From giant pigeons to giant pumpkins, the artworks debuting in New York City this month are monumental. Find a rare moment to meditate in Times Square, see colorful floral arrangements high above the city’s skyscrapers, get an up-close view of Michaelangelo’s most famous masterpiece, and more!
1. The Path: A Meditation of Lines, Times Square
Photo Courtesy of Times Square Alliance
Artist Shantell Martin uses her distinctive line drawings to blaze a path for pedestrians through one of the city’s busiest intersections. Times Square’s Broadway Plaza has transformed into a 160-foot-long maze of looping paths, stick figures, gazing eyes, and words of affirmation. Martin’s very first walking path, this trail invites passersby to slow down. Guided meditations, performances, and conversations will accompany this visual installation which is on view through November 20th, 2024.
2. Dinosaur, High Line
Rendering Courtesy of Iván Argote
A giant pigeon will soon be keeping watch over 10th Avenue. Iván Argote’s sculpture Dinosaur lands on the High Line this October as the next High Line Plinth commission. Perched atop the intersection of 10th Ave and 30th Street, Dinosaur is a colossal, hyper-realistic sculpture of a pigeon, cast in aluminum and hand-painted. “The name Dinosaur makes reference to the sculpture’s scale and to the pigeon’s ancestors who millions of years ago dominated the globe, as we humans do today,” said Argote in a press release. “The name also serves as a reference to the dinosaur’s extinction. Like them, one day we won’t be around anymore, but perhaps a remnant of humanity will live on—as pigeons do—in the dark corners and gaps of future worlds. I feel this sculpture could generate an uncanny feeling of attraction, seduction, and fear among the inhabitants of New York.” Dinosaur will be in view through Spring 2026.
3. Fixed Crane, Madison Square Park
Nicole Eisenman working on Fixed Crane (2024) at UAP Pictured with Jake Joyce, General Manager at UAP Photo by Chris Roque Courtesy Madison Square Park Conservancy and UAP
Visitors looking to rest in Madison Square Park this fall will find an unusual place to sit on the Oval Lawn. On October 24th, artist Nicole Eisenman will unveil a monumental new art installation, that doubles as a bench. The artwork is made of a decommissioned 1969 Link-Belt industrial crane turned on its side and covered in hand-made sculptures. The counterweight of this 90-foot-long piece of equipment is where you can find a seat. Intertwined with the crane’s structure are sculptures like a flag-waving figure at the apex, a bronze Birkenstock–wearing foot caught under the crane’s treads, and bandages appended to the crane that appear to “heal” the obsolete apparatus. A solitary illuminated figure sits in the cab like a ghostly operator. Public programs, including an artist talk with Eisenman and a dance performance choreographed by Ryan McNamara, will run in conjunction with the installation. Fixed Crane will be on view from October 24, 2024, through March 9, 2025.
4. Fleurs de Villes Artiste and Witchery at the Edge, Hudson Yards
Photo Courtesy of Fleurs de Villes
Florals have always been a staple of fashion, but not quite like this. For the fifth year, bespoke floral show company Fleur de Villes brings two show-stopping floral shows to Hudson Yards. In Artiste, located on Level 1 of The Shops & Restaurants, visitors can admire the floral clothing of 10-foot-tall mannequins that will transport you to the ballet, the opera, and beyond. This show is free and open to the public for self-guided tours from October 4th through October 13th. You can also join workshops and demonstrations led by local florists on Level 2 between Rhone and Stance. See the schedule of events here.
In WITCHERY at Edge, visitors will experience a spellbinding Halloween floral display featuring floor-to-ceiling installations on New York City’s highest sky deck. Floral-clad mannequins here are inspired by witches from pop culture, like Elphaba from the hit Broadway show Wicked. Access to this display is included with all Edge tickets from October 4th through October 31st.
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5. UKR|RUS, The Ukrainian Museum
UKR|RUS Image Caption & Credit Information Installation view of UKR|RUS at The Ukrainian Museum. Courtesy of the artist. Photograph by Alex McTigueUKR|RUS Image Caption & Credit Information Installation view of UKR|RUS at The Ukrainian Museum. Courtesy of the artist. Photograph by Alex McTigue
The First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, was in New York City this September to attend the opening of UKR|RUS, a multi-site sculptural installation by artist and activist Molly Gochman at the Ukrainian Museum. Made out of reclaimed wood, rubble, and other ground materials like marble, the sculpture is a fragmented bench in the shape of the Ukraine-Russia border. The border appears as it is defined by Ukraine and recognized by international law. Looking at the pieces closely, you can see bits of metal pipes, mesh, and wires. These materials are in disarray, representing scars of conflict, but they are also building materials, and therefore simultaneously suggest the possibility of reconstruction and healing.
