Photos: Here's What 50 Years Of Public Art In NYC Looks Like

Robert Indiana, Love, 1971, Doris D. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC Park. Now part of the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s permanent collection, Robert Indiana installed his famous sculpture at the entrance of Central Park in 1971. Though there are now over 40 versions of this sculpture on view around the world, this was the original.<br/>

Robert Indiana, Love, 1971, Doris D. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC Park. Now part of the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s permanent collection, Robert Indiana installed his famous sculpture at the entrance of Central Park in 1971. Though there are now over 40 versions of this sculpture on view around the world, this was the original.<br/>

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Robert Indiana, Love, 1971, Doris D. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC Park. Now part of the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s permanent collection, Robert Indiana installed his famous sculpture at the entrance of Central Park in 1971. Though there are now over 40 versions of this sculpture on view around the world, this was the original.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Tony Rosenthal, The Alamo, Astor Place, 1967.<br/>

Tony Rosenthal, The Alamo, Astor Place, 1967.<br/>

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Tony Rosenthal, The Alamo, Astor Place, 1967.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Keith Haring Crack is Wack Mural, 1986, Manhattan, Muna Tseng Dance Projects Inc. New York, Photo by Tseng Kwong Chi.<br/>

Keith Haring Crack is Wack Mural, 1986, Manhattan, Muna Tseng Dance Projects Inc. New York, Photo by Tseng Kwong Chi.<br/>

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Keith Haring Crack is Wack Mural, 1986, Manhattan, Muna Tseng Dance Projects Inc. New York, Photo by Tseng Kwong Chi.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Alejandro Diaz, A Can for All Seasons, 2005, Grand Concourse, Bronx, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, photo by Tom Powell Imaging. Inspired by the practice in rural households of growing plants in empty grocery-store cans, Diaz created four sculptural reproductions of brand-name canned goods, each representing a different type of food that is indigenous to Mexico: corn, chilies, chocolate, and tomatoes.<br/>

Alejandro Diaz, A Can for All Seasons, 2005, Grand Concourse, Bronx, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, photo by Tom Powell Imaging. Inspired by the practice in rural households of growing plants in empty grocery-store cans, Diaz created four sculptural reproductions of brand-name canned goods, each representing a different type of food that is indigenous to Mexico: corn, chilies, chocolate, and tomatoes.<br/>

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Alejandro Diaz, A Can for All Seasons, 2005, Grand Concourse, Bronx, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, photo by Tom Powell Imaging. Inspired by the practice in rural households of growing plants in empty grocery-store cans, Diaz created four sculptural reproductions of brand-name canned goods, each representing a different type of food that is indigenous to Mexico: corn, chilies, chocolate, and tomatoes.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Cameron Gainer, Nessie, 2007, Marine Park, Brooklyn, NYC Parks. Cameron Gainer staged a replica of the mythic serpent in the salt marsh off of Marine Park. On the morning of April 19, 1934, British gynecologist Robert Kenneth Wilson supposedly shot a photograph of the Loch Ness Monster. The image quickly became the most iconic and recognized photo of the elusive serpent. It was not until 1994 that it was revealed as a hoax.<br/>

Cameron Gainer, Nessie, 2007, Marine Park, Brooklyn, NYC Parks. Cameron Gainer staged a replica of the mythic serpent in the salt marsh off of Marine Park. On the morning of April 19, 1934, British gynecologist Robert Kenneth Wilson supposedly shot a photograph of the Loch Ness Monster. The image quickly became the most iconic and recognized photo of the elusive serpent. It was not until 1994 that it was revealed as a hoax.<br/>

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Cameron Gainer, Nessie, 2007, Marine Park, Brooklyn, NYC Parks. Cameron Gainer staged a replica of the mythic serpent in the salt marsh off of Marine Park. On the morning of April 19, 1934, British gynecologist Robert Kenneth Wilson supposedly shot a photograph of the Loch Ness Monster. The image quickly became the most iconic and recognized photo of the elusive serpent. It was not until 1994 that it was revealed as a hoax.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Karin Giusti, The White House Green House, 1997, Battery Park, Manhattan. Photo courtesy of Karin Guisti.<br/>

