International art festival opens on Governors Island&nbsp;

It's art fun for everyone! FIGMENT is the world's largest participatory art event - a two-day, two-city affair that is free and open to the public. All attendees are invited to create, participate, touch, and perform in numerous, diverse art projects. The goal of the project, which began on Governors Island in New York in 2007 and now includes a separate two-day stint in Boston is to "advance social and personal transformation through creativity" and to take art out and beyond the gallery walls and into the world. Held in June 2010 in Boston and New York, the event was bigger than any previous year, with more participants, projects, volunteers, and exhibitions. FIGMENT accepts no sponsorship and neither organizers nor volunteers are paid. The project, which is made possible by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's Swing Space program, is intended to serve as an "alternative to many of the short-comings of the commercial art world" and to challenge participants to find new ways to create, share, think, and dream.&nbsp; <a href="http://forecastpublicart.org/public-art-review/current-projects/2012/08/figment/">From issue 43 of Public Art Review. Click here to view.</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;

Governor's Island

FIGMENT

The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council devised a summer program to revitalize Lower Manhattan after 9/11 by promoting cultural activity and founded the River to River Festival &nbsp;

Lower Manhattan

River to River Festival

Nieuw Amsterdam Shoreline Artist Eric Artander painted a 1.5 mi long blue line depicting the original border of Manhattan sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the Public Art Fund for July 4th

Nieuw Amsterdam Shoreline

EMPOWERING ARTISTS, INVESTED IN COMMUNITY.

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) empowers artists by providing them with networks, resources, and support, to create vibrant, sustainable communities in Lower Manhattan and beyond. In 2014, LMCC will award approximately $500,000 in grants, provide 500 individuals with professional development skills and access to business leaders and arts professionals, place 100 individuals and arts groups in our studio residency programs, as well as present over 60 days of free cultural experiences for the public to enjoy. The combination of LMCC’s investment in individual artists and small arts groups, our robust network of partners in the public and private sectors, and our integrated approach to fostering local neighborhood efforts, aims to spark public imagination as well as inspire personal attachment and investment in NYC’s communities.

Our Mission: To create a fertile and nurturing environment for artists and arts groups, enlivening public spaces with free programs in the visual, performing, and new media arts, and to provide leadership in cultural planning and advocacy.

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council

SITES

Related Sites