“Rainbow Mural” by Amanda Long and Tommy Hartung at Greenhouse Playground at Forest Park (Photo: Courtesy of the Artists)
June 4, 2018 By Tara Law
Colorful contemporary works of art are transforming Queens Parks into open air galleries for a limited time.
NYC Parks is currently in the process of installing three pieces of art in Queens Parks. Two works of art have already been put in place at Lewis H. Latimer House and in Forest Park, and a third will be put in place in MacDonald Park this month.
“EL DORADO – The New Forty-Niners,” by Cecile Chong (Photo: Courtesy of the Artist) is at Lewis H. Latimer House
The installations are being made through the Art in the Parks initiative, a 50-year-old contemporary art program. NYC Parks has collaborated with 1,300 artists to install more than 2,000 works of art in public spaces.
Artists Amanda Long and Tommy Hartung’s work “Rainbow Mural” is on display at Greenhouse Playground in Forest Park until May 20, 2019.
The mural, which Parks calls a “pixelated rainbow pattern,” is painted onto 800 feet of retaining wall by the playground and skate park on Woodhaven Boulevard by the carousel. Part of the mural was made with chalkboard paint, where children can doodle with chalk.
The artwork is located off the Woodhaven Boulevard entrance to Forest Park.
A work by artist Ceclie Chong, “EL DORADO – The New Forty-Niners,” is on display at Lewis H. Latimer House at 34-41 137th St in Flushing until Oct. 14.
The exhibition is made up of 100 metallic and brightly-colored sculptures modeled after swaddled babies, called “guagas,” that the artist saw while living in Ecuador. Of the babies, 49 were painted god to represent the 49 percent of New Yorkers who speak a language other than English at home.
Finally, Yvonne Shortt and Mayuko Fujino’s sculpture “Functional Bodies” will be on display at MacDonald Park in Forest Hills from June 9 until June 8, 2019.
The sculpture consists of a girl and a dog who have body parts designed for gardening. The sculpture also includes flowers made by members of the community. The artists’ goal in creating the project is to inspire more people to volunteer in their park, according to NYC Parks.
“Functional Bodies” Yvonne Shortt and Mayuko Fujino will be on display at MacDonald Park (Rendering: Courtesy of the Artists)
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