Karin Giusti, The White House Green House, 1997, Battery Park, Manhattan. Photo courtesy of Karin Guisti.<br/>

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Karin Giusti, The White House Green House, 1997, Battery Park, Manhattan. Photo courtesy of Karin Guisti.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Nancy Hwang, S-Project: Urban Oasis, 2002, Lt. Petrosino Park, Manhattan, Photo by Eileen Costa, courtesy of Nancy Hwang. Nancy Hwang adapted intimate and often private activities to a public context. For S-Project, she washed hair in an ad-hoc salon she established for one month in this downtown park. The project explored the meaning of human exchanges and civic responsibility, and broke down barriers between individuals blurring distinctions between the personal and professional.<br/>

Nancy Hwang, S-Project: Urban Oasis, 2002, Lt. Petrosino Park, Manhattan, Photo by Eileen Costa, courtesy of Nancy Hwang. Nancy Hwang adapted intimate and often private activities to a public context. For S-Project, she washed hair in an ad-hoc salon she established for one month in this downtown park. The project explored the meaning of human exchanges and civic responsibility, and broke down barriers between individuals blurring distinctions between the personal and professional.<br/>

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Nancy Hwang, S-Project: Urban Oasis, 2002, Lt. Petrosino Park, Manhattan, Photo by Eileen Costa, courtesy of Nancy Hwang. Nancy Hwang adapted intimate and often private activities to a public context. For S-Project, she washed hair in an ad-hoc salon she established for one month in this downtown park. The project explored the meaning of human exchanges and civic responsibility, and broke down barriers between individuals blurring distinctions between the personal and professional.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Commissioner Thomas Hoving at Art Happening, 1966, Central Park.<br/>

Commissioner Thomas Hoving at Art Happening, 1966, Central Park.<br/>

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Commissioner Thomas Hoving at Art Happening, 1966, Central Park.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Maren Hassinger, Pink Trash, 1982, Art Across the Park, Central Park, Manhattan, courtesy Horace Brockington. In 1982 and 1984, Art Across the Park commissioned site-specific works by young and emerging artists for parks across the city including Central Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Prospect Park, and Orchard Beach. Hassinger picked up trash in parks and painted it baby pink. Returning to the sites dressed in pink, she placed the scraps back where she found them. Hassinger restaged her performance in Prospect Park in 2017 as part of the Brooklyn Museum’s We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women 1965–85.

Maren Hassinger, Pink Trash, 1982, Art Across the Park, Central Park, Manhattan, courtesy Horace Brockington. In 1982 and 1984, Art Across the Park commissioned site-specific works by young and emerging artists for parks across the city including Central Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Prospect Park, and Orchard Beach. Hassinger picked up trash in parks and painted it baby pink. Returning to the sites dressed in pink, she placed the scraps back where she found them. Hassinger restaged her performance in Prospect Park in 2017 as part of the Brooklyn Museum’s We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women 1965–85.

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Maren Hassinger, Pink Trash, 1982, Art Across the Park, Central Park, Manhattan, courtesy Horace Brockington. In 1982 and 1984, Art Across the Park commissioned site-specific works by young and emerging artists for parks across the city including Central Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Prospect Park, and Orchard Beach. Hassinger picked up trash in parks and painted it baby pink. Returning to the sites dressed in pink, she placed the scraps back where she found them. Hassinger restaged her performance in Prospect Park in 2017 as part of the Brooklyn Museum’s We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women 1965–85.

