We’ve seen a ton of great public art on the streets of New York City this Summer, encouraging residents and visitors alike to look, unlock and play.
“Play Me, I’m Yours” is a piece by British artist Luke Jerram which was recently presented here in NY by non-profit arts group, Sing For Hope. 60 pianos throughout the city’s five boroughs, brought music to streets, parks and other public spaces. From June 21 to July 5, the pianos could be played by anyone who passed by in a festival of music open to all (day or night!). Upon conclusion of their public service, the pianos were donated to schools, hospitals, and community organizations.
From June 24 to September 3, a project by the Fashion Center Business Improvement District called “Sidewalk Catwalk” merges fashion and public art. Mannequins wearing one-of-a-kind creations by 30 of New York’s leading designers and two student design teams from Parsons and FIT can be seen all along Broadway from Herald Square to Times Square. Such noteworthy designers include Tommy Hilfiger, Betsey Johnson, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, and Isaac Mizrahi. The creations will be auctioned off at the end of the summer with proceeds going to Materials for the Arts, a non-profit that supplies creative groups and public schools with recycled arts materials.
So if you’re tiring of the beach this summer, take a look (or listen!) at what the City streets have to offer.
Enjoy!
-Alina
On April 27, New York State Governor David Paterson proposed a 40% cut in funding the 
Times Square: A River of Public Art
You can’t step into the same river twice, as the saying goes, and the same can be said for Times Square. Lights flicker, LCD screens flash, peanuts candy, tourists stop, look up, and cross the street. It has a rhythm all its own.
In the last few years we’ve seen the busy intersection respond to the perceived needs of City residents and tourists alike: once traffic-heavy avenues have been transformed into spaces for those who want to kick back, sit down, and surf the net (yes, there’s free wifi in Times Square). What we’ve also seen in this commerce-heavy district is an increasingly intimate relationship with Art. Public Art. From Paul Ramirez Jonas’ Key to the City to the Fashion Center’s Sidewalk Catwalk, The Times Square Alliance has seemingly placed Public Art at the top of their agenda.
Their latest offering? The Department of Transportation (DOT) commissioned “Cool Water, Hot Island,” by Brooklyn-based artist Molly Dilworth. The 50,000 square foot sidewalk painting on the asphalt winding through pedestrian plazas was created to invoke…what else? A river. Various shades of blue create a ripple effect that the DOT hopes will not only help to cool down the city streets–”the design’s color palette of striking blues and lighter hues reflects more sunlight and absorbs less heat,” they say–but also provide a sense of aesthetic balance, “a compelling counterpoint to the reds, oranges and yellows of the area’s signature marquees an billboards.”
“Cool Water, Hot Island” stretches from 42nd street to 47th street and is set to grace the square until the DOT begins construction of permanent pedestrian plazas by 2012. Check back in the coming days for more news about the (so far very successful) marriage between times square and public art.
Signing Off,
Alina and Jordana