Hope

Artist: Draves, Helen

Status: Temporary and Within Riverside Park

Title: Hope 

Dates: July 5, 2023 to May 19, 2024

Medium: Ceramic, resin, medical masks

Description: “Working across media, Helen Draves explores the passage of time and its physical and metaphorical impact on memory. In this sculpture, Draves continues these themes in an empathetic reflection on the Covid-19 pandemic. Inspired by a childhood memory of folding paper cranes, which have long been recognized as symbols of hope and healing, Draves created a collection of ceramic birds that when arranged together form the shape of a medical mask. The sculpture also includes medical masks cast in resin, which are transcribed with open-sourced messages intended to express the hope, loss, and memories of those affected by the pandemic, to serve as a reminder of the power of art to facilitate healing, foster connections, and inspire hope.

The Works in Public (WiP) program, formerly known as Model to Monument, is a professional development program that was begun in 2010 in partnership with NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program.

This exhibition is presented by the Art Students League of New York and the Riverside Park Conservancy.” (from NYC Parks)”

Owner: City of New York, Department of Parks and Recreation, New York, New York