Socrates Sculpture Park In New York

Photos by Earl Douglas

Long Island City has quietly transformed itself into a safe haven for street and muti-media artists and sculptors. We previously profiled 5 Pointz, the long time home for aerosol art and graffiti artists and we love  the equally stimulating Socrates Sculpture Park just as much.

The park was originally a former riverside landfill and later an illegal dumpsite, until sculptor Mark di Suvero led a coalition of artists and community members into transforming the space into an exhibition space in 1986. It operated under temporary park status for several years until then-Mayor Rudy Guiliani – facing stiff opposition to a proposal to a plan that would’ve erect luxury apartments and a marina on the site – granted the park permanent city park status. In 2005, Mayor Bloomberg spearheaded an effect to grant the park part of a $20 million dollar grant from the Carnegie Corporation.

Socrates Sculpture Park also offers arts education and artist residency programs, job training, live music and theater performances and screenings – all with a killer view of the east side of Manhattan as a backdrop.

Wind down your summer – and support the arts community at the same time – by checking out Socrates Sculpture Park.

Go to www.socratessculpturepark.org to find out more directions and additional information.