Must-See Public Art: The Public Art Trend in Shopping Centers
While checking items off of their holiday gift lists, shoppers can also take in some of the colorful art that adorns Westchester’s local shopping centers. Developers are more and more frequently enlivening their streetscapes by bringing public art to community spaces for local visitors to enjoy. These projects are becoming a priority during significant site renovations. At Ridge Hill Shopping Center in Yonkers, Brooklyn-based muralist Nick Kuszyk created an exterior mural for a highly visible street-level wall. While taking a brisk walk from store to store this winter, visitors can take in the selfie-worthy mural’s geometric design of vibrant cascading colors, its squared-off pattern referencing the property’s brickwork. Also at Ridge Hill are a set of eight whimsical planters installed along the sidewalks.
Another Shopping Center that will give shoppers an artistic respite is City Center in White Plains. Located in the heart of downtown White Plains, this Center made art a centerpiece of its rebranding strategy in the midst of an extensive rebranding. A two-story, 2,000-square-foot mural by Piero Manrique welcomes visitors into the lobby of its Mamaroneck Avenue entrance. The energetic pattern is an abstract reference to the vibrancy and diversity of the City. A second project by artist collaborative Lightband Studio LLC integrates fused glass sculptures with advanced technology lighting systems, which are suspended in the empty air space above its retail stores.
A version of this article first appeared in the December-January issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication. ArtsNews is distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.