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Christy Rupp, Food Chain Piece, 1978, City Hall Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive. Christy Rupp’s Food Chain Piece (1978) consisted of translucent bear-shaped wire mesh sculptures laced with nuts to feed the squirrels of City Hall Park, merging prey and predator in an “animal behavioral sculpture.”<br/>

Christy Rupp, Food Chain Piece, 1978, City Hall Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive. Christy Rupp’s Food Chain Piece (1978) consisted of translucent bear-shaped wire mesh sculptures laced with nuts to feed the squirrels of City Hall Park, merging prey and predator in an “animal behavioral sculpture.”<br/>

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Christy Rupp, Food Chain Piece, 1978, City Hall Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive. Christy Rupp’s Food Chain Piece (1978) consisted of translucent bear-shaped wire mesh sculptures laced with nuts to feed the squirrels of City Hall Park, merging prey and predator in an “animal behavioral sculpture.”<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Francis Hines, Washington Square Arch Wrap, 1980, Washington Square Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive. In 1980 Francis Hines bound the iconic Washington Square Arch in strips of fabric, described as a giant bandage for a wounded monument. Sponsored by NYC, the installation was used to raise funds to restore the monument and park.<br/>

Francis Hines, Washington Square Arch Wrap, 1980, Washington Square Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive. In 1980 Francis Hines bound the iconic Washington Square Arch in strips of fabric, described as a giant bandage for a wounded monument. Sponsored by NYC, the installation was used to raise funds to restore the monument and park.<br/>

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Francis Hines, Washington Square Arch Wrap, 1980, Washington Square Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive. In 1980 Francis Hines bound the iconic Washington Square Arch in strips of fabric, described as a giant bandage for a wounded monument. Sponsored by NYC, the installation was used to raise funds to restore the monument and park.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

David Hammons, Higher Goals, 1986, Cadman Plaza Park, Brooklyn, photo by Pinkney Herbert and Jennifer Secor, courtesy of Public Art Fund. For Higher Goals, Hammons covered five telephone poles mounted with a basketball backboard and net with bottlecaps. Hammons stated, “It takes five to play on a team, but there are thousands who want to play—not everyone will make it, but even if they don’t at least they tried.”<br/>

David Hammons, Higher Goals, 1986, Cadman Plaza Park, Brooklyn, photo by Pinkney Herbert and Jennifer Secor, courtesy of Public Art Fund. For Higher Goals, Hammons covered five telephone poles mounted with a basketball backboard and net with bottlecaps. Hammons stated, “It takes five to play on a team, but there are thousands who want to play—not everyone will make it, but even if they don’t at least they tried.”<br/>

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David Hammons, Higher Goals, 1986, Cadman Plaza Park, Brooklyn, photo by Pinkney Herbert and Jennifer Secor, courtesy of Public Art Fund. For Higher Goals, Hammons covered five telephone poles mounted with a basketball backboard and net with bottlecaps. Hammons stated, “It takes five to play on a team, but there are thousands who want to play—not everyone will make it, but even if they don’t at least they tried.”<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

William Fulbrecht, Bill of Rights: Access to Government, 1990, Foley Square, Manhattan, Photo by Tim Karr, A Project of the Public Art Fund. Fulbrecht’s Bill of Rights project coincided with the 200th anniversary of the passage of the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution. He cast colored concrete markers inscribed with text referring to the amendments and Supreme Court interpretations over time, making a powerful statement about the foundation and fragility of our liberties.<br/>

William Fulbrecht, Bill of Rights: Access to Government, 1990, Foley Square, Manhattan, Photo by Tim Karr, A Project of the Public Art Fund. Fulbrecht’s Bill of Rights project coincided with the 200th anniversary of the passage of the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution. He cast colored concrete markers inscribed with text referring to the amendments and Supreme Court interpretations over time, making a powerful statement about the foundation and fragility of our liberties.<br/>

