Some people dream of tropical climates and hot, sandy beaches when they plan a vacation – the hotter, the better. For those who prefer a cooler destination, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in Heilongjiang Province, China may be just the place.
The world changed on August 14, 1945. World War II was finally over after six long years. Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt was in New York City, where citizens and soldiers alike were buzzing with excitement and celebration about the end of the war. As he snapped photos of revelers in Times Square, he captured what would become one of the most iconic images of modern art.
Activist and artist Cindy Weil wanted to publicly commemorate the profound contributions of immigrants to the creation of American culture. She founded the Immigrant Yarn Project (IYP), a community public art collaboration and one of the largest works of yarn-based art in the country, in 2017 to serve as a beautiful metaphor depicting the collective immigrant experience.
Some 440 women in Turkey were murdered by their partners in 2018 alone. Turkish artist Vahit Tuna decided to create a visually startling installation to raise public awareness of the horrors of domestic violence.
Renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone wants to promote the “creative expression of human presence in the desert.” His large-scale public art installation, titled “Seven Magic Mountains,” does that and more. It is a towering display of seven, colorful towers that soar above the landscape, just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Just inside the leafy cover of the De Schorre Park forest, seven friendly giants stand constant guard, greeting visitors and keeping watch over the lush, green landscape. These enormous figures range from 23 to 59 feet long, but what makes them truly unique is that they are crafted entirely from discarded, recycled wood.
Backyard landscapes vary wildly by homeowners’ taste and style, but one Austin yard stands out as the most unique of all. The aptly named “Cathedral of Junk” towers over the home of folk artist Vince Hannemann, boasting over 60 tons of accumulated trash.
The streets of New York City are full of surprises, but none quite as beautiful as the latest project from Lewis Miller Design. Through the city-wide project “Flower Flashes,” the LMD crew turns ordinary objects like trash cans and phone booths into breathtaking bouquets.
Just down the street from Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market, is one of the most unusual installations of public art in modern times. Known as the Seattle Gum Wall, it is a colorful, quirky collection of chewing gum, added one piece at a time by passers-by. The wall has gained fame as a favorite photo spot for residents and visitors to the Pacific Northwest.
British-based artist Bruce Munro has earned international acclaim for his ethereal, light-based sculptural artworks. Munro’s largest site-specific project to date, “Field of Light at Sensorio,” serves to illuminate the beauty of picturesque Paso Robles in California.
