BY Amira Turner
Construction fencing is a common New York City eyesore. But for the many runners, bikers, families, and tourists passing through Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza, the fencing around the plaza’s monument is home to a new contemporary art exhibit.
The Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with Art for Change and the Prospect Park Alliance, has brought the public art exhibition Park of Dreams to the fencing surrounding the Grand Army Plaza Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch. The exhibit is a part of City Canvas, a city-wide initiative that started in September 2023. The City Canvas program uses New York’s abundant construction zones as sites for art. Since its launch, the program has installed over 100,000 feet of art on construction fencing across all five boroughs.
The Grand Army Plaza exhibit features 12 works from local, contemporary artists. Each piece highlights the benefits of spending time outdoors in parks. Art for Change founder Jeanne Masel said “curating and producing this project enables us to leverage our deep relationships with artists and, in turn, show our respect for a park that is both a vital aspect of the Brooklyn community and an important ecosystem in itself.”
For Brooklyn-based artist Na’Ye Perez, being featured in the exhibit makes his art accessible to his community, “Even though galleries are free, their hours of service typically run 11-6 pm, which is usually when most folks are at work, or in school, so they don’t really get to experience art often.” For Perez, his identity as a Black and Caribbean artist affected his involvement. “I want my art to be seen by my own community. So having those moments when it can be publicly viewed and enjoyed is important.”
Featured artist Amy Lincoln had previously sold her prints through Art for Change for charity. Park of Dreams gave her the opportunity to expose her work to more people. “Having my work on display in such a public place meant more people just happened to see it as they were walking by,” she said.
The exhibition was made possible through $25,000 in grants from Assemblymember Brian Cunningham, and Councilwoman Crystal Hudson, in addition to $8.9 million in mayoral funding to restore the monument.
The monument was created to commemorate Civil War Union troops by architect John H. Duncan and sculptor Frederick MacMonnies. Since its creation in 1892, the arch has become a US historical landmark as well as one of Brooklyn’s most iconic pieces of public art and the main entrance to Prospect Park. The arch has not undergone major restoration since 1990. Currently, it’s undergoing water-damage restoration as well as a roof replacement and new landscaping.
The Park of Dreams exhibition will be open to the public until construction is complete on the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, which is slated for spring of 2025.