331 bags of leaves! 40 Volunteers

On Sunday December 4, 2016 volunteer members of the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance, New York Road Runners and the Central Park Conservancy filled 331 large garbage bags with leaves. The Central Park Conservancy is a very generous partner of the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance sharing with us best practices for maintaining the park. Besides sharing their expertise they also provided all of the tools required for this project, hot chocolate and snacks.

To become a volunteer member of the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance click  here

We believe in celebrating and preserving the creative culture that Harlem is famous for. In 2016 the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance sponsored in part or in full 27 public art installations with the funds going directly to the artists and institutions that reflect the community.

The musical heritage of Harlem is undeniable and this past year we expanded programming in the amphitheater to include the main stage concert of the Latin Jazz Festival featuring Tito Puente Jr.

We also believe that keeping children reading throughout the summer months when school is out will help them come fall. The Summer of 2016 was the third year of the Reading Circle program which brought out authors, librarians, community volunteers and of course Sammy and Tudie to read to an average of 75 children each week in July and August.

With help from our community partners, Urban Innovations we were able to give away 7,500 books to children through the Little Free Libraries.

Books are free for Kids in Marcus Garvey Park.

We would be honored if you chose to give a donation to the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance on Giving Tuesday. Large or small we would be grateful.

Click here to donate

Public Art Initiative 2016

Artist Lady K Fever and Marcus Garvey Park Alliance President Connie Lee doing a final walk through of the installation  All Along The Watchtower a day before the opening reception.

The Public Art Initiative is an ongoing program created by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance to support artists and cultural organizations who would like to exhibit in public spaces in neighborhoods throughout Harlem and Northern Manhattan. In 2016 the Public Art Initiative contributed funding to 27 public art installations in East and Central Harlem with funding provided in part by the Harlem Community Development Corporation. The sites included 5 NYC parks, Marcus Garvey Park, Harlem Art Park, Morningside Park, St. Nicholas Park, Jackie Robinson Park, and 3 meridians along Lenox Avenue and 2 meridians on East 106th Street also known as East Harlem’s Cultural Corridor.

inHarlem, Simone Leigh. August 25, 2016 to July 25, 2017. Presented by The Studio Museum in Harlem, NYC Parks and the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance.                                                                  Marcus Garvey Park

inHarlem, Kevin Beasley.  August 25,2016 to July 25, 2017. Presented by the Studio Museum In Harlem in partnership with NYC Parks and the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance    Morningside Park

inHarlem, Kori Newkirk, August 25, 2016 to July 25, 2017. Presented by the Studio Museum in Harlem in partnership with NYC Parks and the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance.                                 St. Nicholas Park

inHarlem, Rudy Shepherd. August 25, 2016 to July 25, 2017. Presented by The Studio Museum in Harlem in partnership with NYC Parks and the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance.                Jackie Robinson Park

Hummingbird, Jorge Luis Rodriguez, 1987 Presented by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance in partnership with the artist and the Department of Transportation’s Art Program.                  On View June 9, 2016 to May 9, 2017                                                                                                     Lenox Avenue at 119th Street

Birdhouse,  Jorge Luis Rodriguez, 1987 Presented by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance, the artist and the Department of Transportation’s Art Program.                                                               On view June 9, 2016 to May 9, 2017                                                                                                                East 106th Street at Lexington Avenue

Fish Spine, Jorge Luis Rodriguez, 1987  Presented by the Marcus Garvey Alliance in partnership with the artist and the Department of Transportation’s Art Program.                      On view June 9,2016 to May 9, 2017                                                                                                                     Lenox Avenue at 123rd Street

Palenque, Jorge Luis Rodriguez, 1987 Presented by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance in partnership with the artist and the Department of Transportation’s Art Program. On view June 9, 2016 to May 9, 2017 East 106th Street at Third Avenue

Liturgy for Lenox Lounge, Michael Kelley Williams 2016. Presented by Flux Art Fair in Partnership with the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance and the Department of Transportation’s Art Program. On view May 3, 2016 to April 3, 2017 The artist is pictured with artist Jorge Luis Rodriguez. Lenox Avenue at 124th Street

Iris, Naomi Lawrence, May 3, 2016 to April 3, 2017 Presented by Flux Art Fair in Partnership with the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance and NYC Parks

Focus, Jose Soto, 2016 Presented by Flux Art Fair in partnership with the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance and NYC Parks. Special thanks to Friends of Art Park Alliance.                                       On view May 3, 2016 to November 1, 2016                                                                                          Harlem Art Park East 120th Street between Lexington Avenue and Third Avenue.

Images: Public Art Initiative 2016 Art Installations

A few photos of  installations from earlier this year. All installations pictured were funded in part by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance as part of the Public Art Initiative with funding  provided by the Harlem Community Development Corporation.

