On Saturday May 31st Governors Island — a park created out of a vacant military base in New York Harbor — will open for its 2008 season with a weekend of festivities.
Beginning at noon on Saturday, the island will hold a festival for families, accompanied by openings of two art exhibits on the island. On the opening day, the island will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
One of the art exhibits, Emergence, will show in one of Governors Island’s historic buildings for nine weeks. Emergence will feature 30 artists presenting a range of work, including sculpture, photography and interactive multimedia. Symbolizing the island’s recent revitalization, “transformation” will be the underlying theme of the Emergence show.
Another exhibition, put on by the Sculptors Guild, will feature life-sized sculptures, and others made of metal, wood and ceramics in Governors Island’s Nolan Park.
Both the ferry ride and admission to Governors Island are free, and visitors are encouraged to bring bikes or rent them on the island. Ferries leave Manhattan from the Battery Maritime Building, on the corner of South and Whitehall Sts.
Each Friday during the season, the island will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays, from 10 p.m. to 7 p.m. The island will be open to the public until October 5th.
