Socrates Sculpture Park facts for kids
 |
|
Entrance to Socrates Sculpture Park
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Established | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Location | 32-01 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, Queens, 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 New York City. It's a place where artists can create and show off their amazing sculptures and art projects. You can find it in Astoria, Queens, near the Noguchi Museum.
Besides showing art, the park also has cool programs. These include art classes, special chances for artists to work there, and even job training. It's a fun and creative spot for everyone!
Contents
Discovering Socrates Sculpture Park's History
Socrates Sculpture Park was built on an old landfill. A landfill is a place where trash used to be dumped. In 1986, a famous American sculptor named Mark di Suvero started this park. He turned the old, messy site into a beautiful art space.
The park is about 4 acres big. This makes it the largest outdoor area in New York City just for showing sculptures. Artists and young people from the local area helped clean up and transform the old landfill.
For many years, the park only had a temporary permit. But in 1998, it became a permanent city park. This happened after a company wanted to build apartments there. The city's mayor at the time, Rudolph Giuliani, made sure the park stayed open for art.
In 2005, the park received a large grant. This money helped support its art and community programs.
What You Can See and Do at the Park
At the main entrance of Socrates Sculpture Park, there's a huge billboard. It's about 10 feet tall and 28 feet wide. Artists create new designs for this billboard once or twice a year. These artworks welcome visitors and give a hint about the current art show.
The park offers many fun workshops and public events. Artists often lead tours of the exhibitions. There are also summer art projects for kids. You can enjoy free activities like yoga and capoeira on Saturdays. In the summer, there are outdoor movie nights on Wednesdays. A farmer's market also sets up shop every Saturday during the warmer months.
In 2019, the park announced plans to build permanent offices. These offices will be made from shipping containers. This will be the first permanent building at the park.
Artists Who Have Shown Their Work
Socrates Sculpture Park gives artists a chance to create art for a public space. Both new and well-known artists can show their sculptures here. In 2018, Virginia Overton was the first female artist to have her own show at the park.
Other artists who have displayed their work at the park include:
- 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)
Who Manages the Park?
The park is managed by an executive director. The current director is John Hatfield. He used to work at the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Past directors include Alyson Baker and Kathleen Gilrain.
The park also has a Board of Directors. These are people who help guide the park's mission and future. Mark di Suvero, the park's founder, is the chair emeritus of the board.
See also
- Landfill in the United States
