June 27, 2019 -- The House of Mirrors won’t be the only immersive experience at Playland Park this summer.  Public art is coming to the Park!  A list of ten finalists was recently announced for a temporary interactive art installation on the boardwalk of Rye Beach at Playland Park.  The art, which has yet to be announced, will fill up a storefront space of the north bathhouse.  The art is being installed in a space that has been unoccupied for a decade. 

The call for proposals by ArtsWestchester, Westchester County and the Westchester Parks Foundation yielded 54 submissions by artists and arts groups from all corners of the Hudson Valley and greater New York City Metropolitan area. 

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “I have long been committed to the arts. I know firsthand the transformative powers of the arts and that’s why it was so important to me to bring an art installation to Playland for the public to enjoy.  Art on the boardwalk is a natural fit, and I’m thrilled that it is happening this season.  I want to thank Arts Westchester for working on this project for the County, and I want to thank the Westchester County Parks Foundation for financially supporting art on the beach.”  

ArtsWestchester Chief Executive Officer Janet Langsam said: “Public arts brings a thoughtful, yet playful dimension to the fun family experiences at Playland and we thank County Executive George Latimer for supporting community engagement in the arts at this special site.”

Deputy parks Commissioner Peter Tartaglia said: “Westchester County Parks is excited to bring a new element to the array of fun and interesting activities to Playland. Art on the boardwalk at Playland represents a welcome expansion of experience visitors of our historic park.”

Joe Stout, Executive Director, Westchester Parks Foundation stated: “The Westchester Parks Foundation is thrilled to be a part of the inaugural Art in the Park initiative at Playland.  We proudly support this initiative and the much needed attention it brings to the most iconic park in Westchester.”

The Art on the Beach initiative is a pilot for a future series of creative interventions at the park. It aims to infuse more public art experiences into the Playland’s ever-growing list of attractions. Artists drew inspiration from many sources in their proposals for the 700+ square foot space that overlooks the Long Island Sound. Some were inspired by Playland’s historic Dragon Coaster, famously featured in Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” video; others reminisced about the hand-carved horses on the Park’s carousel, currently under restoration after a 2017 fire; and some artists desired to raise awareness about plastic waste and environmental preservation with the use of recycled materials.

Designated as finalists for the commission were Natalya Aikens and Kate Dodd, Isabelle Garbani, Tatjana Kunst, Piero Manrique, Robotic Music/Kurt Coble, Ivy Naté, Elizabeth Newsomes and Michael Zelehowski, Shelley Parriott, Aga Ratajska/AGA WAGA, and Stephanie Wenzel. The winning work will be unveiled in early July. ​