Public Art

I am a massive fan of the arts and believe we should all support artists. Art visually changes our perspective on the world, and there should be more of it. If you pay attention, art is all over our urban landscape, from statues to mosaics to parks and plazas, and even in the subways, train stations, and NYCHA (New York Public Housing) campuses.

On May 22nd, from 630-8, Open House New York, with funding from Bloomberg Connects, is putting on an event to hear Sandra Bloodworth, Director of Metropolitan Transportation Authority Arts & Design, Larissa W. Trinder, Assistant Vice President for Arts in Medicine at New York City Health + Hospitals, and Alex Zablocki, Executive Director for the Public Housing Community Fund, about curating, commissioning, and caring for the city’s largest municipal art collections. Much of the art inside NYCHA buildings and parks needs repair. All the ticket sales will go directly to the Public Housing Community Fund for restoring these pieces of art and programs.

Art can be a tool for social change. Thanks to a $3m grant from the Mellon Foundation to the Public Housing Community Fund, five NYCHA residents will be the first artists in residence in this program. Each artist will be given a stipend and work with residents to create art and a deep sense of community.

“Thanks to the generous support from the Mellon Foundation, this initiative will foster a dynamic platform where art and community intersect and thrive,” said Alex Zablocki, Executive Director of the Public Housing Community Fund. “This is a clarion call to all artists passionate about making a difference in our communities—your creativity has the power to inspire and uplift. I encourage every interested artist to apply and join us in shaping a legacy of cultural enrichment that echoes throughout our public housing and beyond.” 

The Fund has also partnered with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exposing NYCHA 10th and 11th graders to a career in art. We had several young people through this 40-hour internship program, getting a $1100 stipend! We are hoping to build on this.

I love what the Fund is building, and bringing art to NYCHA residents has an essential impact on all NY residents.