One More Week to Visit Governors Island!

The 2014 public season, which opened Governors Island to visitors seven days a week for the first time in history, is ending on September 28th.

That means you have exactly seven days left to take a trip to Governors Island!

Nine days left to bike in the new 30 acres of park on Governors Island. Image courtesy of The Trust.

Governors Island this week will be filled with events and exhibitions to help you wrap up the summer season!

Ride a Bike with Free Bike Mornings! 

Enjoy free bikes on Governors Island for one more week! Free Bike Mornings allows visitors to borrow a bike for free for up to one hour on any weekday. Bikers will be able to enjoy miles of bike paths, including new paths in the 30 acres of park that look upon the Statue of Liberty. Visitors are also able to rent bikes or bring a bike on the ferry at no extra charge.

“A Portrait of Marina Abromovic” by Matthu Placek in Fort Jay  

Matthu Placek is making his New York debut of his 3D video portraits on Governors Island this week! The piece, ” A Portrait of Marina Abramovic” will be installed in Fort Jay from September 25th through the 28th. Shot in one take and without dialogue, these short films offer rare, uninterrupted moments with subjects as they interact with symbolic surroundings. 3D cinematography enhances the intimacy of the vignettes, further collapsing the space between the viewer and the subjects’ essential natures. Screenings are every 15 minutes to groups of 6 people by reservation. To make a free reservation please visit www.130919.eventbrite.com

LMCC Open Studios 

The LMCC gallery exhibition ““Embodied Practice and Site-Specificity” about Trisha Brown’s Work. Image courtesy of The Trust.

Explore the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s many programs this week on Governors Island. In the LMCC gallery (building 110), you will find an exhibition on the work of Trisha Brown. Over in the St Cornelius Church, you can experience the development of Rachel Tess’s “Souvenir” during open studio hours every day this week (12PM-4PM). LMCC describes the performance: “the project investigates the relationships between architecture and choreography and choreographer and audience. The work more specifically explores the concept of a mobile architecture versus pre-existing institutional structures and how this design may impact the making and viewing of performance.” This coming weekend is the LMCC Open Studio Weekend. There will be art’s activities and open studios at four unique sites, including Governors Island. See more information here.

Hammocks and Food vendors!

This is your last chance to nap in a hammock and take a hammock selfie! With the weather forecast estimated to be 70 degrees all week, it is the perfect time to snuggle in Hammock Grove and maybe bring a book. Afterwards, stroll over to Kings Ave and Liggett Terrace to the many food vendors for a quick bite. Get a taste of Snowday and decide if they deserved their recent Vendy Award (p.s. they totally did). Then back to the hammocks to sleep off that Snowday maple grilled cheese!

September 27th Governors Island Kite Festival 

Bring your kites or make one during the Governors Island Kite Festival! Brooklyn Artery, CMA, and the Brooklyn Kite Fest are coming together to bring you a Governors Island Kite Festival. There will be music, refreshments and fun to be had for the whole family.  All activities are free. The festival will run from 11-4PM.

Explore Nolan Park

Explore everything that makes Governors Island great  by heading to Nolan Park. The historic area is the home to 19th century Army officers houses. Today, these faded yellow buildings become the summer home for many arts and cultural organizations. Find handmade items for sale at Brooklyn Artery or Better than Jam, or see exciting exhibits at the New York Historical Society house and the International Center of Photography gallery. See further information on the more than 12 organizations in Nolan Park here. 

The Governors Island Art Fair

Sabrina Barrios, “How to Build a Pyramid.” Image courtesy of Hyperallergic.com.

The 4 Heads Governors Island Art Fair will be open one more weekend. Already reviewed by the NYTimes, ArtNET, Gothamist and more, the Governors Island Art Fair is not to be missed! Around 100 rooms within the historic buildings in Colonels Row have been transformed by paintings, sculptures, video and sound installations, and other installation works. The Governors Island Art Fair is run by artists and has recently headed to Kickstarter. 

Explore Nolan Park with a Scavenger Hunt!

Did you know that there are over ten different exhibitions and programs in the  Nolan Park houses?

You could visit the summer exhibition of the  Sculptures Guild, the unique hand made items at Brooklyn Artery and at Better Than Jam’s summer pop-up shop, or get a front row seat to Third Rail Project’s dance process during an open studio.

So to help you explore we created a scavenger hunt! This Saturday, come visit the many programs in Nolan Park through the first ever “Explore Nolan” Scavenger Hunt! Answer clues about nearly a dozen exhibits to complete the Explore Nolan clue sheet. The first to complete all 10 questions and take a selfie in Nolan Park will win prizes, many donated by the organizations with exhibitions in the park.

 

The yellow houses of Nolan Park are home to a variety of programs and exhibitions this summer. Image courtesy of the Trust.

 How to play? 

The “Explore Nolan” scavenger hunt will occur between 1 PM  – 5 PM on Saturday. You can download the scavenger’s guide and map  in advance or pick up a sheet at the Governors Island Alliance (GIA) welcome tables at Soissons Landing or Yankee Pier. When you have completed all 10 questions and taken a photo of yourself in Nolan Park, submit your sheet to the judges at the Soissons Landing table. Prizes will be given out to the first to finish in several categories: teams, individuals, and children (under 12).

