Street artists take the ugly out of construction sheds

Construction sheds have long been a persistent eyesore in New York City.

But the scaffolding, which is required to protect pedestrians from debris while buildings undergo facade repair or construction, sometimes stays up in some cases for a decade or longer, and even for years after work has ended, compromising the city's unique urban fabric.

There are some 9,000 active, permitted construction sheds up across the five boroughs, which together stretch for about 400 miles. 

City lawmakers have recently made high-profile efforts to remove some of the longstanding sheds. And in April, Mayor Eric Adams signed into law the “Get Sheds Down” package of legislation, which among other things scaled down the 12-month shed permit down to 90 days. 

Supporters of City Canvas, a city-administered program begun in 2018 that facilitates the installation of temporary visual art on some sheds, recently joined the chorus of lawmakers tackling this urban mess and to expand the program’s scope. 

A recently passed City Council bill expands the City Canvas program by adding to the allowable colors of sidewalk shed parapet panels to include approved and alternative artwork. 

“We’re not just talking about beautification, we’re talking about jobs for artists,” the bill’s sponsor, downtown Council Member Carlina Rivera said about the program’s expansion just before the Council approved her bill June 30. 

City Canvas works with several arts organizations in the city to solicit local artists, including ArtBridge and Seven Willow Collaborative, both of which specialize in transforming New York City’s streetscapes and construction sheds into public art installations. 

“One of New York City’s greatest assets is our thousands of talented artists,” said ArtBridge’s executive director, Stephen Pierson. “City Canvas provides a powerful and highly visible platform to showcase that talent. We ensure that artists are paid fairly and meaningfully for their time, which is crucial for those striving to sustain a creative practice in an increasingly expensive city.”

Over the past 12 months, ArtBridge has paid artists on average $5,500 for digital artworks of existing pieces, $12,500 for new, site-specific digital artworks and $19,000 for hand-painted installations.

“As artists, we never know when we get money. It’s very hard to submit as an artist. When I saw on Instagram that there was a huge money prize, I just applied,” said Sophia Chizuco, whose work “Illuminating Energy Flow” adorns an elevated construction shed snaking around Consolidated Edison’s neoclassical, 26-story headquarters. 

Chizuco’s piece, on Irving Place and East 14th Street, is a colorful array of circles, lines and waves designed to represent potential, kinetic and sustainable energy. ConEd’s headquarters, once defined by domineering scaffolding, is now brightened by a rainbow canvas highlighting what the company provides.

Chizuco was paid $15,000 for her work. “That’s the largest commission I’ve ever had,” she said. The program has also given her a lot of publicity — particularly since her name is displayed alongside her piece. “So many people gave me a great response. I think something could be coming soon for me.”

Workers in February installed Sophia Chizuco’s “Illuminating Energy Flow” onto an elevated construction shed propped against the neoclassical Consolidated Edison Building off East 14th Street.

Mark Dye/Con Ed

‘Creating for my city’

Chizuco’s work is among several ArtBridge-facilitated City Canvas programs showcasing cooperation between artists and the owners of private property to bring art to street level — or just above. 

ArtBridge also complements City Canvas by promoting collaborations between artists and city agencies. Davina Hsu’s “Blessing Transmission,” developed in conjunction with the Battery Park City Authority, is one such example. 

“Blessing Transmission” is a colorful, kaleidoscopic site-specific work composed of hand-felted natural wool embellishing gigantic panels along 400 feet of construction fencing. The work was created in response to ArtBridge’s open call for pieces focused on environmental sustainability. While Hsu’s piece is crafted mainly out of natural fiber, which is not typically suitable for outdoor display, she says this piece challenged her to redirect energy into a public site to reach more people.

As Battery Park undergoes a makeover and conceals the riverfront, passersby can experience Hsu’s art as an open air gallery.

Urban development is often a long, top-down process that can generate grim and even unsightly settings, scaffolding and construction sheds among them, that blight public spaces for years. The City Canvas program and its nonprofit partner ArtBridge counter this through art. 

What’s more, the installations are temporary, allowing for bands of local artists to cycle through public space and promote their art until the otherwise drab sheds are finally gone for good. 

Paid $10,000 for the project, Hsu said the program gives artists who don’t traditionally exhibit in public space the opportunity to bring their work to a wider audience. “When I did this project, I feel like it allowed me to rethink my work,” she said.

Another type of programming artists participate in through City Canvas is community-engaged work at NYCHA developments. Woodside NYCHA resident Chey Nelson had the opportunity to work with her own community on “Connections Of The Past And Future,” which depicts the neighborhood's struggle during the pandemic. 

“I received [$6,000] for being on this project, and in 2021 that honestly gave me that jump-start to invest in myself as a New York City artist!” said Nelson. “Since then, I’ve gained the confidence and guidance I needed to build my portfolio and create art for my city.”