Announcing our 2025 Art in the Parks Grant Winners:
Dakota Gearhart will create a large-scale aluminum photo sculpture celebrating the so-called pests of Queens—those insects we often consider acceptable to exterminate in our homes and gardens. The sculpture will feature five enlarged images of bugs commonly found in Queens, some more recognizable than others. Each insect will be adorned with a party hat and include a cutout where humans (or dogs) can insert their heads, creating a playful photo opportunity. This whimsical setup produces an optical illusion that invites participants to “cosplay” as the insects, playfully reversing roles. Beneath the humor, however, lies a deeper intention: Gearhart uses anthropomorphism as a tool to reframe our perceptions of these typically unwanted creatures, suggesting that even the least loved forms of life are worthy of existence on Earth. By throwing a symbolic "party" for these bugs, Gearhart aims to evoke laughter, wonder, and curiosity around subjects that often provoke discomfort or fear. Additionally, the sculpture will incorporate augmented reality features, offering interactive links to media pieces that share information about each specific insect.
Orogeny is a graphic exploration of the Park’s history - the accumulations and erosions of its character over time. We have drawn inspiration from historical maps of the area (horizontal), the aesthetics of core samples, and Westinghouse time capsules (vertical). Our core tubes will reflect the past and current identities of the Park, seemingly emerging from the ground - the geological history thrust into the light of contemporary day. We are interested in continuous change in the Park, marked by moments of perceived permanence that inevitably gave way to evolution.
These upcoming installations will make their FMCP debut this October. Stay tuned for exciting updates and announcements regarding this year’s grantees.
Learn more Drew Seskunas and Annalisa Iadicicco, our 2024 Art in the Parks awardees:
What is the Opposite of a Black Hole?
If a black hole absorbs all light and information surrounding it, the opposite would project light and propagate information. This sculpture celebrates the rich history of science in Queens by highlighting residents who worked to expand our understanding of the universe, casting light where before there was darkness.
Located adjacent to the Hall of Sciences, a prismatic ring compiles the names and stories of Queens residents on its reflective faces, combining many known and unknown scientists who have called the borough of Queens home: Dr. Marie Maynard Daly, the first African American woman to receive a doctorate in chemistry in the United States, Dr. Lisa Randall a leading expert on particle physics who researches possibilities for evidence of higher dimensions. Full scientist list and Spanish translation here.
Artist: Drew Seskunas
Drew Seskunas is an architect and director of Seskunas Architecture Workshop on Earth. SAW.EARTH is both an architecture studio and building workshop founded on the idea that working with materials directly leads to more inventive design. Drew’s work aims to elicit a sense of wonder and joy by highlighting the essential elements and systems that combine to give our world meaning and foster universal connections between inhabitants of Earth.
BUMPERMAN: A HERO RISES FROM THE ASHES OF WILLETS POINT
Bumperman, a life-sized superhero sculpture made from recycled car bumpers and auto parts, stands as a powerful symbol of resilience and renewal, celebrating the redevelopment of Willets Point. Created by artist Annalisa Iadicicco, this striking figure honors the area’s vibrant history as a hub for affordable auto repairs, paying tribute to the hardworking immigrant community that defined it. Now, as Willets Point undergoes a transformation into a mixed-use community, Bumperman reminds us of its enduring spirit. Thanks to a grant from the Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the installation will be on display at David Dinkins Circle in Flushing Meadows Corona Park through October 2025.
Artist: Annalisa Iadicicco
Annalisa Iadicicco, originally from Italy and now based in New York, is a community-engaged artist whose installations made from recycled materials highlight pressing environmental and social issues. Her work, often involving public participation, sparks dialogue on waste, pollution, and societal inequities and has been shown internationally. As founder of The Blue Bus Project, a nonprofit offering free participatory art events to underserved NYC communities, Annalisa reclaims discarded materials to inspire awareness and action toward a sustainable, just world.
Scroll down to learn more about prior grant winners and their installations:
Gallery of Past Art in the Parks Sculptures in Flushing Meadows Corona Park:
Prior Granted Artists/Works
2022-2023:
Julia Sinelnikova for Light Portal, a multimedia installation that reinterprets Philip Johnson’s Tent of Tomorrow and its Russian antecedent, the Shukhov Rotunda, into a contemporary structure that uses solar panels to encapsulate a sense of the diversity of current-day Queens.
Kisha Bari and Jasmin Chang for Hey Neighbor NYC, an ethnographic snapshot of New York City that highlights ‘Connectors’ from around the city who were chosen by their communities as people who break down the walls separating us.
2021-2022:
Sherwin Banfield for Going Back to The Meadows: A Tribute to Queens Hip Hop Legend LL Cool J and Performance at FMCP, an eight-foot-high bronze sculpture of the Queens-born Hip Hop legend placed on a digital music platform.
Haksul Lee for The Giving Tree, a sculpture made of recycled materials and a wind turbine to honor and bring awareness to environmental concerns in the Queens community.
2020-2021:
Laura Lappi for 7 x 7 (HOPE), which explored the issues of space and the cost of housing in New York City.
Jeannine Han/Dan Riley for Another Way It Could Go, which celebrated connections between local and universal communities.
2019-2020:
Karl Orozco for Hospicio Cabanas (Playable Stage for Thunder Hawk), which interpreted Mexican archetypes, traditional drama, and tech into art and performance.
Yvonne Shortt with Joel Esqute and Mayuko Fujino for Pavilion Landing, a playful sculpture inspired by the 1964/’65 World’s Fair which occurred in the park.
About Art in the Parks
Since 1967, NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks Program has consistently fostered the creation and installation of temporary public art in parks throughout the five boroughs. For more information, please visit www.nycgovparks.org/art-and-antiquities/art-in-the-parks