September art weekends on Governors Island

Governors Island has an annual Art Fair every weekend in September.  I wanted to go check it out.  I love getting on the ferry and taking it on the short ride across the water to the island.  A sprawling green island filled with old buildings that have been used for the armed forces to a next generation of artists.  Lots of history out there.

There are a few things to keep in mind if you take the trip for the art fair.  Nothing is well marked.  Even when it is marked it is not done well.  Get a map.  We missed a few things that I would have liked to see.  It is great for young kids.  There are some fun creative playgrounds.  There are food trucks but you could bring a picnic.  You can bring your bikes over there but there are also rentals if you are so inclined.  We rented a vehicle to peddle around the place.  It was a good move.

The food areas appears to be in two specific zones.  We stopped in the first one and got some lunch from Little Eva’s.  Bratwurst and a Cuban Sandwich.  Pretty good.

Then we drove around and found this other area.  A bit more intimate.  Love the picnic tables.

We were driving around and around.  Saw many of the sculpture installations.

There are more than a few areas that have buildings installed with art.  This one was photos from New Orleans done by Mary Ellen Mark.

We knew there had to be another area.  Ended up it was right where we began.  We walked into the each house where there were installations downstairs and upstairs from about 5 -7 artists.  Here is one of a squawking duck.

Each kitchen had an installation and here is one.  You can see how incredible run down there houses are from the photo.

This was a video in a staircase of someone jumping up and down in the sand with the wave at their feet.

Another outdoor sculpture of what I am not sure.

A bunch of pieces of people on the subway.

A stick sculpture inside a living room.

All and all it is a fun thing to do in good weather.  You get out of the city, the views are beautiful from the island, people are enjoying the outdoors.  The art is mixed but a little bit of signage would go along way.