Lower Manhattan’s Lamp Posts Are About to Get Real Fancy

This fall, the public-artspace nonprofit ArtBridge is turning 65 lamp posts in Lower Manhattan into temporary art installations with an exhibition that explores resiliency.

The work — guided by the notion of “resiliency,” the ability to demonstrate adaptability and the capacity to thrive in changing or challenging environments — includes “Dances of New York City” by Frances Smith and “Geo Grid” by Michelle Weinberg. Smith’s work uses bold colors and vivid design to relay a focus on social justice. She describes her lamp-post design as “a collection of 10 illustrations that aim to celebrate the diversity of cultures that make New York City so unique. It combines traditional dance techniques, with relatable New York moments such as the ‘Pizza Soca,’ ‘The Village Cross’ and the ‘Upper West Side Swing.’”

Weinberg, a painter who’s served residencies at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the MacDowell Colony, made use of the lamp post’s cylinder-like shape for her “Geo Grid” piece. “I will design patterned art that will show movement as it swirls upward,” Weinberg explained. “Geometric and plant forms in vivid colors will ‘grow’ from bottom to top, and they have a sense of motion ingrained in them.”

The art was selected through a public-design competition held over the summer that drew more than 100 artist applications. The review panel of esteemed judges included Gary Carrion-Murayari, Curator, New Museum; Lili Chopra, Executive Director, Artistic Programs, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council; and Claire Gilman, Curator, Drawing Center. 

While in the neighborhood, also be on the lookout for more art, as work from 27 local artists have transformed Lower Manhattan storefronts into a gallery walk through our partnership with nonprofit community initiative Art on the Ave NYC. 

And, if all this is making you hungry, we’ve got a handy guide to places you can drop in for an easy beverage or quick snack.