Public Art

Hyemi Cho’s portraits peek out of the windows of neighboring apartment buildings and playfully engage High Line visitors. Photo by Meg Kinney.

High Line visitors are often surprised to see smiling faces gazing back at them, and even waving, from the windows of neighboring buildings toward the northern terminus of the park. After the initial double-take, it’s easy to realize that these amusing locals are not flesh-and-blood people, but rather a playful ruse.

Photo by Friends of the High Line Courtesy John Baldessari and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York

Today we unveiled The First $100,000 I Ever Made, a new work created by artist John Baldessari. The work features a $100,000 bill enlarged to cover the 25-by-75 foot billboard next to the High Line at West 18th Street. This is the first work presented in a newly launched series called HIGH LINE BILLBOARD.

We asked Cecilia Alemani, Curator and Director of High Line Art at Friends of the High Line, to answer some questions about the new work.

Photo by Iwan Baan

If you have walked the High Line recently, chances are you have seen (and heard) some interesting new public art installations. There are new works commissioned by Friends of the High Line for High Line Art, as well as a number of installations that are independent of our program. Here are a few of our favorites.

Friends of the High Line offers free public programs for kids and families on the High Line, offering a chance to learn about the park's history, design, plants, and art through creative play and nature-based education. Juliet Schraeder joined Friends of the High Line for the summer of 2011 as the High Line Family & Public Programs Graduate Summer Intern. Photo by Friends of the High Line

This special guest blog post comes to you from Juliet Schraeder, who is completing a summer internship at Friends of the High Line as part of her graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin. All summer long, Juliet has played a strategic role in leading our family and youth public programs on the High Line.

Trisha Brown Dance Company recreates Roof Piece, originally performed in SoHo in 1971. Photo by Friends of the High Line

Despite heavy winds and ominous clouds on the horizon, nine dancers from the Trisha Brown Dance Company stepped into place on rooftops along the southern terminus of the High Line on Thursday evening. The dancers were preparing for their 7:00 PM performance — the debut of Roof Piece — a dance originally performed by the company in SoHo in 1971, and recreated on its 40th anniversary for the High Line. As the dancers prepared to begin, park visitors gathered along the High Line between Gansevoort and West 14th Streets. Some had come to see the performance, and others had stumbled upon it.

Later this week, we will unveil Kim Beck’s Space Available, a series of rooftop sculptures along the High Line. In this new video, Kim gives us a special preview, and discusses her process and inspiration for the work.

UPDATE: Now you can listen to an excerpt of Francis' High Line online. Click here to listen.

If you had to describe the High Line with music, how would it sound?