back
Social Bookmarking
Public Art Fund Installation in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Governors Island
New York, NY, June 26, 2008
Press release
New York, NY, June 26, 2008—The New York City Waterfalls exhibition opened today along the waterfront in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Governors Island. Designed by internationally acclaimed artist Olafur Eliasson and commissioned by the Public Art Fund, these four 90- to 120-foot-tall temporary waterfalls were funded in part with a $500,000 grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.
“The Rockefeller Foundation is proud to help support this extraordinary expression of civic creativity,” said Judith Rodin, president of the Foundation. “We make our community stronger by promoting and celebrating bold and inspirational work like the Waterfalls. This public art exhibition affirms the Rockefeller Foundation’s continuing commitment to innovation in the arts, and to the people and vitality of our hometown.”
The Foundation’s funding for the Waterfalls highlights its strong commitment to New York City, its home for nearly 100 years. The Rockefeller Foundation’s Jane Jacobs Medal, named in honor of the author, urbanist, and Rockefeller Fellow, recognizes and rewards two New Yorkers every year for their contributions to the variety and vibrancy of the city. The Foundation’s Cultural Innovation Fund sponsors an annual competition to stimulate breakthrough artistic work across the five boroughs. Historically, the Foundation provided major support for the establishment of several of New York City’s landmark cultural institutions, including Lincoln Center, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Based in New York since its founding in 1913, the Rockefeller Foundation was established by John D. Rockefeller, Sr., to “promote the well-being” of humanity by addressing the root causes of serious problems. With assets of more than $4 billion, the Foundation supports work around the world to expand opportunities for poor or vulnerable people and to help ensure that globalization’s benefits are more widely shared.
Image credit--Olafur Eliasson; The New York City Waterfalls (Brooklyn Bridge), 2008; Commissioned by Public Art Fund: © Olafur Eliasson, 2008; Photo: Julienne Schaer