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William Fulbrecht, Bill of Rights: Access to Government, 1990, Foley Square, Manhattan, Photo by Tim Karr, A Project of the Public Art Fund. Fulbrecht’s Bill of Rights project coincided with the 200th anniversary of the passage of the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution. He cast colored concrete markers inscribed with text referring to the amendments and Supreme Court interpretations over time, making a powerful statement about the foundation and fragility of our liberties.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Gran Fury, Petrosino Park Installation (Do Nothing and Stall with men), 1990, Petrosino Square, Manhattan, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. An artists' collective devoted to AIDS activism, Gran Fury was born out of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). This team of artists used the commercial language of posters, billboards, ads, and flyers in predominantly public spaces to pressure society and public figures to address the AIDS epidemic.<br/>

Gran Fury, Petrosino Park Installation (Do Nothing and Stall with men), 1990, Petrosino Square, Manhattan, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. An artists' collective devoted to AIDS activism, Gran Fury was born out of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). This team of artists used the commercial language of posters, billboards, ads, and flyers in predominantly public spaces to pressure society and public figures to address the AIDS epidemic.<br/>

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Gran Fury, Petrosino Park Installation (Do Nothing and Stall with men), 1990, Petrosino Square, Manhattan, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. An artists' collective devoted to AIDS activism, Gran Fury was born out of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). This team of artists used the commercial language of posters, billboards, ads, and flyers in predominantly public spaces to pressure society and public figures to address the AIDS epidemic.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Fernando Botero, The Left Hand, 1993, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, Photo by John Maggioto<br/>

Fernando Botero, The Left Hand, 1993, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, Photo by John Maggioto<br/>

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Fernando Botero, The Left Hand, 1993, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, Photo by John Maggioto<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Melinda Hunt, Circle of Hope, 1994, Madison Square Park, Manhattan, Courtesy of Melinda Hunt. Melinda Hunt planted a small fenced-in cornfield called Circle of Hope (1994) in then-unrenovated Madison Square Park to commemorate the anonymous dead of the potter’s field that once occupied the site.<br/>

Melinda Hunt, Circle of Hope, 1994, Madison Square Park, Manhattan, Courtesy of Melinda Hunt. Melinda Hunt planted a small fenced-in cornfield called Circle of Hope (1994) in then-unrenovated Madison Square Park to commemorate the anonymous dead of the potter’s field that once occupied the site.<br/>

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Melinda Hunt, Circle of Hope, 1994, Madison Square Park, Manhattan, Courtesy of Melinda Hunt. Melinda Hunt planted a small fenced-in cornfield called Circle of Hope (1994) in then-unrenovated Madison Square Park to commemorate the anonymous dead of the potter’s field that once occupied the site.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Christo & Jean Claude, The Gates, 2005, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks<br/>

Christo & Jean Claude, The Gates, 2005, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks<br/>

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Christo & Jean Claude, The Gates, 2005, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Christo & Jean Claude, The Gates, 2005, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks<br/>

Christo & Jean Claude, The Gates, 2005, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks<br/>

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Christo & Jean Claude, The Gates, 2005, Central Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Tony Smith, 1967, Bryant Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive. In 1967 the City of New York initiated a bold experiment to place contemporary art in its public parks. In January an exhibition at Bryant Park of Tony Smith’s minimalist geometric sculptures, which he called “presences”, inaugurated this endeavor.<br/>

Tony Smith, 1967, Bryant Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive. In 1967 the City of New York initiated a bold experiment to place contemporary art in its public parks. In January an exhibition at Bryant Park of Tony Smith’s minimalist geometric sculptures, which he called “presences”, inaugurated this endeavor.<br/>

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Tony Smith, 1967, Bryant Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive. In 1967 the City of New York initiated a bold experiment to place contemporary art in its public parks. In January an exhibition at Bryant Park of Tony Smith’s minimalist geometric sculptures, which he called “presences”, inaugurated this endeavor.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Alexandre Arrechea, NO LIMITS, 2013, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, NYC Parks.<br/>

Alexandre Arrechea, NO LIMITS, 2013, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, NYC Parks.<br/>

