16. “The New York Artists’ Memorial Garden” in Jackson Square Park
In an extension of NYC Park’s “Adopt a Bench” program, White Columns and the Art Production Fund present “The New York Artists’ Memorial Garden,” a collaborative project in which 34 artists were invited to dedicate the benches of Greenwich Village’s Jackson Square Park to a person or entity significant to them and their lives. The individual engravings that now adorn each bench make the park a place of public contemplation, giving honor to figures such as James Baldwin and Maya Deren, celebrating the contributions of past artists and acting as a physical commemoration of how they’ve inspired the next generation of artists.
“The New York Artists’ Memorial Garden” premiered on April 30, 2019 and is expected to be a long term installation at Jackson Square Park.