DNA Totem, Suprina, 2016, March 26, 2016 to September 30, 2016.  Presented by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance in partnership with the artist and NYC Parks.  The Marcus Garvey Park Alliance received funding from Tahl Propp Equities which was donated to the artist for this installation.

DNA Totem Close Up

All Along The Watchtower, Lady K Fever, August 1, 2016 to August 30, 2016. Presented by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance in partnership with the artist and NYC Parks.

Outdoor/Indoor, Tiffany Smith, May 3, 2016 to August 1, 2016 Presented by Flux Art Fair in Partnership with the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance and NYC Parks.

Golem, Jordan Baker Caldwell, May3, 2013 to September 15, 2016. Presented by Flux Art Fair in partnership with the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance and NYC Parks. Golem is currently on view at Harlem Hospital.

DNA Totem, Suprina,  2016

On view March 26, 2016 – September 30, 2016

The DNA Totem a public sculpture by the artist Suprina

Join the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance and Harlem based artist Suprina at the site of the DNA Totem in Marcus Garvey Park for a final view of the DNA Totem before it moves to the Rye Art Center. Sunday September 25, 2016 5 to 7 pm. Special Guest performance, Improvisational Theater,  Jeremiah Drake and Company.

DNA Totem Close Up

The DNA Totem Sunrise

Sunday September 25, 2016 5 to 7 pm.  Enter the Park at Fifth Avenue and 120th Street. The DNA Totem is at the stop of the stairs just West of the park entrance.

The Marcus Garvey Park Alliance Public Art Initiative is pleased to announce the installation of All Along the Watchtower an interactive public art installation created by artist Lady K Fever. All Along the Watchtower will be on view from August 1 through August 31, 2016. The installation begins at the top of the staircase on the Madison Avenue side of Marcus Garvey Park leading up to the Acropolis, continues along the construction fence that surrounds the site of Harlem’s historic fire watchtower and back down the walkway on the west side of Mount Morris. Please join the artist and the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance for a walk through the installation on Saturday August 6, 2016. Meet us at Heath Gallery located at 24 West 120th Street at 7:45 pm.

All Along the Watchtower coincides with the group exhibition, Inside Out, curated by Lady K Fever and co-presented by Heath Gallery and the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance Public Art Initiative with Musa Jackson Productions. The exhibition will include additional works by the artist. An artist’s reception will be held at Heath Gallery, 24 West 120 Street, just across the street from Marcus Garvey Park on August 6, 2016 from 7 pm – 10 pm

All Along The Watchtower is an interactive public art installation up on the Acropolis in Marcus Garvey Park. The installation is made almost entirely of light reflective materials so use the flash on your camera or phone to illuminate the art work. Everyone is invited!

All Along the Watchtower is sponsored by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance Public Art Initiative with funding provided in part by the Harlem Community Development Corporation .

Earlier this month the public art initiative installed 4 sculptures by artist Jorge Luis Rodriguez on the streets of Harlem as part of the New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program.

Lenox Avenue and 119th Street, Jorge Luis Rodriguez,  Hummingbird, 1987

Hummingbird was inspired by the Symbiotic relationship between Fauna and Flora, captured in this swift, frozen moment that depicts the bird’s constant hovering while it extracts sustenance from nature in a movement so rapid that it appears motionless.

Lenox Avenue & 123rd Street, Jorge Luis Rodriguez, Fish Spine, 1987

Fish Spine was inspired by the artists childhood memories of fishing in the Caribbean sea. The recollection of fishing adventures in the Caribbean sea with his brother is captured in this simple elongated spine: assembling nets, preparing bait, casting, celebrating the catch and the final act of consumption that left behind only a vestige of the delectable sea creature.

East 106th Street & Lexington Avenue, Jorge Luis Rodriguez, Birdhouse, 1986

Birdhouse was inspired by Pablo Neruda’s poem “Las aves maltratadas,” (“The Brutalized Birds”) and also references the conduct of birds that assemble en masse in public places. They perch, nest and produce their offspring in an array of environments. Their survival is affected by the behavior of mankind, as well as the forces of nature.

East 106th Street & Third Avenue, Jorge Luis Rodriguez, Palenque, 1987

Palenque was inspired by the artists frequent travels through Mexico and Mayan architectural devices used to record the passing of celestial events. The interplay of openings in the “roof comb” of buildings, such as those observed in the town of Palenque, allowed for the recording of light and shadow that provide essential markers utilized in daily life activities such as the planting of crops and the understanding of patterns of astronomical phenomena.

The Public Art Initiative is an ongoing program created by the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance to encourage artists and curators to propose temporary public art works to be installed in parks and open spaces throughout Harlem. Funding for the public art initiative was provided in part by the Harlem Community Development Corporation.