Governor’s Island: An Evolving Oasis
The May Room by Shantell Martin (++ downtown Manhattan’s skyscrapers in the distance)
Native American Fishing Camp. British Governor’s Residence. Prison. Army Headquarters. Coast Guard Outpost. Historic District. Public Park.
Governor’s Island, the small oblong piece of land between Brooklyn and Ellis Island, has seen several incarnations throughout the centuries. Originally called Paggank, meaning “Nut Island” by the Lenape, the island is a historical monument in and of itself.
It is also an amazing artistic outpost, home to the LMCC Arts Center, daring public art installations and a steady rotation of exhibitions like NADA House and, at the moment, the Syracuse MFA Thesis Exhibition.
Rachel Whiteread’s Cabin
Even though I live just across from Governor’s Island and stare at it almost daily, I had never been over to explore. I decided to change that, having heard about several interesting exhibitions currently on view and wanting to get a better sense of a place that seems to have become a hub for boundary-pushing art.
Beyond its history, the island is a fascinating place. There’s something strange about standing in a rolling field or next to a meadow of lavender and seeing the towering buildings of Fi-Di in the distance. It can create a bit of cognitive dissonance as you walk across knee-high grass and look up at One World Trade. Many of the artists who have created work for the space play off of this juxtaposition, considering themes of nature, the environment and climate change. From Rachel Nelson and Erik Zajaceskowski’s We Weren’t Always Here: People Change the World around them For better or Worse, a ceramic fountain that considers themes like pollution and conservation, and Bill Saylor’s untitled sculpture that evokes a large-scale weathervane, the relationship between human intervention and the elements is richly explored.
The public installations are also deeply rooted in and inspired by the Island’s history. The May Room by Shantell Martin reconfigures the former Our Lady Star of the Sea into a monumental piece of art. Martin has covered the church’s exterior in her signature black and white drawings and transformed the interior into an immersive interactive work. In this way, the old is reimagined and revived, much like the arc of the island itself.
Mark Handforth’s Yankee Hanger
Other installations such as Rachel Whiteread’s Cabin and Mark Handforth’s Yankee Hanger, both of which have been part of the island’s scenery for several years now, also consider the influence of humans on the landscape but, also, the island as an oasis, a quieter space away from the city’s chaos.
Beyond the installations and exhibitions, just walking or biking around can reveal hidden treasure. I stumbled upon an old (now abandoned) theater first built in the 1930s to entertain soldiers on the base and got to marvel at the many colorful and blooming gardens. There is also plenty to do and see beyond the art that drew me in the first place, including mini golf, outdoor film screenings, good food, play areas and an adventure park.
With rolling fields, good art and plenty of entertainment (and just a 10 minute ferry ride away), Governor’s Island is a quiet oasis I will definitely be returning to.
