Astoria-based artist Sherwin Banfield constructed the LL Cool J sculpture after he was a recipient of a 2021 Art in the Parks grant.
Courtesy of NYC Parks
When St. Albans’ favorite son LL Cool J brought his Rock The Bells Festival to Forest Hills Stadium on Aug. 5, he was just over a mile away from where a unique eight-foot-tall bronze sculpture of him stood until recently in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Astoria-based sculptor Sherwin Banfield created the temporary art installation of the Queens-born hip-hop legend placed on a digital music platform as one of the annual Arts in the Parks: Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park Grants awardees in 2021.
The Alliance recently announced its 2023 Arts in the Park Grants of $10,000 each to artists Jasmin Chang and Kisha Beri for their Hey Neighbor NYC proposal and to Julia Sinelnikova for her Light Portal proposal. The 2023 works will be installed during the fall and will remain on display for up to 12 months.
“Our Art in the Parks: Alliance for Flushing Meadows Corona Park Grants celebrate the park’s global heritage and contemporary cultural diversity while supporting our community and local talent,” Alliance for FMCP Executive Director Anthony Sama said. “The 2023 granted proposed works truly exemplify the spirit of our program and we are delighted to have awarded them ten thousand dollars each to bring their concepts to life for all who visit Flushing Meadows Corona Park to enjoy and reflect upon.”
In its fourth grant cycle, AFMCP and NYC Parks partner to award early to mid-career artists with grants and year-long permits for temporary art placed in FMCP. Grant recipients are selected through an open application process and chosen by a committee of arts professionals and Queens community members, as well as NYC Parks and Alliance representatives.
“Hey Neighbor NYC” is a tribute to the city’s patchwork of communities formed by ethnicity, culture, race and shared experience – from…
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