THE ARTS On May 10, 2014, Socrates Sculpture Park launched a free summer shuttle bus service to promote and connect Long Island City’s cultural institutions, while linking the Western Queens waterfront to a major transit hub at Court Sq. Check out the schedule in yellow as it appears on the web. We decided to visit two of the park’s newest pieces to preview for BORO. But make sure you check out the website at socratessculpturepark.org to see the full list of exhibitions and events, including outdoor cinema starting Wednesdays in July. One of the most astonishing pieces is Scarecrow—a site-specific installation by artist Žilvinas Kempinas and the largest installation in Socrates’ 28-year history. This majestic yet minimal metallic sculpture is comprised of a 250-foot-long, thirteen-foot-high kinetic pathway composed of 200 stainless steel, mirrored poles connecting energetic slopes of silver Mylar ribbon overhead. With two simple elements – poles and tape – Scarecrow activates the invisible forces of nature. Scarecrow reflects its surrounding environment, and therefore will continuously change throughout the exhibition. The perpetual motion of the ribbon, as it responds to the wind of its environment, will echo the natural flowing of the nearby East River, while the mirrored material will reflect momentary shifts of light and sky like a shimmering horizon along the waterfront. The displaced and homeless in New York City have been a most important cause for Dr. Delois Blakely, a U.S. Ambassador of Goodwill to Africa, who has been the Community Mayor of Harlem since she was sworn in by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in 1995. And this season, Dr. Blakely serves as the inspiration for Queen Mother, one of the newest installations in Socrates Sculpture Park, which was unveiled on May 11th by Dr. Blakely herself. The interactive exhibit features a monumental, mixed media sculpture of an elegant figure that is peacefully reclining in the shaded southern section of the park overlooking the East River waterfront designed by Pawel Althamer. Originally built as a part Althamer’s Performa Commission in 2013, Queen Mother of Reality at Socrates Sculpture Park will serve as a platform for creative dialogue and interactive programming, reflecting the park’s commitment to engaging audiences through public art. On the perimeter of the park are three of the nation’s largest public housing complexes (Astoria, Ravenswood, and Queensbridge Houses), and the local community has been a park stakeholder since its creation in 1986. Socrates is open 365 days a year from 10am to sunset, and is located at 32-01 Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens at the intersection of Broadway. Hop on the Art Bus
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