A new large-scale sculpture exhibition opens in Harlem this week, with eight featured locations to host the sculpture installations, bringing public art to residents uptown in a welcome change. It’s the first large-scale sculpture exhibition in the neighborhood. “We don’t have a lot of galleries in Harlem,” said Savona Bailey-McClain, executive director and chief curator for the West Harlem Art Fund. “But what we do have is a lot of park spaces.”
Bailey-McClain explained that while art is frequently confined to lavish spaces like museums and galleries, the Harlem Sculpture Gardens seeks to disrupt that practice by making art publicly accessible.
Several historic parks will be utilized for the exhibition, running from Morningside Park to Jackie Robinson Park. Visitors are encouraged to stop by every venue, including Harriet Tubman Triangle, Frederick Douglass Circle, and the City College of New York Campus.
“[Public art] gives the opportunity for those who don’t always feel welcome in institutions, the possibility to see, to engage, and to experience,” said Dianne Smith, a multidisciplinary artist presenting her work in the exhibition.
Smith’s piece,“Echoes of the Path,” incorporates small aluminum wire sculptures for a commentary contrasting the urban and natural environment.
The metal, she said, mimics the shape of trees in nature, while the aluminum signifies the urban environment through its concrete composition. It’ll be featured at St. Nicholas Park.
She identified her geographical and cultural background as major artistic influences.
“I’m a child of the diaspora, so my work responds and connects to the cultural landscape of Harlem,” she said.
For Bailey-McClain, capturing the cultural diversity of New York City is a goal of the exhibition, as illustrated by the roster of artists and the variety of art on display.
“We have several artists, Latino artists. We have two Asian artists,” she said, offering examples. “We also incorporated abstract works that deal with contemporary art in New York City.”
The exhibition further aims to increase traffic and visibility to the venues. Michael Gormley, executive director of the New York Artists Equity Association, noted that these spaces are often underutilized, reinforcing the importance of accessibility.
Tyreese Nacho photos
“If you’re going to make art accessible to everyone, you take it to their communities,” said Gormley.
The Harlem Sculpture Gardens is a year-long project headed by the West Harlem Art Fund and New York Artists Equity Association in collaboration with the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, local community boards, and other neighborhood groups.”
The exhibition is a reform of an existing artistic vision by Bailey-McClain, a veteran within the public arts sphere. Years ago, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation approached her to carry out a project presenting sculptures in all four historic parks in Harlem. Years later, they approached her again for another iteration. This time, she wanted to create something on a bigger scale.
“We made sure that different organizations and artists in all five boroughs were aware of what we were doing,” she said. “We’re trying to create a new scene in Harlem that’s contemporary that can be seen as more relevant with young people, and so we reached out to various groups.” After initiating an open call for proposals and receiving fewer submissions than expected, she accepted all of them.
Now, as the project comes to fruition, Bailey-McClain is optimistic about the impact it will have on the community.
“I had a resident across the street come over and shake my hand. She was so happy. She felt like the art was making her day,” she said. “So we want people to see that what’s normally downtown, or maybe in downtown Brooklyn, can happen uptown. We can have sculptures on a large scale in Harlem, and people would respect it, and they would welcome it, and they can understand. And they can ask questions.”
The Harlem Sculpture Gardens will run from May 2, 2024, through October 30, 2024.
For more information, visit https://harlemsculpturegardens.com/