On October 5th, the entirety of East 6th Street in front of The Ukrainian Museum will be filled with activities focused on building community and forging connections through art, music, and activism. Participants can write letters to Ukrainian soldiers, hear a children’s choir perform, learn about block printing, and more. You can also be part of two activations that include recreating a human chain inspired by Ukraine’s “Chain of Unity” (at 3 PM) and contributing to a communal knot-tying performance. UKR|RUS will be in view through January 19, 2025, alongside the Alexandra Exter: The Stage Is a World and Volia: Ukrainian Modernism exhibitions at the museum.
6. Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition®, Industry City
Photo Courtesy of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition®
You don’t have to go to Vatican City to see Michaelangelo’s ceiling frescoes at the Sistine Chapel. In fact, you’ll get a better view of them in Brooklyn. From October 10th, 2024 through January 5th, New Yorkers can see these masterpieces up close in a new immersive experience. Using images from Bridgeman Images, the world’s leading source of fine art imagery, visitors can see every brushstroke in amazing detail while admiring the 34 paintings at your own pace. Learn more and book tickets here.
7. Art in Odd Places Festival, 14th Street
CONEHEADS: Miao Jiaxin
The 19th annual Art in Odd Places festival will take over 14th Street on October 18 through 20th! Curated by artists Patricia Miranda and Christopher Kaczmarek, this year’s theme is “Care.” Seventy-seven artists from New York and across the globe were invited to participate. As the name implies, this isn’t a typical art festival. Art will appear in unexpected places and in unexpected ways. You might see a shopping cart transformed into a mobile art installation, or a giant ball of waste being pushed through the streets. See a full schedule of events here.
8. Pumpkin Arch, South Street Seaport
Photo by Robyn Roth-Moise
Your favorite fall photo op is back at the South Street Seaport‘s Heineken Riverdeck (the North side of Pier 17). This annual photo installation perfectly frames the Brooklyn Bridge for a cozy fall shot with an iconic background. Stop by and grab your photo by November 3rd.
9. I Wish To Say, Multiple Locations
Courtesy of the artist
Do you have something to say to the next president? From October 6th through 8th, artist Sheryl Oring will type your note. Dressed as a 1960s secretary and equipped with a manual typewriter, Oring will set up shop in various locations throughout Manhattan and take dictation from New Yorkers who have a message to share. Oring began taking messages from citizens across the country twenty years ago. She started her most recent tour over the summer in Philadelphia. You’ll find Oring in New York at the following stops:
Sunday, Oct. 6, 11:30 am to 3 pm, McNally Jackson Seaport, 4 Fulton Street (between Water & South Street)
Monday, Oct. 7, 8-10 am, Seward Park Library Plaza, at East Broadway and Jefferson Street (weather permitting)
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 8-10 am, Seward Park Library Plaza, at East Broadway and Jefferson Street (weather permitting)
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 12 – 1:30 pm, Spring Street Park, at Sixth Avenue and Spring Streets (weather permitting)
10. When Lightning Strikes, The Invisible Dog Art Center
Argenis Apolinario/Courtesy of The Invisible Dog Art Center.
Oil painter Gabe Benzur’s first solo exhibition is currently on view inside a historic three-story factory building in Brooklyn. Now The Invisible Dog Art Center, the factory was originally constructed in 1863 and formerly served as a belt factory that famously produced the Walt Disney invisible dog party trick. Exposed wood floors, ceiling beams, and brick walls maintain the 30,000-square-foot facility’s industrial vibe, while crisp white walls display 16 paintings by Benzur. The painter’s work transports viewers into vibrant and surreal landscapes inspired by Etruscan mythology. Don’t wait to visit! The exhibit is free and open to the public. There will be a closing reception event on the evening of October 13th.
11. To the Moon, and Back, Hudson Square
Photo Courtesy of Hudson Square Business Improvement District (BID)
This colorful mural on the side of 350 Hudson Street represents the first project completed under NASA’s new public art initiative. Designed and painted by Brooklyn-based conceptual artists GERALUZ & WERC, the mural is meant to inspire younger generations to envision themselves as space explorers. You can see this piece on the north side of Charlton Street between Hudson and Varick.
