Two Queens artists selected as 2021 Art in the Parks grant recipients for Flushing Meadows Corona Park – QNS.com

[ad_1]

The Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park and NYC Parks have announced that two Queens-based artists are the winners of its 2021 Art in the Parks grants for temporary art installations.

The artwork, “Going Back to The Meadows: A Tribute to LL Cool J and Performance at FMCP” by Sherwin Banfield and “The Giving Tree” by Haksul Lee, are on display at Flushing Meadows Corona Park and will be on display until November. 23, 2022.

“We are delighted to welcome these two great works of art from innovative local artists to our park,” said Janice Melnick, Executive Director of Alliance FMCP.

Now in its third year, the Art in the Parks grant is offering two $ 5,000 prizes to Queens artists whose winning installations are located in underserved sites within the park, with a focus on topics that recognize its power. cultural heritage and its environmental history.

Grants are provided annually by The Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the municipal park’s non-profit partner. Located in the most diverse community in the country, Flushing Meadows Corona Park serves approximately 10 million visitors per year.

Banfield’s 8-foot-tall cast bronze portrait bust, which is based on a polished stainless steel radio-like design, features an audio playlist that goes through solar-powered speakers.

The sculpture is located in the David Dinkins Circle, near the entrance to the boardwalk ramp to the park from the # 7 train entrance to Mets Willets Point.

Artist Sherwin Banfield is working on his sculpture of hip-hop artist and actor LL Cool J. (Photo courtesy of NYC Parks)

Banfield describes this work as “a sculptural sound performance work that evokes the feeling of Flushing Meadows Corona Park as an event space, channeled through the sonic frequency and artistry of Queens hip-hop legend LL Cool J “.

His most recent exhibits include sculptures for the Queens Central Library, Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia Airport, Socrates Sculpture Park, and the Factory LIC Gallery.

Lee’s artwork, “The Giving Tree,” is made from recycled materials collected locally. The top of the sculpture works like a wind turbine to generate electricity for a street light effect and to power outlets for park visitors to charge their phones.

The sculpture “The Giving Tree” is located on the lawn to the north of The Rocket Thrower.

Artist Haksul Lee with his sculpture, The Giving Tree (Photo courtesy NYC Parks Department)

Lee described his work as taking the shape of a tree, “to raise awareness of environmental concerns in the Queens community.”

Lee is a sculptor whose recent exhibitions include the Biennial of Immigrant Artists, a group exhibition at the Korean Embassy in Beijing, and the Phyllis Harriman Gallery.

[ad_2]