A joyful, endearing bronze sculpture is welcoming New Yorkers and visitors to the heart of Midtown Manhattan’s Garment District, as the Garment District Alliance unveils its latest public art exhibit, Kneeler, created by artist Joy Brown.
Located on Broadway in the Garment District between 39th and 40th Streets, Kneeler is a large bronze figure that holds a quiet power, a friendly space inviting us to touch and play. Its presence conveys a universal spirit of harmony and optimism that transcends culture, gender and age.
The sculpture – which is free for viewing and will be available to the public through August 31st – is part of Garment District Art on the Plazas, a year-round public art program made possible through Arterventions, a subpart of the New York City Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Art Program. The Garment District Alliance and DOT work closely to coordinate and install exhibits and individual pieces, which enhance public plazas and make them even more welcoming to New Yorkers.
“Joy’s wonderful sculpture provides a sense of harmony and calm in the Garment District, welcoming pedestrians to the neighborhood this spring and summer,” said Barbara A. Blair, president of the Garment District Alliance. “We are proud to introduce Kneeler to our diverse mix of public art programming, and we encourage all to visit, capture photos and take in the sculpture’s uplifting meaning.”
With more than 47 years of experience working with clay, Joy Brown draws inspiration from the Japanese aesthetic, which springs from her childhood and a traditional ceramic apprenticeship she completed in Japan. Brown has exhibited in galleries and museums in the United States, Europe, China, and Japan, and her ceramic and bronze figures and three-dimensional wall installations are represented in prominent private and public collections around the world, including parks, sculpture gardens and urban public spaces. Since 2009, Brown has been working on a series of large-scale bronze works in collaboration with Purple Roof Gallery and Atelier in Shanghai, PCR.
The Garment District is home to diverse business sectors from technology to hospitality and includes thousands of people working in the creative economy, including fine and performing artists, designers, architects, photographers and more than a hundred theaters, galleries, performance spaces and studios.
About the Garment District Alliance
The Garment District Alliance is a not-for-profit corporation established in 1993 to improve the quality of life and economic vitality of Manhattan’s Garment District. Through programs in the areas of streetscape improvements, sanitation and public safety, marketing and promotions, economic development, and community service, the Garment District Alliance supports the neighborhood’s transformation into a modern, 24/7 destination for dining, nightlife, hotels and unique office space. For more information on the Garment District Alliance’s many art initiatives and plaza programming visit Art on the Plazas.
While you’re in the Garment District, don’t miss the redesign of the iconic Big Button Sculpture!
The New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program (DOT Art) partners with community-based, nonprofit organizations and professional artists to present temporary public art on NYC DOT property throughout the five boroughs for up to eleven months. Artists transform streets with colorful murals, dynamic projections and eye-catching sculptures. Sidewalks, fences, triangles, medians, bridges, jersey barriers, step streets, public plazas and pedestrianized spaces serve as canvases and foundations for temporary art. Since 2008, DOT Art has produced over 400 temporary artworks citywide.
Take a look-back at previous Garment District Alliance installations & exhibits.