminated circles that form a tunnel for pedestrians to walk through. The art piece is interactive, with each ring radiating light and emitting sound as participants pass by them. Located on Broadway between 39th and 40th Streets, the free immersive art experience will be open to the public until February 13.
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‘Fearless Girl’ statue faces possible eviction as permit expires

Image via Anthony Quintano’s Flickr

December 2, 2021

‘Fearless Girl’ statue faces possible eviction as permit expires

In 2018, 6sqft reported that artist Kristen Visbal's "Fearless Girl" statue was on the move to her current spot across from the New York Stock Exchange. Now, the diminutive statue is in the news once again, as her time there may be drawing to a close. The statue's permit with the Landmarks Preservation Commission expired on November 29, and with a city hearing scheduled for December (or even later), the fate of "Fearless Girl" is not a sure thing.
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The faces of 1,200 New Yorkers now greet visitors outside of the Port Authority bus terminal

All photos: Alexandre Ayer / @DiversityPics for the Garment District Alliance.

October 15, 2021

The faces of 1,200 New Yorkers now greet visitors outside of the Port Authority bus terminal

The Port Authority bus terminal in Midtown may not be one of New York City's most beautiful places, but the world’s busiest terminal recently got a beauty boost in the form of a 40-foot-high, 600-foot-wide gallery wall that features the diverse and fabulous faces of over 1,200 New Yorkers. The Garment District Alliance (GDA) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) have collaborated to bring the giant photo gallery, "Inside Out: NY Together," part of an international initiative by world-renowned artist JR, to the Manhattan bus gateway.
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March 17, 2021

‘Arrivals + Departures’ is a new public memorial in Brooklyn that honors birth, life, and death

Outside the main entrance to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, there's a new public art installation that "offers a meditation on birth, life, and death through the simple, yet powerful act of naming." Created by UK-based social practice artists YARA+DAVINA, the memorial called "Arrivals + Departures" takes the shape of a traditional train station arrivals and departures board, listing the names of those who have been born (“arrived”) or passed (“departed”).
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Artist BKFoxx debuts new Year of the Ox mural in Chinatown

Photo by @just_a_spectator

February 17, 2021

Artist BKFoxx debuts new Year of the Ox mural in Chinatown

Public artist BKFoxx recently debuted her new mural in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Located at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Middle School 131 on Eldridge and Hester Streets, the piece representing the Year of the Ox is titled "Onward." The artist tells us that she was inspired by what the Ox represents--honesty, hard work, stubbornness. "No better time than now for that theme, moving forward into 2021 and learning to be resilient," she says.
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Walk through a kaleidoscope of rotating, glimmering prisms in the Garment District

Photos by Alexandre Ayer / @diversitypics for the Garment District Alliance

January 15, 2021

Walk through a kaleidoscope of rotating, glimmering prisms in the Garment District

The Garment District Alliance has unveiled a new public art exhibit in the Broadway plaza between 39th and 40th Streets. Called Prismatica, it's made up of 25, six-foot-tall pivoting prisms that reflect the colors of the rainbow and turn the street a "glimmering winter kaleidoscope." The piece was created by RAW Design in collaboration with ATOMIC3 and is on view through January 30th.
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January 5, 2021

Tom Fruin’s famous colorful glass house sculptures arrive in Meatpacking District

American sculptor Tom Fruin has brought his famous "Icon" series to Gansevoort Plaza in the Meatpacking District. The installation, which is a welcome dose of color in the cold winter months, consists of one large "house" and seven smaller "satellite homes," all made in the artist's signature stained glass-esque design. During the day, the sun shines through the glass, casting colorful refelections, and at night, the pieces project multi-colored LED lights onto the cobblestone plaza.
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Items at this pop-up grocery store in Times Square are made entirely of single-use plastic

Photograph by Maria Baranova-Suzuki courtesy of Times Square Arts.

February 20, 2020

Items at this pop-up grocery store in Times Square are made entirely of single-use plastic

With the new ban on single-use plastic bags hitting New York on March 1, a conversation has been started–and in some cases, continued–about the effects of our consumption on future generations. As important and complex as the topic may be, award-winning Brooklyn-based artist, puppet designer, and director Robin Frohardt has found a way to shine a creative light on consumption, conveniences, and the impact of single-use plastics. Located in Times Square, "The Plastic Bag Store" is an immersive, site-specific public art installation and three-act puppet show, on view from March 18 to April 12 at 20 Times Square.
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K-pop boy band BTS brings Antony Gormley’s ‘New York Clearing’ to Brooklyn Bridge Park

Antony Gormley, “NEW YORK CLEARING,” 2020; Approximately 18km (11mi) of 25.4mm (1in) square section aluminum and steel spigots. Installation view, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 3, New York City, 2020. Photograph by Christopher Burke. © the artist

February 5, 2020

K-pop boy band BTS brings Antony Gormley’s ‘New York Clearing’ to Brooklyn Bridge Park