14. George Washington in Union Square Gets a Companion

Photo by Daniel Avila/NYC Parks

The George Washington statue in Union Square is considered the first ever statue on New York City parkland, according to NYC Parks. From now until October 30th, the work “Washington 20/20/20” by Kenseth Armsted will serve as a companion to the statue. The form of the sculpture is inspired by the colorful frescoes of the homes in Tiebele, Burkina Faso, the royal court of the Kaseena people. The name of the art installation “references the 20% of the colonial population that were enslaved Africans; the 20,000 slaves in New York State in 1776 when Washington retreated from New York City; and the 20% of Washington’s continental army that was African at Yorktown, Virginia, where he was finally able to defeat the British in 1781,” according to an NYC Parks press release.