Brooklyn community invited to submit original shapes for “Our Brooklyn” art display; Installation celebrating Brooklyn’s diverse culture to be unveiled May 17 on Design Day
NEW YORK – April 2, 2025 – Today, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) commissioned Brooklyn-based artist Phoebe Lo to design and create its 2025 public art installation that will be located along parts of the campus fence line on Flushing Avenue. Lo responded to BNYDC’s second annual open public art RFP issued in the fall of 2024 for the development of original artwork that conveys the theme of “Our Brooklyn.”
The 2025 installation features an interactive element, “What Shapes Our Brooklyn Project,” calling on Brooklyn-based community groups and residents to submit shape ideas that represent the borough’s unrivaled diversity, beauty, deep history, and culture. Selected submissions will be developed into shapes displayed as part of the installation. Members of the public can submit shape ideas here. Submissions will be accepted through April 27.
The installation will be revealed during the Yard’s annual Design Day, taking place on May 17, 2025 in conjunction with the citywide NYCxDESIGN festival. The event features an open house that runs noon – 5 p.m., followed by the public art reveal taking place from 5 – 8 p.m. During Design Day and the public art reveal, attendees will have the opportunity to meet the commissioned artist, in addition to enjoying other activations and exploring the gated 300-acre campus’ design studios and innovative manufacturing spaces. To RSVP, click here.
“The Navy Yard’s public art installations provide a platform to showcase the intersection of innovation and industry while deepening our engagement with the community,” said Lindsay Greene, President and CEO, BNYDC. “The ‘Our Brooklyn’ theme underscores how economic growth can shape a community’s social and cultural fabric, and it celebrates the diversity that has always defined the borough. Congratulations to Phoebe Lo on being selected. We’re excited to see her bring this dynamic theme to life.”
Lo’s work is soft and surreal, blending spirited palettes, abstract shapes, and rich textures across multiple mediums. Her winning concept aims to highlight connective themes such as unity and a sense of community. Envisioned to be playful, the installation will balance color, graphic shapes, and specific imagery to enhance the streetscape along Flushing Avenue. By layering acrylic and sealed plywood, the artwork will have varying opacities and qualities, creating strong visuals as the sunlight naturally changes throughout the day.
“I’m deeply honored to receive this commission and to contribute to the evolving story of Brooklyn’s public art. For me, this piece is a space where shape, color, and form come together to tell stories of belonging. My approach to art is rooted in freedom and fluidity—whether through collage, sculpture, or mural work—and this piece will use an interplay of materials to celebrate Brooklyn’s vibrancy,” said Phoebe Lo. “I’m excited for the opportunity to engage the public directly through this artwork and to invite Brooklyn’s neighborhoods to contribute to its narrative.”
As a multidisciplinary artist, Lo collaborates with brands, organizations, and communities to bring projects from concept to completion. Inspired by her multicultural background, she embraces freedom in her practice, layering techniques and shifting forms of expression to explore themes of belonging and creativity.
Lo was selected through a juried process. Members of the selection committee include BNYDC staff and community partners with public art expertise from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NYC Department of Transportation, the Public Art Fund, Recess Gallery, and the Prospect Park Alliance.
“The New York City Department of Transportation’s Art program, NYC DOT Art, supports the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s commitment to commissioning public art to create a more engaging environment for their local community. Lo’s bold artistic composition will not only draw many to the Yard but will also create a joyful experience for pedestrians,” said Ydanis Rodriguez, Commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation.
“Each artist contributed meaningful ideas, making the selection process both challenging and rewarding. As a Brooklyn native, I’m excited to see Phoebe Lo’s proposal brought to life: her abstract and playful approach powerfully captures the interplay of diverse cultures and people that make Brooklyn such a special place,” said Noel Joan Calvo, School Projects Manager, Percent for Art, Department of Cultural Affairs. “As Lo expressed in her proposal, ‘We are fuller, stronger, and more vibrant when we are together.”
“Phoebe’s work captures the vibrant essence of the surrounding communities of Brooklyn, and I look forward to her piece bringing that light to the Brooklyn Navy Yard,” said Adina Cole, Vice President, People + Culture, Prospect Park Alliance.
“It was an honor to serve on this jury with peers who care deeply about art, artists, and the Brooklyn community. Thoughtful, publicly accessible art is an enriching, important part of our daily lives, and I’m excited to see Lo’s project take form,” said Eric Bees, Director of Development, Public Art Fund.
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About Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation
The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) is the not-for-profit corporation that serves as the real estate developer and property manager of the Yard on behalf of its owner, the City of New York. BNYDC’s mission is to fuel New York City’s economic vitality by creating and preserving quality jobs, growing the City’s modern industrial sector and its businesses, and connecting the local community with the economic opportunity and resources of the Yard. BNYDC’s vision is a vibrant and dense, modern manufacturing community where businesses are provided the stability needed to invest, grow, and thrive and where New Yorkers can access quality jobs.