NYC DOT iniative comes to the Square

NYC DOT iniative comes to the Square
Photo courtesy of the Westchester Square BID

Westchester Square is home to new pieces of public art.

Two sculpture pieces from Bronx-based artist Linda Cunningham have been installed in the neighborhood as part of the NYC Department of Transportation’s art initiative, in partnership with the Westchester Square Business Improvement District.

One piece, installed at the corner of Westchester and East Tremont avenues, will officially be unveiled on October 1, at 11 a.m. A second piece has been installed in front of the nearby DOT office on Williamsbridge Road.

Bringing the public art pieces to Westchester Square is part of a larger mission to make the neighborhood a cultural destination, said Westchester Square BID director Lisa Sorin.

The BID has brought arts programming to the square and has plans for murals to beautify the area, said Sorin, and the neighborhood will be the new home of the Bronx Council on the Arts in 2015.

“It’s the start of kicking off something really exciting in the area,” said Sorin about the art installation, which will last through July 2015.

The goal of the cultural offerings are to draw more foot traffic, and in turn more businesses to the area, said Sorin, which is ripe with potential thanks to abundence of transportation options.

“It’s a marketable asset for those businesses thinking of coming to the area,” said Sorin about the arts presence.

The addition of art is also about giving something to community that’s already there, said Sorin.

The sculpture of steel and rocks, called “Urban Regeneration 2,” is already drawing eyes and questions.

“We’ve been getting a lot of people stopping and looking,” said Sorin. “And that’s what we want.”

The Westchester Square sculptures are not the only DOT artworks in the borough.

Other projects have included sculptures at East Tremont and Boston Road in collaboration with the Bronx River Art Center, as well as a sculpture on Fordham Road called “Tomorrow,” presented through a partnership with the Fordham Road Business Improvement District in April.

“The installation is a great example of art creating great streets for passersby within their community,” said a DOT spokesperson about the Westchester Square pieces. “DOT’s commitment to bringing art installations to neighborhoods throughout the city activates public space, beautifies and creates attractive corridors and establishes valuable community-based partnerships.”

Reach Reporter Jaime Williams at (718) 742–3383. E-mail her at jwill‌iams@‌cnglo‌cal.com.