Japanese clothing company UNIQLO's logo.

Photo credit: ジェイ。Sō at Flickr Creative Commons.

Japanese clothing company UNIQLO gave a $200,000 grant to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation for the purpose of installing original artworks by local artists into NYC Parks over the course of 2017 and 2018. NYC solicited the generous grant as part of their mission to increase cultural content and appeal of previously invisible small parks. Two parks in each of five NYC boroughs have been chosen, one artist per park.

The ten recipients for this year have been chosen by a panel of artists and community members. Attention was paid to the suitable of each installation for the particular park in which it was proposed.

In Manhattan, Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong’s Constellation will be a blend of sculpture and seating area, a visually-striking shape that will make the park look like more than just a wide place in the sidewalk. Nearby, LINOUQ, a tile mosaic in brilliant crimsons and golds by artist Capucine Bourcart will define the space of Thomas Jefferson Park.

In Brooklyn, Blythe Cain will build an organic circle of mortared rock walls titled Circadia in Fort Greene Park, again offering park-goers an iconic place to relax. In Herbert Von King Park, Musa Hixson’s graceful leaf-shaped Conversation Sculpture also invites one to sit, perfectly suited for couples or friends to socialize.

In the Bronx, the huge brightly patterned birds by Patricia Cazorla and Nancy Saleme (Flying High for Equality) and the landscape sculpted into a dry riverbed, complete with stranded boats, by Lovie Pignata (Daylighting) will define Joyce Kilmer Park and Virgina Park, respectively.

Queens will be illuminated by Mobile Print Power, the emoticon-flashing signposts by Sam Holleran and Patrick Row in Flushing Meadow Corona Park. Just as vivid will be the game-table like artwork of Common Ground by Risa Puno in Rufus King Park.

And finally, on Staten Island, Tappen Park will be dominated by Fitzhugh Karol’s huge steel sculpture Vio, while late-evening joggers in Faber Park will take advantage of the warm glowing butterflies that are Lina Montoya’s Mariposas Lamps.