The Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art is partnering with the New York City Department of Transportation Art Program to support the creation of a temporary public artwork in Jackson Heights, Queens, at Diversity Plaza at Roosevelt Avenue and Broadway.
Community Commissions is a signature NYC DOT Art initiative in which the agency collaborates with community-based organizations to commission artists to design and install temporary public art on NYC DOT infrastructure citywide. Sidewalks, fences, triangles, medians, bridges, and pedestrianized spaces serve as canvases and foundations for temporary art. Since 2008, NYC DOT Art has produced over 475 temporary artworks citywide.
For Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights, Queens, Nepalese artist IMAGINE (a.k.a. Sneha Shrestha) will design and install a public art piece that celebrates and is inspired by the diverse Himalayan cultures of the neighborhood. From Kathmandu to Boston, IMAGINE’s meditative works incorporate her native language and meshes the aesthetics of Sanskrit scriptures with graffiti influences. The artwork will be on view starting June 2025 and displayed for up to 11 months. In this partnership, the Rubin is supporting all phases of project development, including artist selection, design evolution, community engagement, and installation.
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