This past weekend, local organizations sponsored a fall festival at Pier 42, including the debut of art installations and kite making and flying. It was a project at Paths to Pier 42, a coalition instrumental in creating a temporary public space on a section of the pier, located near Montgomery Street. The celebration continues this coming weekend. Here’s the email we received from Elizabeth Hamby at Partnership for Parks:
I’m writing to share some information about an upcoming celebration organized by Partnerships for Parks, Good Old Lower East Side, the Lower East Side Ecology Center, Grand Street Settlement, Green Map System, and local artists and photographers in East River Park and the surrounding community.
On Saturday, October 4th, community members are invited to come out for a bike ride and art exhibition celebrating the East River Park Community. The all-ages bike ride will meet at Green Map System (220A E. 4th Street) at 2:00pm for a tour of community gardens, local organizations, East River Park, and Pier 42. Along the way, we’ll meet artists, gardeners, and stewards whose tireless commitment to neighborhood green space helps the community thrive. RSVP here.
In the evening, the celebration continues with a pop-up art exhibition at Creations Gallery, featuring the work of photographers Alan Gastelum and Sonia Louise Davis.
Alan Gastelum initiated a photographic survey of the East River Park in the spring of 2011 in an effort to understand the effects of the park on the individual. This documentation, which was inspired by a desire to take personal refuge from the confinement of the city, quickly evolved into a project of social and environmental importance.
Sonia Louise Davis is one of five commissioned artists in 2014 who, in collaboration with the project partners, advisory committee, volunteers and most importantly, local feedback and support, is transforming Pier 42 into a vibrant and accessible waterfront park for the community.
Davis’ The People’s Poster Project refines the notion of a time capsule. Instead of burying something in the ground to be excavated thousands of years in the future, the project aims to activate a more reflective space that highlights individual stories of Lower East Side residents within public dialogue about the future of Pier 42. The project consists of workshops and conversations about what matters most to Lower East Side community members.
Creations Gallery is located at 89 Avenue C, and the opening will take place from 5:00pm-7:00pm. RSVP here.
