Can one define New York? In a city of over eight million inhabitants living in five boroughs, can there be one narrative; a single story? New York City has long been a beacon, an inviting warm light calling out across the world to the creatives, the ambitious, the makers. It is a city in constant flux; growing, shifting, evolving; yet, in its heart, it always stays the same.
The NYC Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Urban Art Program collaborated with United Photo Industries to curate this outdoor exhibition titled, New York (Outer Borough) Stories, a series of images captured by New York City-based artists residing in the four “outer” boroughs — the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. Presented in Lower Manhattan’s financial center, the exhibition aims to provide the visitor a rare window into the soul of New York and to celebrate what makes it tick.
In creating this exhibition, one photographer from each of the four outer boroughs was invited to collaborate with a locally-based curator to share a story about his/her own community. The selected photographers come from different social and cultural backgrounds, grew up in different neighborhoods and at different times, yet all share an affinity for their city. New York (Outer Borough) Stories is more than an exhibition of photographs; it is a celebration of New York, of its unique mix and diversity of people, and of the pride that defines and unites them all.
The photographs adhere to ten art display cases positioned at two sites along the Water Street corridor — Gouverneur Lane between Water Street and Front Street, and Water Street between Pine Street and Maiden Lane. The installation is part of the City’s efforts to revitalize and activate Water Street in response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy on Lower Manhattan and will be on display for the next six months.
Staten Island
Artist: Christine Osinski
Curator: Paul Moakley — Deputy Photo Editor, TIME Magazine
Bronx
Artist: Marisol Díaz
Curator: Miriam Romais — Executive Director, En Foco
Brooklyn
Artist: Irina Rozovsky
Curator: Sam Barzilay — Creative Director, United Photo Industries
Queens
Artist: Sol Aramendi
Curator: Hitomi Iwasaki — Director of Exhibitions & Curator, Queens Museum of Art
