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Public Art Fund

Extraordinary Art. Every Day. Since 1977.

06/02/2026

NOW ON VIEW: "Genesis Belanger: Heads or Tails" transforms City Hall Park into a stage of oversized birds, three potted fruit trees waiting to be planted among their living counterparts, and two figures inspired by Lady Justice. On view through November 15, Belanger’s first public art exhibition invites us to look closer at the spaces and symbols we move through every day. ⚖️

In "Distressed Assets," a flock of concrete birds perches within the City Hall Park Fountain, cast in pigments that echo the fountain’s stone. The birds pluck pennies from the water, marking the U.S. Mint’s retirement of the one-cent coin earlier this year. Inspired by the park’s proximity to Wall Street and the decommissioning of the penny, Belanger’s work reminds us that the cost of making a wish has risen.

Curated by Public Art Fund Senior Curator Melanie Kress, the exhibition is free and open to all. The exhibition can be explored anytime, anywhere, on the free Bloomberg Connects app.

Join us today at 6:00pm for the opening celebration in City Hall Park. Genesis will be in attendance and will share remarks about the exhibition!

See first comment for specific photo credit
Genesis Belanger
Courtesy of the artist, Pace Gallery and Perrotin.
All Photos: Nicholas Knight, courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY.
Presented by Public Art Fund as a part of Genesis Belanger: Heads or Tails at City Hall Park, New York City, June 2, 2026 – November 15, 2026.

05/31/2026

| A new chapter begins! Congratulations to Elaine and the Class of 2026! As you step into what comes next, we’re thinking about the way Elmgreen & Dragset’s “The Hive” in Moynihan Train Hall transforms a place of transit into a place of possibility.

Wherever your path leads, may it be shaped by curiosity, community, and the courage to keep exploring. 🎓

05/25/2026

Destination: somewhere unexpected! Let the public art at re-route your attention before your flight does. Safe travels! ✈️

05/23/2026

On display through May 31! Don't miss your chance to view "San Juan Heal,"
Nina Chanel Abney's monumental work of art on the façade of David Geffen Hall.

Abney's work pays homage to the historic neighborhood of San Juan Hill, featuring a constellation of figures, words, shapes, and symbols that reflect the thriving community that lived there. Reclaiming this important history in her bold and vibrant style, Abney aims to spark curiosity and inspire a more inclusive future.

→ Learn more: https://bit.ly/4aQOemq

This section of the work features homages to Benny Carter, James P. Johnson, Elizabeth Tyler, and more.

Commissioned by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in collaboration with The Studio Museum in Harlem and Public Art Fund.

05/21/2026

Join us in celebrating “Genesis Belanger: Heads or Tails,” opening on June 2 at 6:00pm in City Hall Park! 🐦‍⬛

Be among the first to experience Belanger’s first major public art exhibition, transforming the park into a whimsical streetscape of oversized sculptures and uncanny everyday objects. Enjoy an evening of art, community, and summer in the city at this free gathering, open to all.

Register for Free: https://bit.ly/4ntqIQM

05/17/2026

Sun’s out, sculptures glowing ☀️✨
There’s no better day to wander down the waterfront and spend time with Woody De Othello’s “Guardian Spirit,” now on view at Brooklyn Bridge Park through March 2027.

🎥: SandenWolff

05/15/2026

Headed to Frieze Art Fair this weekend? Start the art crawl before your commute ends! 🚆 ✨
From Elmgreen & Dragset’s "The Hive" at Moynihan Train Hall to artworks curated by High Line Art along the Moynihan High Line Connector, public art is built into the journey.

Then, stop by Perrotin's booth at Frieze to see works by Genesis Belanger before her first Public Art Fund exhibition opens this June in City Hall Park.

05/14/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT: From June 2 through November 15, 2026, Public Art Fund will present "Genesis Belanger: Heads or Tails" in City Hall Park, the artist’s first major public exhibition in New York.

The exhibition will feature four sculptural scenes that play with commonplace park features: A flock of birds standing in the fountain, a wheelbarrow sprouting oversized flowers, three potted fruit trees, and two modern interpretations of the allegorical Lady Justice. As visitors discover these scenes throughout the park, Belanger’s sculptures invite reflection on humanity's connection to nature, our ability to discern real from fake, and how civic values are represented in our public spaces.

Known for her ceramic sculptures and installations, Belanger initially sculpted many of the works by hand in clay before they were later cast in resilient materials for her first outdoor exhibition. The sculptures’ color palette ranges from luscious florals to more muted tones that mimic the park’s fountain and traditional monumental sculpture.

Belanger chose the exhibition’s title "Heads or Tails" to capture a moment of anticipation—reflective of a societal moment on the precipice of great change. Through these four sculptural vignettes, the artist invites viewers to reflect on questions raised in our contemporary moment, such as humanity’s connection to nature, our ability to discern real from fake, and the representation of civic values in our public spaces.

"Genesis Belanger: Heads or Tails" is curated by Public Art Fund Senior Curator Melanie Kress.

Learn more about the exhibition: https://bit.ly/4wsEjfp

Image courtesy of the artist

05/12/2026

We are thrilled to announce two important appointments Public Art Fund! We welcome Hugh Hayden and Keely Paik to our Board of Directors!

Hayden and Paik join the Board at an exciting moment, as we approach our 50th anniversary in 2027 and continue to expand our footprint, with upcoming projects including JFK Airport’s new Terminal 6 and Between Tides, an exhibition in Rockaway Beach.

Artist Hugh Hayden conceived and co-curated Public Art Fund’s landmark group exhibition Black Atlantic in 2022 at Brooklyn Bridge Park. He considers the anthropomorphizing of the natural world as a visceral lens to explore the human condition. Utilizing wood as his primary medium, Hayden transforms familiar objects through a process of selection, carving, and juxtaposition to challenge our perceptions of ourselves, others, and the environment.

Hayden lives and works in New York City; he holds an MFA from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University. This month, during the 2026 Venice Biennale, Hayden is debuting a monumental new permanent commission on San Giacomo. Hayden’s solo exhibitions include: Huey, Lisson Gallery, New York (2021); Boogey Men, Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, FL (2021); Brier Patch, commissioned by Madison Square Park Conservancy, New York (2022), Hughman, Lisson Gallery, Los Angeles (2023), Homecoming, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas (2024), and Home Work, Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University (2024).

Keely Paik is a cultural leader with deep experience across contemporary art, technology, and public education. For the past seven years, she has worked at the intersection of art and innovation, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer for TRLab, an organization that fuses technology with fine art expertise to pioneer the future of collecting. Previously she worked at 1stDibs in their NFT and Digital Art department.

Paik brings a collaborative, cross-sector perspective to public service, with a particular interest in how contemporary art can expand civic engagement, education, and cultural access in New York City. She lives on the Lower East Side with her husband Chris Paik, an investor at Pace Capital, and their four children. Since 2024, Paik has been involved with Public Art Fund, both as a member of the Artists’ Champion Circle and as a co-chair for the Public Art Fund Party and After Party.

Image 1: Hugh Hayden by Michael Avedon, 2020, © Hugh Hayden. Courtesy Lisson Gallery

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