Madison Square Park Conservancy is excited to present work by Philadelphia-based artist Roberto Lugo for its 2026 commission. Lugo is known primarily for his ceramic sculptures, which refer to the history of European pottery as well as hip-hop, graffiti, and Puerto Rican culture. Lugo’s exhibition Alfarero del Barrio—which translates to “village potter”—will consist of four works across two venues in New York City.  

At Madison Square Park, Lugo will present two sculptures made from hand-painted milled foam, a twenty-foot-high urn recalling traditional ceramics and a fifteen-foot-high fire hydrant, in honor of the urban environment. The urn includes an archway that visitors may walk through to engage with the work, which celebrates Puerto Rican culture and features paintings of the artist’s parents, Gilberto and Maribel, and, among others, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Roberto Clemente and more. In addition to the two sculptures, Lugo will create a series of hand-painted tire planters that will house native Puerto Rican plants, and domino tables designed in collaboration with his father that visitors can use for play.

In addition, MSPC will partner with High Bridge, which connects Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan and Highbridge in the Bronx, the latter site not far from the birthplace of hip-hop. Opening in June 2026, at High Bridge, Lugo will install two eight-foot-high sculptures. One work will evoke the sixteenth-century Castillo San Felipe del Morro, also known as El Morro, in San Juan. This fortress, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Puerto Rico’s most popular attractions. For Lugo, bringing his work to these neighborhoods, with their bustling Puerto Rican population, is a way to offer free and accessible art to a community he feels kinship with.

Both exhibitions will be not only a celebration of Puerto Rican culture but also an encouragement to visitors to embrace play and exuberance.

These newly commissioned works were fabricated in partnership with The Johnson Atelier in Hamilton, New Jersey. Since 2022, The Atelier has collaborated with Lugo to explore new materials and large-scale fabrication processes, expanding his practice into monumental public artworks. This partnership has produced Alfarero del Barrio as well as major works for The Village Potter at Grounds For Sculpture and We Here at Mural Arts Philadelphia and ArtWorks Cincinnati. The Atelier’s facility serves as an extension of the artist’s studio, providing a dedicated workspace for Lugo to paint his large-scale sculptures on-site.

Alfarero del Barrio is commissioned by Madison Square Park Conservancy. Initially curated by Brooke Kamin Rapaport, the project is being organized by Denise Markonish, Martin Friedman Chief Curator; Tom Reidy, Director of Art Operations; and Tiera Ndlovu, Assistant Curator. Holly Leicht is the Conservancy’s Executive Director.