The West Harlem Art Fund has been selected to lead a community commission with NYC DOT. The approved site is 124th Street and Lenox Avenue in the median. Proposal applications are due June 30th. We want artist(s) to incorporate spirit of Harlem, its people and its very diverse history. Below are short posts that artists can read to learn about the area.

 

Manhattan Site

Lead Curator: West Harlem Art Fund
Mission Statement: The West Harlem Art Fund (WHAF) is a twenty-six year old, public art and new media organization. Like explorers from the past, who searched for new lands and people, WHAF seek opportunities for artists and creative professionals throughout NYC and beyond wishing to showcase and share their talent. The West Harlem Art Fund presents art and culture in open and public spaces to add aesthetic interest; promote historical and cultural heritage; and support community involvement in local development. Our heritage symbol Afuntummireku-denkyemmtreku: is the double crocodile from West Africa Ghana which means unity in diversity.

Location: Median at 124th Street and Lenox Avenue
Only sculptures/3-Dimensional artwork will be considered.

Historical Pages

JEWISH HARLEM

ITALIAN HARLEM

BLACKS IN EARLY CINEMA

FEMALE HOOFERS

RAGTIME AND JAZZ

BLACK RENAISSANCE

History of Tap Dance

Individual artists and artist teams should take into consideration the migration narrative of Harlem. How folks journeyed from Lower Manhattan to Harlem after this residential neighborhood joined the City of New York in 1873. Various groups wanted a better life with good housing and new transportation that made it all possible in late 1800s. War and then the depression changed the dynamics of Harlem. It became a mecca for Southern Blacks and Caribbeans.

NYC DOT Art Community Commissions website https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pedestrians/dotart.shtml#cc

Submittable application https://nycdotart.submittable.com/submit

If artists wish to learn about our other open calls, please email westharlemartfund12@gmail.com. We will have a call for our Harlem Sculpture Gardens (outdoor sculpture exhibition) 2025; Governors Island Spring 2025; Lower East Side Fall 2025 and Brooklyn Fall 2025.