“The Sun Is a Flame That Haunts The Night” by Tai Shani

We were walking through New York’s Chelsea neighborhood recently when we looked up to see a glowing candle, lighting our way. The mysterious light is part of the new art installation on the High Line, “The Sun Is a Flame That Haunts The Night” by Tai Shani. For this piece, Shani drew upon one of her recurring motifs, candlesticks, to create cartoon-like sculptures which glow at night. Though candles usually drip and melt, reminding us of the passing of time, these candles stay the same, unchanging on the High Line. The installation will light up the Highline through March 2026. We recommend art lovers catch these beautiful sculptures at night when they’re aglow.

Art Vending Machines

Ana Inciardi, an artist who hails from Brooklyn, has been installing print vending machines across the country for the last three years. A machine recently opened at Artists & Fleas in Chelsea market, a perfect location for the Italian American artist who celebrates food, community, eating, and accessibility. We knew we had to take a visit! Usually, the Friday photo gives us a chance to appreciate art displays, but this week we got to take the art home with us. All you need is four quarters to get a surprise print. Inciardi said the inspiration for the machines came from a sticker and temporary tattoo vending machine at the supermarket where she grew up. One week when she was short on quarters for the laundromat, she realized she could use the format of those childhood vending machines but put a twist on them, filling the machines with her prints to make art accessible for people across New York. The idea has been a massive success, and now her linocut prints can be found across the country. We were excited to bring home our New York themed images of a hot dog, ice cream, bagel, and Italian spritz, some of the best treats for a New York summer day!

“The Space Between Us” by Risha Gorig

Floating fifteen feet above New York’s Union Square Park are two bright pink chairs, facing each other. “The Space Between Us,” (“TSBU”) is by Brooklyn based artist Risha Gorig, who is known for taking a whimsical approach to bleak themes. Gorig says the floating chairs, which represent public discourse, serve “as a poignant reminder of our essential need for communication.” As one of New York’s oldest town squares, Union Square has historically served as a “space for expression, protest, and exchange,” making it the perfect backdrop for the thought provoking and conversation starting installation.  This eye-catching piece will be on display for visitors until May 1, 2025.

“moonGARDEN” by Lucion

After touring the world with stops in Athens, Brussels, Jerusalem, Moscow, Washington, Mexico City, Medellín, Houston, and Beijing, moonGARDEN has made its way to New York City. The art installation features glowing, color-changing spheres which were created by Lucion, a multimedia production firm based in Quebec.  Currently planted at the Seaport District, the spheres are inspired by set theory, a branch of mathematics that Lucion says “illustrates the notions of sets and belonging.” Each city gets a new perspective, and New York’s installation is titled “Chronicles of the Abyss Walkers,” featuring an underwater themed marine exploration. A peek inside the porthole of one sphere reveals a new world, with giant jellyfish, robotic fish, and an intricate coral reef. The installation is sure to delight visitors of all ages, and art lovers can catch the exhibit through February 2025, before the garden travels to its next destination.

Women’s Book Battles

The New York Historical Society is currently showcasing “Circulating Control: Women's Book Battles, 1880-1930,” which explores the influence of New York City’s first librarians – women. In the late 1870s, women in New York started the New York Free Circulating Library, creating the largest network of literature in the city. By managing and keeping this library system, these women naturally began influencing and mediating the kinds of books New Yorkers had had access to.

In the nineteenth century, Christian reformers targeted these efforts, attempting to censor books and publications they saw as immoral. However, the women who ran these libraries resisted control, and still found ways to circulate literature on controversial topics of the time. The exhibit highlights how censorship often sparks greater public support for the ideas censors seek to suppress, a trend we still see to this day.

Visitors can explore preserved texts, photographs, and relics from New York City’s first librarians through November 30, 2025.

“Untitled (America/Me)” by Glenn Ligon

For decades New York based artist Glenn Ligon has explored issues of race, sexuality, and identity in his art through a historical lens, drawing on literature and sources from the past. Using text in his work, he plays with language to make us think about shifting meanings in different contexts. Now, Ligon has once again drawn attention to what America means as our nation struggles to maintain unity.

“Untitled (America/Me),” is a new 25 x 75 foot billboard viewable from the High Line at 10th Avenue and 18th Street. The installation revisits Ligon’s iconic 2008 neon sculpture, “Untitled,” which featured the word AMERICA in bold neon caps that flickered on and off. Ligon has modified his original piece by crossing out most letters in AMERICA, leaving behind only the word “ME.” As the artist explains, “The word ‘America’ is eclipsed, and the blackening of the letters adds a layer of ambiguity… It’s timely as we reflect on our purpose as a nation and as individuals.” Timely indeed as we ponder the election this coming November 5th and what America means to each of us.

DLG Annual Boat Cruise

As the sun sets on summer, we gathered for a much-anticipated tradition: the DLG annual end of summer sunset cruise. We were rewarded with beautiful weather this year as we sailed around majestic New York City landmarks. Taking in views of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Downtown Manhattan from the Hudson is nothing short of magical. We love taking a moment to pause from our hard work to enjoy food, drink, and each other’s company. Now we look forward to what autumn and winter have in store for us all.

Summer Streets

Photo and Video by Rebecca Collins-Pfeiffer

Though many New Yorkers try to escape the city in the summer, we are enjoying all the city has to offer this season. For most of the year, outdoor activities are not conducive to busy New York streets, but for a few weekends of the summer the Department of Transportation runs “Summer Streets,” shutting down miles of city streets to traffic for residents to enjoy.

Walkers, runners, bikers, and even roller skaters can take advantage of these street shutdowns for a few more weeks and take in the city from a different perspective. The last days to enjoy the closures are August 17th in Manhattan, and August 24th in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Whether you go by foot, bike, or roller skate, you are sure to enjoy the summer treat.