Hidden Stories of Union Square's Public Art Tour

Tour Highlights:

• Get a behind-the-scenes look at the planning and placemaking strategies that have shaped Union Square’s public art scene
• Explore Union Square’s newest public artwork, alongside an interactive, multi-media lineup of sculptures, asphalt artwork, and digital art through augmented reality
• Discover how Union Square’s history, culture, and context inspire the artwork’s form, content, and experience
• Learn about the emerging and established artists who have shared their work with the hundreds of thousands of people who come to Union Square each day
• Go behind the scenes to understand the planning, partnerships, and community engagement strategies that make these installations a reality 
• See how public art enhances Union Square’s livability and strengthens its identity as a premier live-work-play-learn neighborhood

🎷 Stick around in the park after the tour for Lunchtime Jazz!

About this Tour:

Union Square has long been an important meeting point for New Yorkers, bringing generations of people together for activism, commerce and culture. In recent years, it has also become a hub for public art, with installations that transform Union Square’s streets and plazas into places for creativity and discovery.

Created exclusively for Untapped New York, this guided walk along 14th Street and through Union Square Park will spotlight the neighborhood’s status as a canvas for artists to share their creations in highly visible public spaces, offering a new way for people to experience art.

Attendees will get an insider’s look at the current pieces that uniquely connect to Union Square’s past, present, and future,  while learning about the artists and public-private partnerships behind these installations. They’ll also explore the role public art plays in reimagining familiar streets, urban infrastructure, and public spaces in one of Manhattan’s most vibrant districts. Works you'll see include:

• Bead Maze: an interactive sculpture inspired by the nostalgic toy often found in doctor’s offices. Conceptualized by Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Fine Arts Students with Scale Rule’s team of professional architects and engineers, it is the latest addition to Union Square’s public art lineup.
• Get Outside: a large-scale asphalt mural by Shantell Martin and presented by Merrell, explores themes of connection and nature within urban life. The 7,500-square-foot piece is the sixth annual 14th Street Busway Mural.
• Recess: Reads: Fitzhugh Karol’s sculpture celebrates the neighborhood’s literary history situated just steps from the former Book Row corridor. It also includes a unique augmented reality feature that lets viewers see the artist’s  alternate world. 
• Love Continuum: Yoni Alter’s colorful sculpture explores the universal theme of love through shifting perspectives.

The tour will take place outdoors and move at a relaxed pace along primarily flat, paved sidewalks and plazas. There are seating opportunities throughout the tour, and it is suitable for participants of all ages and abilities.

About Your Guide, Tali Cantor:

Tali Cantor is the Director of Planning at Union Square Partnership (USP), the business improvement district focused on making Union Square a vibrant place to live, work and play for residents, visitors and businesses. Tali leads USP’s urban planning and placemaking work, where she serves as project manager for the organization’s public art program in collaboration with artists, partner firms, district business owners and City agencies. Before joining USP in 2020, Tali was an Associate at Grimshaw, the internationally renowned architecture and design firm. She was part of the Coro New York 2021 cohort through the Neighborhood Leadership Program and was previously an adjunct instructor at the New York Institute of Technology.