Squadron, Hester St Collab, DOT Bring Public Art to South St

Squadron, Nadler, Velázquez Have Pushed for Street Safety & Beautification on This Route to Pier 42

NEW YORK – Today, State Senator Daniel Squadron, the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Hester Street Collaborative announced the results of their joint effort to bring temporary public art to the South Street median. The median, funded by federal dollars secured by Congressmembers Jerry Nadler and Nydia Velázquez, runs on South Street from Rutgers to Montgomery Streets and separates pedestrians and cyclists from other vehicular traffic. It is a prime pathway for visitors to Pier 42 and along the East River esplanade.

Squadron brought DOT and Hester Street Collaborative together to create a public arts project for the median, culminating in a community visioning session last summer. Artists Samuel Holleran and Chat Travieso’s proposal was selected in response to a public request for proposals process. Their temporary project will engage the community and community-based organizations to create unique and colorful shapes and forms inspired by local residents’ individual stories of the neighborhood, that will then be mounted on the median. As part of the community engagement process, Community Board 3’s Transportation & Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to support the project yesterday. 

“The addition of public art on this median is a new direction for South Street,” said State Senator Daniel Squadron. “It’s great when elected officials, city agencies, and community members work together to make our neighborhood safer and more beautiful. Thank you to Commissioner Trottenberg and DOT, Congressmembers Nadler and Velázquez, Hester Street Collaborative, Community Board 3, and Samuel Holleran and Chat Travieso.”

“The downtown community will have a new, exciting view as they walk along the South Street median to Pier 42 and the East River Waterfront,” said Congressman Jerry Nadler. “I was pleased to be a part of the funding process for this much-used community walkway, and I want to thank Senator Daniel Squadron for championing this public art project and for working diligently along with the Department of Transportation and the Hester Street Collaborative to maximize community input at every step of the process.”

“The South Street Median is an important transportation artery that makes the area safer for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists alike. Now, the public art at this installation will help transform this important transportation infrastructure into a local landmark the community can enjoy,” said Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez.

“DOT Art is delighted to partner with Senator Squadron and Hester Street Collaborative to commission a dynamic temporary public art installation for the medians along the South Street Greenway,” said Wendy Feuer, Assistant Commissioner for Urban Design + Art + Wayfinding. “Both Chat Travieso and Sam Holleran are igniting community engagement with their art  by advocating, educating and collaborating with residents of the Lower East Side and Chinatown. We hope each cyclist, pedestrian and motorist that passes through will enjoy the colorful, geometric forms that will exist along this stretch.”

"The medians and the public art project both contribute to the ongoing improvement a waterfront that has long been advocated for by community members. Through the art installation that Chat and Sam are creating, residents from all over the community will see a bit of their neighborhood story side by side with their neighbors’ stories, which on the protective median helps to improve access and safety for pedestrians crossing and moving along South St,” said Dylan House, Community Design Director, Hester Street Collaborative.

“CB3's transportation committee unanimously supported the project. We applaud Senator Squadron, NYCDOT and Hester Street Collaborative for engaging our diverse community in such a creative way,” saidKaren Blatt, Transportation & Public Safety Committee Chair, Community Board 3.

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