Socrates Sculpture Park

Exhibitionsin 2023, the Park's programming focused on issues that have remained a core concern for Socrates Sculpture Park since its inception as an artist-led exhibition space created on a reclaimed waterfront landfill. The Park continues to emphasize climate change and the need for environmental resilience both in its educational programming and in its exhibition programming. From may - september 2023, mary mattingly's exhibition ebb of a spring tide was on view at the Park and took the water of the east river as its inspiration. Water clock, a 65-foot living Sculpture, was fabricated on-site and cared for by many people at Socrates and within the community who came by to forage from the salt-tolerant plants. This work was so successful at integrating into the Park's ecosystem that the saltwater plants that are native to new york will remain in order to continue rerouting flood water back to the east river. Mattingly's exhibition and collaborative engagement with the Park and surrounding community represents our continued dedication to addressing climate concerns in a public and inclusive way.the Socrates annualour fellowship program, the Socrates annual 2023, supported six artists including, ashley harris, ndivhuho rasengani, bat-ami rivlin, kate rusek, maryam turkey, and stefania urist, with financial, fabrication and production access, and networking opportunities. The central theme of last year's exhibition revolved around transformation, echoing the Park's evolution - from an abandoned landfill to a flourishing gathering space. These five projects reflect on diverse stages of growth, change, and renewal while also invoking a keen understanding of how visitors use the space, informed by the artists' firsthand experience fabricating these works on-site over the summer. Many of these works were constructed with found and recycled materials that have been ingeniously repurposed, breathing new life into objects that were once discarded or considered undesirable. Collectively, these artists compelled viewers to value the histories embedded in materials and the surrounding landscape. The Socrates annual 2023 exhibition opened to the public on october 1 and featured an event in partnership with skowhegan alliance. Skowheganperforms 2023 was a day of new, site-specific performance art by skowhegan alumni that shared a thematic prompt with the Socrates annual. The performances this year related to "transformation" in many forms, with a special emphasis on changes in the environment and history. The Socrates annual 2023 culminated with a closing celebration on march 23, 2024 that included a poetry reading by emily toder in dialogue with untitled (12 tubs) by bat-ami rivlin that meditated on notions of debris, excess, and discarded matter.public and educational programmingas an artist-driven organization, we support artists in the creation of ambitious contemporary public art projects while also striving to provide education and participation opportunities for the community. Central to our approach is an extensive roster of inclusive public and educational programming that in 2023 served over 8,000 individuals. Events and live performances, kayaking, yoga classes and meditation sessions, our public programs create a welcoming environment for all. Education programs invite individuals of all ages, especially from our local community, to engage with art and the natural landscape. Please see a brief description of our 2023 offerings below:in 2023, the Park continued to offer its core four educational programs: 1) field guide: art, ecology & mindfulness workshops - all-level workshops offered to the public saturdays from may- october and to local summer camps in july and august; 2) Sculpture studio - a three-session in- school program for high school students; 3) socrateens - a by-application teen mentoring program for high school students; and 4) socrateens resilience lab (formally ah yes) - a program in partnership with our grounds department originally developed for young people living in nycha properties in western queens to learn about environmental stewardship.1. Our field guide workshops are free, hands on, open to all ages, families and individuals, and any skill level. They explore Socrates' unique environment with a series of experimental workshops that combine art making with natural materials, gardening, and experiments in sustainability that celebrate the senses. Part of this year's season progresses sequentially, from planting to harvesting to cooking a shared meal or creating plant-based medicines. These workshops also include collaborations with many community partners such as the noguchi museum, idig2learn, and hellgate farms. Offered each weekend, may through october, the regularity of these workshops allow participants to engage in the entire cycle, interacting with other repeat attendees and teaching artists.2. Sculpture studiothe Sculpture studio program operates as the "in school" component of socrateens, effectively serving as its feeder program. It functions through a series of sequential visits: initially, a Socrates teaching artist visits a local high school to introduce the basics of 3d art and Sculpture. Next, teens visit a Park to observe and plan their projects. Finally, during the third visit, they engage in hands-on creation either at the Park or in a classroom, depending on the availability of space. This structured approach introduces participants to the essence of the after-school program, socrateens, illustrating how it attracts and prepares its members for further involvement. 3. Socrateens socrateens is a year-long experimental art-making program for teens selected from various nyc high schools. Meeting weekly at the Park, the socrateens work closely together to develop sculpture-making, drawing, performance, and photo/video skills. The program also includes visits to artist studios, museums, and galleries. Socrateens explore art making in new ways and receive a monthly artist's stipend of $100. 4. Socrateens resilience labafter socrateens, the next sequential step would be to socrateens resilience lab where participants work together to improve the Park's built environment, and make it more sustainable. In 2023, participants added living walls to a the green roof they designed and produced in 2022. The roof and living walls are now home to hundreds of native plants growing on 28 tons of soil. The program aims to provide hands-on experience, mentorship and encourages individual growth, while working together as a team. Our dedicated teens learn to problem solve, get creative, and use their hands to create a greener and more conscious world, acquiring these skills along the way: learning how to handle and build with tools; brainstorming, designing, and implementing sustainable systems; learning about green jobs and green infrastructure; learning about banking and financial literacy; and learning about wellness and mindfulness.in 2023, Sculpture studio, socrateens, and socrateens resilience lab had approximately 380 attendants while the field guide program welcomed around 540 participants throughout the summer. Overall, integrating public and educational programming participants, Socrates served over 200,000 visitors total throughout 2023, which remains free of charge and open to the public.