Reflections

2021

Artist Statement

Created for Little Island at Pier 55, my Sing for Hope Piano entitled “Reflections” celebrates the opening of the brand new pier on Manhattan's southwest riverside that doubles as a public park and a world-class outdoor performance space. Little Island's 132 bell-shaped concrete pods inspired the piece, each pod with a unique form and tessellation fused to create undulating topography floating above the water. Overlapping pentagons and hexagons take on different colors found on the Island, including sky, water, concrete pods, corten steel railings and planters, pavements, and landscape. Pockets of colors vary in scale and fuse to capture the Island's reflection onto the water's surface along with the light and shadow of the water ripples onto the underside of the structure. Just as the old wooden structural piles that blanket Hudson River became the inspiration for Little Island, Reflections is ultimately an homage to New York City, its people, and its history. Nestled within intimate pockets of performance spaces on the Island, the piano not only overlooks water but, more importantly, faces and celebrates the cityscape. Especially after a strange year filled with grief and isolation for many New Yorkers, Reflections is a vehicle for the collective celebration of shared objects, spaces, and experiences. It honors human fragility and strength. And its scattered reflective fragments feature bits and pieces of the excellent company surrounding us – our city and fellow citizens.

About the Artist

Jieun Yang

I have a diverse educational and professional background which began with a B.A. in Leadership Studies. After graduation, I served a year in AmeriCorps working with middle school students in Newark, NJ. I then focused my work in the nonprofit sector for several years with organizations like Girls Inc, The Urban League, and The Children’s Defense Fund. I held a variety of roles from Program Coordinator to Designer where I learned to design systems, develop program strategy, build community, and communicate messages clearly. These unique experiences have inspired my multifaceted perspective on how design can be used to create better outcomes.

Public Location

Little Island (July 1 - August 31, 2021)

Permanent Home

This Sing for Hope Piano will be delivered to a public school, healthcare facility, or community center to inspire lives for years to come.

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THE SING FOR HOPE FOUNDERS’ CIRCLE

The International Foundation for Arts and Culture
(Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Chairman, Sing for Hope Global Patron)
The Arnhold Foundation in loving memory of Sissy and Henry Arnhold
The Thea Petschek Iervolino Foundation
The Anna-Maria & Stephen Kellen Foundation
Ann Ziff

Sing for Hope is supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and by the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.

Unitex is a founding sponsor of Open Arts

Sing for Hope is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization (EIN 01-0856384). A copy of our most recently filed financial report is available from the Charities Registry on the New York State Attorney General’s website (www.charitiesnys.com) or, upon request, by contacting the New York State Attorney General, Charities Bureau, 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005, or Sing for Hope at 99 Wall Street #1812, New York, NY 10005. You also may obtain information on charitable organizations from the New York State Office of the Attorney General at www.charitiesnys.com or (212) 416-8401.

Our mission is “art for all” – we actively engage those with special physical or intellectual needs. Both our office and our SFH Pianos Studio at 28 Liberty are ADA compliant, as are our partner sites.