Public Art in New York City
Bright orange gates in Central Park, improbable waterfalls on the East River, Tom Otterness' mischievous bronze figures on the 14th Street A, C, E subway platform—these public art works are a reason to visit New York for some, and welcome flourishes to an everyday route to others. To either audience, public art can encourage new ideas, conversation and change the way a city is perceived.
Below are installations both temporary and permanent, and organizations that sponsor public art.
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ManhattanOngoing
Sculptor Mark di Suvero's 70-foot-high Joie de Vivre (Joy of Life) resides in Lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park. More -
Spencer Finch, The River That Flows Both Ways
ManhattanOngoing
The artist transforms a semi-enclosed loading dock's existing casement windows with 700 individually crafted panes of glass representing the water conditions on the Hudson River over a single day. More -
Valerie Hegarty, Autumn on the Hudson Valley with Branches
ManhattanOngoing
This artwork poses as an artifact of art history gone awry, resembling a Hudson River School landscape painting that has been left outdoors, exposed to the elements. More -
Manhattan
The landmark modern building's glass-enclosed lobby has been the location for numerous contemporary art exhibitions. Artists are invited to create works specifically for the lobby that are displayed for approximately three months and then purchased for the Lever House Art Collection. More -
ManhattanOngoing
The Pieces for Peace Mosaic stretches 213 feet (65 meters) and incorporates works of art submitted by youth from all over the globe. More -
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Manhattan
Since 1974, Creative Time has presented the most innovative art in the public realm. It has worked with over 2,000 artists to produce more than 335 groundbreaking public art projects that have ignited the public's imagination, explored ideas that shape society, and engaged millions of people around the globe. More -
Manhattan
Since 1977, this organization has presented more than 500 emerging and established artists’ projects throughout New York City. By bringing artworks outside the traditional context of museums and galleries, it provides a unique platform for an unparalleled public encounter with the art of our time. More
The High Line is a public park built on an historic railroad viaduct elevated above the streets on the West Side of Manhattan. 
Isamu Noguchi's sculpture was installed in Lower Manhattan in 1968. The diagonal lines of red painted steel stand in contrast to the stark horizontal and vertical lines of the adjacent Marine Midland Building.