Teams will win a surrey ride from Blazing Saddles. Image credit: Claire Gorayeb

The Prizes

The prizes have been donated from many of the programs in Nolan Park and from vendors on the Island. Some of the things you can win:  Blazing Saddles surrey rides, blue marble ice cream, exhibition books from the Sculptures guild, tickets to a future Third Rail Performance and more. Follow our twitter to learn about all the prizes as we release them over the next few days.

The Exhibits 

Exhibits in Nolan Park are a part of the Island’s OpenHouseGI program, which offers free space to arts and cultural groups presenting free work to the public. Nearly a dozen houses are open to the public with a diverse array of exhibitions featuring sculpture, photography historic costumes, and art and photos that help visitors learn about the Civil War. Learn more about current and future programs below.

The Sculptures Guild outdoor installation. See more inside. Image courtesy of The Trust.

Capa in Color and a preview of Sebastiao Salgado: Genesis (Presented by the International Center of Photography). Thursdays through Sundays from 11:30AM – 5:30PM. House 4A. View a captivating selection of  color photographs by Robert Capa and preview the upcoming ICP exhibition “Sebastião Salgado: Genesis.”

Parallax (Presented by the Holocenter). Weekends from 12PM – 6PM. House 4B. See puzzling and tantalizing works of holographic artistry plus glasses-free 3-D photography. 

Surprise House. August 16th – September 14th. House 6B. Embrace the uncertain & engineer the unexpected – play, connect, and explore the unknown in this mysterious house designed by Surprise Industries. 

Envision the Dream – Artwork by Seniors. September 5th – 21st from 10AM – 6PM. House 10A.  Eleven senior artists exhibit work in group and solo exhibitions. Because the art world tends to focus on new and upcoming artists or established artists, often mid-career senior artists find themselves overlooked by the mainstream media. This exhibition will draw attention and recognition to a diverse group of talented senior artists working in both traditional and non-traditional styles.   

Brooklyn ARTery. Weekends from 10AM-5PM. Workshop on Saturdays from 2PM – 4PM. House 10B. Stop by for beautiful handbags, jewelry, artisanal food, housewares, scarves, beauty products and more! Also featuring The ARTery Gallery – a rotating exhibit of professional artists.

Free Art Island Outpost (Presented by the Children’s Museum of the Arts). Weekends from 10AM – 5PM. Houses 11 & 14. Collaborate with other visitors on a variety of themed art workshops including painting, sound design, sculpture, animation, podcasting, and more!

Better than Jam. Fridays & Mondays from 11AM – 5PM. Weekends from 10AM – 6PM. House 16. The Brooklyn shop of all locally handmade products will be taking the ferry ride over, and bringing with it the creations of New York City’s most talented designers, artists and crafters. With the help of the Etsy New York Street Team, the shop will also host family-friendly demonstrations and workshops on Saturdays from 2PM – 4PM to show and teach visitors some of their skills

House 17 (Presented by Third Rail Projects). Open Studios: 8/2, 8/22, 9/13, from 1PM – 5PM; 9/16, 9/17, from 10AM-12PM; Workshops: 7/23, 8/2, from 1PM – 5PM; Invited Showing: 9/18 through 9/21, from 12PM – 6PM. House 17. Third Rail Projects will host open outdoor rehearsals, open studios, public workshops, and performances throughout the summer based on a mobile, site-specific dance/theater work for 6 performers and a 1970’s Coleman pop-up camper

 

This weekend Third Rail Project’s is opening up their creative process to the public in an open studio. Visit them in house 17. Image courtesy of Third Rail Projects.

The Civil War & NYC (Presented by the New York Historical Society). Weekends from 10AM – 6:30PM. House 18.  The exhibition portrays the complexities that arose in our city during the period of the American Civil War. Using photographs, newspapers, and works of art, Student Historian Teen Leaders have curated a nuanced view of the Civil War showing multiple perspectives and many surprises.   

TransFORMation (Presented by the Sculptor’s Guild). Fridays through Sundays from 11AM – 5PM. House 19.  This exhibition encompasses six separately themed shows as well as outdoor work.    

These historic clothing come from museums around the world. Presented in “Tattered and Torn” you will see beautiful clothing that has seen the test of time. Image courtesy of the Trust

Tattered & Torn: Part 2 (Presented by Empire Historic Arts District). Weekends from 11AM – 6PM. House 20A.  The exhibit features less-than-pristine costumes from museum collections. Although the condition of the garments is too poor for them to be displayed in museums, the Empire Historic Arts Fund believes they remain a resource for those interested in 19th century fashion design.  

Mu-Math: Mobile Math Unit to Promote Mathematical Thinking (Presented by Living Better Through Mathematics). Weekends 11AM – 5PM. House 20B. Featuring a dozen different mathematics investigations ranging from algebra to topology, the exhibit is appropriate for the math curious beginning with age 7 and ending with those who consider themselves “ageless.”