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Alexandre Arrechea, NO LIMITS, 2013, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, NYC Parks.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

MoMA PS1 VW DOME 2, 2013, Rockaway Beach, Queens, NYC Parks.<br/>

MoMA PS1 VW DOME 2, 2013, Rockaway Beach, Queens, NYC Parks.<br/>

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MoMA PS1 VW DOME 2, 2013, Rockaway Beach, Queens, NYC Parks.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Slo Architecture (Amanda Schachter and Alexander Levi), Harvest Dome 2.0, 2013, Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan, Courtesy of Andreas Symietz<br/>

Slo Architecture (Amanda Schachter and Alexander Levi), Harvest Dome 2.0, 2013, Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan, Courtesy of Andreas Symietz<br/>

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Slo Architecture (Amanda Schachter and Alexander Levi), Harvest Dome 2.0, 2013, Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan, Courtesy of Andreas Symietz<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Alice Aycock, Maelstrom, 2014, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, Photograph by Scott Lynch<br/>

Alice Aycock, Maelstrom, 2014, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, Photograph by Scott Lynch<br/>

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Alice Aycock, Maelstrom, 2014, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, Photograph by Scott Lynch<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

KAWS, New York Made: Stanton Street Courts, 2016, Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Manhattan, Photo courtesy of Nike<br/>

KAWS, New York Made: Stanton Street Courts, 2016, Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Manhattan, Photo courtesy of Nike<br/>

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KAWS, New York Made: Stanton Street Courts, 2016, Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Manhattan, Photo courtesy of Nike<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Deb Kass, OY/YO, 2017, North 5th Street Pier and Park, Brooklyn, NYC Parks<br/>

Deb Kass, OY/YO, 2017, North 5th Street Pier and Park, Brooklyn, NYC Parks<br/>

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Deb Kass, OY/YO, 2017, North 5th Street Pier and Park, Brooklyn, NYC Parks<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Risa Puno, Common Ground, 2017, Rufus King Park, Queens, Photography by Justin Hoch<br/>

Risa Puno, Common Ground, 2017, Rufus King Park, Queens, Photography by Justin Hoch<br/>

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Risa Puno, Common Ground, 2017, Rufus King Park, Queens, Photography by Justin Hoch<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Fitzhugh Karol, Eyes, 2017, Tappen Park, Staten Island, Courtesy of the Artist<br/>

Fitzhugh Karol, Eyes, 2017, Tappen Park, Staten Island, Courtesy of the Artist<br/>

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Fitzhugh Karol, Eyes, 2017, Tappen Park, Staten Island, Courtesy of the Artist<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Dale Chihuly, Rose Crystal Tower, 2017, Union Square Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks<b/r>

Dale Chihuly, Rose Crystal Tower, 2017, Union Square Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks<b/r>

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Dale Chihuly, Rose Crystal Tower, 2017, Union Square Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks<b/r>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Ai Weiwei, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, 2017, Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, Project by the Public Art Fund, NYC Parks<br/>

Ai Weiwei, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, 2017, Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, Project by the Public Art Fund, NYC Parks<br/>

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Ai Weiwei, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors, 2017, Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, Project by the Public Art Fund, NYC Parks<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

William Accorsi, AOOGA, Union Square Park, 1967, NYC Parks Photo Archive. William Accorsi’s playful sculptures at Union Square’s “Check-A-Child” Playground were the first temporary public artworks installed in Union Square, and came 111 years after Henry Kirk Brown’s George Washington monument arrived in the park (the first permanent public artwork on city parkland).<br/>

William Accorsi, AOOGA, Union Square Park, 1967, NYC Parks Photo Archive. William Accorsi’s playful sculptures at Union Square’s “Check-A-Child” Playground were the first temporary public artworks installed in Union Square, and came 111 years after Henry Kirk Brown’s George Washington monument arrived in the park (the first permanent public artwork on city parkland).<br/>

