NYC Department Of Cultural Affairs And School Construction Authority Unveil Five New Public School Art Installations

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), in partnership with the New York City School Construction Authority (SCA), will mark the start of the NYC Public Schools spring semester with the completion of five new permanent public art installations. The projects were completed in 2025 and are located in newly constructed public school buildings in Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx.

The artworks were commissioned through DCLA’s Percent for Art program in collaboration with SCA’s Public Art for Public Schools initiative and NYC Public Schools. Developed in close coordination with architects, educators, and community members, the installations are integrated into school architecture and will become part of the NYC Public Schools official art collection, which includes more than 2,000 works dating back to the late 19th century.

“We believe every student deserves access to art that inspires imagination and possibility,” said DCLA Assistant Commissioner for Public Art Kendal Henry. “Public art in public schools plays a powerful role in shaping how students experience their learning environments, and through our Percent for Art program, we are supporting vibrant, thoughtfully designed installations that reflect the creativity of our city and the communities they serve. I applaud the remarkable artists whose work will inspire students, educators, and families for generations to come.”

“Public art is an essential part of how we build inspiring, student-centered schools,” said New York City School Construction Authority President and CEO Nina Kubota. “These five new installations reflect our commitment to creating learning environments that spark curiosity, celebrate creativity, and honor the communities they serve. By integrating art directly into our school buildings, we are ensuring that students begin each day in spaces that affirm their imagination, identity, and potential.”

“After years of careful design, fabrication and installation, it is such a joy to see these brilliant artist's unique and creative artworks being experienced by students,” said Public Art for Public Schools Director Tania Duvergne. “Each of the five artists worked in a different medium and explored a unique idea—from upcycling to interdisciplinary learning to celebrating local history—while staying deeply attuned to their school communities, allowing students to see something of themselves and their stories reflected in the art. It is incredibly gratifying to see these beautiful new artworks provide students with moments of wonder, curiosity and inspiration in their everyday school environment.”

SUNBURSTS IN THE GARDEN OF DREAMS

Created by artist Daru Jung Hyang Kim for the lobby of the new P.S. 26 Addition in Queens, Sunbursts in the Garden of Dreams features a painted collage digitally printed across five tall glass panels, accompanied by twenty textured, hand-painted, and hand-blown glass disks. The work presents a fantastical interpretation of natural forms such as flowers, seeds, and sunbursts. Kim conceived the imagery as symbolic of students’ dreams, creativity, and emotional growth throughout their primary education.

ODE TO THE WILD

Artist Jessica Maffia’s mixed-media mural for the lobby of the new Janice Blanchard Campus on Staten Island celebrates the ecology and history of Main Creek, located near the school. Constructed from upcycled materials, the work depicts the creek from a bird’s-eye view, with aluminum scraps embedded in blue resin to evoke sunlight on water. Birch wood panels include porthole-like openings that reveal plants and animals native to Staten Island.

NOVELLA

Installed in the lobby of the new P.S. 160 Addition in Queens, Novella by artist Therman Statom is a glass artwork composed of colorful, hand-blown discs suspended across the entryway. The piece incorporates a screen-printed portrait of the school’s namesake, Walter Francis Bishop Sr., along with musical notes, mathematical equations, and hand-drawn markings. The composition reflects the improvisational spirit of jazz and the exploratory nature of learning.

RECESS

Recess, a site-specific mural by artist Jing Wei, spans the upper walls of the lobby in the new P.S. 5 Addition on Staten Island. The printed panels depict a surreal landscape in which people of varying ages and abilities engage in activities such as reading, drawing, sports, and conversation beneath a canopy of trees. Wei developed the imagery through research into the Prince’s Bay neighborhood, incorporating references to local flora, parks, and shoreline views.

METAMORFOSIS: PRESENT FUTURE FLOW

Artist Glen Wilson’s Metamorfosis: Present Future Flow occupies a curved lobby wall in the new P.S. 105 Addition in the Bronx. The installation combines glass mosaic and printed aluminum board elements to explore themes of culture, community, and the cosmos. The composition juxtaposes imagery of music and chess—two neighborhood pastimes—with photographic relief elements depicting Bronx streetscapes interwoven with celestial imagery.