Three NYC Public Artists That Want You to Take Notice

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We live in a city in which we are constantly surrounded by all aspects of art and design. Many have dedicated their lives to making this city a better place to live through works of public art. Here are a few you may have noticed.

Candy is an artist, graphic designer, urban planner, and musician (she might also be a bit of a know it all) who has dedicated herself to changing New York City through “questionable” pieces. With a background in architecture and design, she likes to make city issues more accessible and engaging through her work, which encompasses the creative use of public space. She is a big fan of cross-disciplinary ideas and her art is concept-based in various mediums.

 

Since pedestrians in the city often find themselves walking in deep thought, a routine trip can prompt reflections on everything from future goals to last night’s dinner conversation. As people sacrifice personal time for hectic schedules, these casual occasions for reflection become all the more important. Sidewalk Psychiatry encourages self-evaluation in transit by posing critical questions on the pavement. Now your daily ponderings and emotional problems can be prodded and treated on the go – and, best of all, it’s free of charge! 

 

Project Moustache was developed for the average American who is exposed to over 3,000 ads everyday and is sick of these images infringing on public spaces. It is a statement about the right to walk outside without being informed about the latest alcoholic beverage, fruity shampoo, or Hollywood movie. And many citizens have responded to advertising posters with the gusto of grade-school disobedience. Their weapon: the pen. Their mark: the scribbled moustache.  While this project seems aimed affecting the integrity of the advertisement, some feel that they actually enhance them, drawing more eyes to the ads, sort of like the way a Yosemite Sam stache draws attention to certain Billieburg hipsters. 

 

Chinatown is a land of good food, colorful shops, and fresh produce. It is also a land of about three trees in a ten-block radius. The Great Chinatown Tree-Planting Movement was developed to state to the city that more trees need to be planted. And thanks to the progressive ideas of PlaNYC, the City makes it easy for residents to get involved in tree-planting good times through the new MillionTreesNYC program. Shooting for one million new trees in the next decade, the program gives hope to the leafless sidewalks of Chinatown that yearn to be charmingly lined with more than garbage bags, or black bushes, as we so kindly call them.