Socrates Sculpture Park facts for kids
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Entrance to Socrates Sculpture Park in October 2008
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| Established | 1986 |
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| Location | 32-01 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, NY 11106 |
| Visitors | 89,000 (annual) |
| Public transit access | New York City Subway: Broadway   MTA Bus: Q104 |
Socrates Sculpture Park is a special outdoor museum and public park in Astoria, Queens, New York City. It's a place where artists can make and show off their amazing sculptures and art projects. The park is located near the Noguchi Museum, at the corner of Broadway and Vernon Boulevard. Besides showing art, the park also has art classes, programs for artists, and even job training.
Contents
Park History and What You Can See
Socrates Sculpture Park was created in 1986 by an American sculptor named Mark di Suvero. Before it became a park, this area was an old landfill and a place where people illegally dumped trash. The park is about 4 acres big, making it the largest outdoor space in New York City just for showing sculptures.
A team of artists and young people from the local area helped turn the old dump into the beautiful park you see today. For 14 years, the park only had a temporary status. But in 1998, the mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, made it a permanent city park. This happened after a company tried to build apartments and a boat dock on the land when the park's lease ran out.
In 2005, the park received a large grant of money. This grant was part of a $20 million donation from New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg to many arts and social service groups.
The Broadway Billboard
At the main entrance of Socrates Sculpture Park, there is a huge billboard. It is about 10 feet tall and 28 feet wide. This billboard has been a changing art display since 1999. The very first billboard was a mirror image of the street. It was made by artist Mathieu Borysevicz and built by a volunteer, Ross H. Radtke.
New artworks are put on the billboard once or twice a year. Artists use printmaking and photography to create an image. This image greets visitors as they come into the park. It also helps set the mood for the art show happening at that time. These billboards are usually connected to the park's spring art exhibitions.
Fun Activities and Programs
The park offers many workshops and public events for everyone. Artists often lead tours of the current art shows. There are also summer art projects for kids and various free public events. For example, you can join yoga and capoeira classes on Saturdays. There are also outdoor movie screenings on Wednesday evenings. These movies usually start in mid-July and finish in mid-August.
During the summer, GrowNYC also runs an Astoria Farmer's Market at the park every Saturday. It's a great place to find fresh food.
In January 2019, the park announced plans to build permanent offices for its staff. These offices are made from shipping containers. This was the first time the park built a permanent structure on its site.
Artists Who Have Shown Their Work
Socrates Sculpture Park gives both new and well-known artists a chance to create and display art. This art can be temporary or permanent. In 2018, Virginia Overton was the first female artist to have her own solo art show at the park.
Here are some other artists who have shown their work at Socrates Sculpture Park:
- Vito Acconci (1986)
- Maren Hassinger (1988, 2022)
- Merle Temkin (1991)
- Sanford Biggers (2001)
- Agnes Denes (2015)
- Virginia Overton (2018)
- Guadalupe Maravilla (2021)
- Mary Mattingly (2023)
Park Leadership
The person in charge of the park right now is John Hatfield. He used to be a leader at the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Other past leaders of the park include Alyson Baker (from 2000 to 2011) and Kathleen Gilrain (from 1995 to 2000).
Board of Directors
The park also has a Board of Directors. These are people who help guide the park and make important decisions.
- Mark di Suvero, who started the park, is the chair emeritus.
- Stuart Match Suna is the president.
- Robert F. Goldrich is the vice president.
- Ivana Mestrovic is the secretary and treasurer.
- Other members include Joel Shapiro, Maxine Frankel, Richard Gluckman, Hugh Hardy, Brooke Kamin Rapaport, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Deidrea Miller, Shaun Leonardo, Alison Saar, Kimberly Strong, and Martin Silver.
See also
- Landfill in the United States