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William Accorsi, AOOGA, Union Square Park, 1967, NYC Parks Photo Archive. William Accorsi’s playful sculptures at Union Square’s “Check-A-Child” Playground were the first temporary public artworks installed in Union Square, and came 111 years after Henry Kirk Brown’s George Washington monument arrived in the park (the first permanent public artwork on city parkland).<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

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Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Sculpture in Environment Opening, 1967, Bryant Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive<br/>

Sculpture in Environment Opening, 1967, Bryant Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive<br/>

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Sculpture in Environment Opening, 1967, Bryant Park, Manhattan, NYC Parks Photo Archive<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Spring Festival Happening, 1968, Prospect Park Brooklyn, NYC Parks Photo Archive<br/>

Spring Festival Happening, 1968, Prospect Park Brooklyn, NYC Parks Photo Archive<br/>

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Spring Festival Happening, 1968, Prospect Park Brooklyn, NYC Parks Photo Archive<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, Machines and Nanas, 1968, Conservatory Garden, Central Park, Manhattan, Katrina Thomas/NYC Parks Photo Archive<br/>

Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, Machines and Nanas, 1968, Conservatory Garden, Central Park, Manhattan, Katrina Thomas/NYC Parks Photo Archive<br/>

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Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, Machines and Nanas, 1968, Conservatory Garden, Central Park, Manhattan, Katrina Thomas/NYC Parks Photo Archive<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Mark Di Suvero, For Lady Day, 1975, Battery Park, Manhattan, Photo Courtsey of Mark Di Suvero and Spacetime<br/>

Mark Di Suvero, For Lady Day, 1975, Battery Park, Manhattan, Photo Courtsey of Mark Di Suvero and Spacetime<br/>

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Mark Di Suvero, For Lady Day, 1975, Battery Park, Manhattan, Photo Courtsey of Mark Di Suvero and Spacetime<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Keith Haring, Self Portrait, 1997, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, Photo by Frederick Charles<br/>

Keith Haring, Self Portrait, 1997, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, Photo by Frederick Charles<br/>

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Keith Haring, Self Portrait, 1997, Park Avenue Malls, Manhattan, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, Photo by Frederick Charles<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Andrea Zittel, Point of Interest, 1999, Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, Manhattan, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, Photo by Marian Harders<br/>

Andrea Zittel, Point of Interest, 1999, Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, Manhattan, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, Photo by Marian Harders<br/>

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Andrea Zittel, Point of Interest, 1999, Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, Manhattan, Courtesy of the Public Art Fund, Photo by Marian Harders<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive

Victor Matthews, Beyond Metamorphosis, 2004, Battery Park, Manhattan, A project sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, NYC Parks. Matthews installed nearly 3,000 umbrellas, each individually hand-painted with a rendering of a Monarch butterfly. “The piece explores themes of transformation, migration and regeneration,” says Matthews. “Butterflies make an obvious spiritual gesture that’s often overlooked: of a life that never ends and a spirit that never dies,” said Matthews.<br/>

Victor Matthews, Beyond Metamorphosis, 2004, Battery Park, Manhattan, A project sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, NYC Parks. Matthews installed nearly 3,000 umbrellas, each individually hand-painted with a rendering of a Monarch butterfly. “The piece explores themes of transformation, migration and regeneration,” says Matthews. “Butterflies make an obvious spiritual gesture that’s often overlooked: of a life that never ends and a spirit that never dies,” said Matthews.<br/>

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Victor Matthews, Beyond Metamorphosis, 2004, Battery Park, Manhattan, A project sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, NYC Parks. Matthews installed nearly 3,000 umbrellas, each individually hand-painted with a rendering of a Monarch butterfly. “The piece explores themes of transformation, migration and regeneration,” says Matthews. “Butterflies make an obvious spiritual gesture that’s often overlooked: of a life that never ends and a spirit that never dies,” said Matthews.<br/>

Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Photo Archive