With the threat of potential shutdowns in the air, many places in New York City may end up closing temporarily after Christmas. One thing that will always remain open is outdoor art.
We’ve rounded up a few art installations that you can pay a visit while bundled up this winter, plus an annual holiday art exhibition that is going online this year.
The 38th Annual Wreath Interpretations Exhibition — Virtual
Each year, Central Park’s Arsenal Gallery hosts their annual Wreath Interpretations Exhibition. Though the actual gallery is closed this year, all of the wreaths have been posted online for the world to enjoy. Made from not-so-traditional materials such as coconut husks, paintbrushes, newspapers and more, the wreathes address topics like COVID-19 and creative reuse and recycling while others look to bring light into people’s lives. The display will be online through Jan. 4, 2021.
Medusa With the Head of Perseus — Manhattan
“Medusa With the Head of Perseus” was first unveiled in Manhattan inside Collect Pond Park in October this year. Presented by MWTH Project, the bronze statue stands facing the New York County Criminal Courthouse on Centre Street and makes you wonder if perhaps Perseus was the villain after all. “Medusa With the Head of Perseus” will be on display through April 18, 2021.
Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine (Mildred Beltre and Oasa DuVerney), Inspired By “What Is Left” — Brooklyn
In Prospect Park’s Bandshell you’ll find the “Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine” exhibition. Inspired by the 1993 Lucille Clifton (1936-2010) poem, “won’t you celebrate with me” the words in the piece remind passersby of the daily struggle for survival that Black women endure and of the work for racial equality that still remains to be done. The display will be online through May 2, 2021.
Monuments Now — Queens
Walk among the latest displays that have arrived at Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens. Introduced over the course of the summer and fall of 2020, each part of “Monuments Now” aims to address the role of monuments in society as well as commemorate the underrepresented narratives throughout diasporic, Indigenous, and queer histories. “Monuments Now” will be on display through March 21, 2021.
Field’s Jax Thicket — Bronx
Created by Brooklyn-based sculptor Fitzhugh Karol, “Field Jax Thicket” sits comfortably on the lawn of the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum in the Bronx after moving throughout the city. Made of steel recycled from a previous single large sculpture, the display has four huge sculptures that are cool to look at and can also spice up your social media feed. “Field Jax Thicket” will be on display until Sept. 1, 2021.
Points of Action — Manhattan
Hosted by the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership BID, “Points of Action” consists of three structures created by Nina Cooke. Located at the Flatiron Public Plazas on Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street, the installation encourages New Yorkers to contemplate the experience of seeing one another at a distance and moving forward together during the COVID-19 pandemic and allows more socially distant art consumption. The display will be in the Flatiron Plazas until Jan. 1, 2021.
Fractured Spectrum — Bronx
Located in the Bronx’s Franz Sigel Park, “Fractured Spectrum” captures motion with colors in an abstract pattern. New Yorkers can enjoy the mural’s abundance of energy and develop an appreciation of color. The mural was painted by Publicolor, a youth development program that fights poverty by addressing the alarming dropout rate and low levels of educational attainment and youth employment in New York City. “Fractured Spectrum” will be on display until Nov. 8, 2021.
Light of Freedom — Manhattan
Created by Abigail DeVille, “Light of Freedom” is tucked away in Madison Square Park. The sculpture, which is made of a timeworn bell, a herald of freedom, and mannequin arms being held up by a golden scaffold, reflects on the despair and the exultation of a turbulent period of pandemic and protest. The statue will be on display until Jan. 31, 2021.
