Astoria Art Feature
Hey there! I came across this musical event/sculpture/fundraiser in Socrates Sculpture Park and I wanted to share it here because it is so inspiring and such a great example of art activism. Unfortunately I missed the event, but there are great photos and videos and you can still donate if you feel inclined!
Pro tip: restrooms available in the COSTCO food court, since you are headed there for a snack anyways (Just me? Okay.)
The park: Socrates Sculpture Park is such a cool place in our neighborhood. You get a riverside park, a Manhattan view, and Costco pizza right next door! Socrates is an NYC public park built on a former landfill site in Queens. In 1986, it was transformed into an open studio and exhibition space. Before the park was a landfill, though, it was the ancestral land of the Canarsie, Lenape, and Matinecock people.
The artist: Jeffrey Gibson is a Hudson-based artist with Mississippi Choctaw-Cherokee roots. He was born in Colorado and lived in Germany and Korea growing up, so he is truly a global citizen, which he uses in his work.
đśR-E-S-P-E-C-T!đś
The sculpture: Because Once You Enter My House, It Becomes Our House is the first installment of the MONUMENTS NOW series at Socrates, which explores the role of Monuments in our society. This particular monument is an homage to Indigenous North American cultures, with references to the architecture of Cahokia, the largest city of the North American Indigenous Mississippian people, as well as queer camp aesthetics. The plywood multi-tiered structure known as a ziggurat is covered with colorful posters, activist slogans, and LED lights. My favorite part about this sculpture is that performances by Indigenous artists are included in the list of materials!
And can we talk about those socially distant groups of people enjoying the park? We love to see it đ
The performances: There are three performances scheduled to take place on the sculpture. The first of which occurred on July 24th, which was a three part event: the unveiling of the sculpture, the Native Land Acknowledgement for the park by the Indigenous Kinship Collective, and a live violin performance by Brooklyn-based Laura Ortman, of White Mountain Apache descent. Check out a little bit of the video on the Socrates Park Instagram
The fund: The artists have requested donations to Indigenous Kinship Collective, Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe COVID-19 Relief fund.
I just love this photo! Laura looks so powerful đŞ
The photographer: These photos and videos were captured by local photographer Mark DiConzo. Mark graciously agreed to let me share these images here, and in my research I discovered he is also a Broadway star! I may need to ask him back on the blog in the future đ
I just love the way this all came together! It makes me proud to be an Astorian, and I look forward to seeing what comes next in MONUMENTS NOW. If you have been to check out the ziggurat, share your photos in the comments below!
Sparkle on!
Leah
