New York City 2019

Sing for Hope placed its 500th artist-designed piano in June 2019, making NYC host to more public pianos than any other city. The renowned Sing for Hope Pianos returned to the streets of New York City in the summer of June 2019. In celebration of its year-round creative work in communities, Sing for Hope placed 50 artist-designed pianos in parks and public spaces across the five boroughs for anyone and everyone to play. The country’s largest annually recurring public art project now in its eighth year, the Sing for Hope Pianos are made possible in partnership with New York City Parks and Recreation, New York City Department of Education, The Office of the Mayor, and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, with special support provided by Fosun International. 

The official unveiling of the 2019 Sing for Hope Pianos took place on Monday, June 3rd at Fosun Plaza at 28 Liberty in New York City. Sing for Hope Co-Founders Camille Zamora and Monica Yunus kicked off the festivities, featured pop-up performances around the plaza by a range of performers, including several Broadway casts.

This year’s playable masterpieces have been created by a diverse range of artists, including the Broadway casts of Mean Girls, Dear Evan Hansen, and Jersey Boys; the cast of the hit TV show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; media giant Playbill; and leading visual artists from all five boroughs and around the world, including artist/designer Alpana “Tejaswini,” Florida-based educator Bridget Wendt, and Staten Island-based family of artists Rob, Peggy, and Megan Padovano.

Liquitex is the Official Paint Sponsor of the Sing for Hope Pianos. In addition to supplying the paint, Liquitex provide Sing for Hope’s Piano Artists with ongoing artistic skill-building in the form of free workshops and demonstrations that allow the SFH Piano Artists to bring their designs to life. Liquitex Resident Artist Jimmy Leslie created a special Sing for Hope Piano as a symbol of the partnership, which will be displayed at their headquarters during the June exhibition and later donated to a public school.

“As Sing for Hope continues to expand nationally and internationally, we remain deeply committed to our NYC home that inspired it all. A hub of community and connection forms around each Sing for Hope Piano. Multiply that hub of community by the 500 SFH Pianos we will have placed to date as of this summer, and you have a city transformed,” say Sing for Hope Co-Founders Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora. “These 50 one-of-a-kind Sing for Hope Pianos will not only provide music outdoors for three weeks in June; they will also live on, starting this fall, at permanent homes in NYC public schools, extending the reach of our education programming to over 100,000 New York City students and community members annually. The SFH Pianos serve as the catalysts for our dynamic ‘Citizen Artist Curriculum,’ sparking inspiration for years to come.”

The Sing for Hope Pianos were available in June 2019 for anyone and everyone to play in high-traffic locations throughout the five boroughs including Virginia Park and Van Cortlandt House Museum (Bronx); Brooklyn Bridge Park and Coney Island Boardwalk (Brooklyn); Christopher Park, Bryant Park: New York Public Library, and Central Park (Manhattan); Flushing Town Hall, Rockaway Park Boardwalk, and Gantry Plaza State Park (Queens); and Kivlehan Park and Midland Beach (Staten Island). 

Each year, the Sing for Hope Pianos are brought to life at 28 Liberty, an icon of Lower Manhattan. A Fosun Property Holdings building, 28 Liberty has generously donated space for a fourth year, providing the communal studio where artists have designed and painted the 2019 Sing for Hope Pianos.