When certain privately funded monstrosities, like Thomas Heatherwick’s shiny Vessel in Hudson Yards, were completely at odds with their surroundings? Nor were they in any sense political. One exception is Fritz Koenig’s 9/11-battered Sphere at the World Trade Center; another treasure was Deborah Kass’s OY/YO sign on the Brooklyn waterfront. (It also made for a great T-shirt.) In the past couple of years, public art—largely thanks to commissions from non-profits—have not just dressed up the cityscape. They have also grown a conscience.

Maya Lin brings Madison Square Park an eco-conscious gift that is as stark as it is poignant.

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