Madison Square Park Conservancy stewards a treasured New York City green space, distinguished for its vibrant public art program. Since 2004, fifty artists who exemplify the soaring expanse of human creativity have realized breakout commissions—accessible to all in a democratic context.

On the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the art program, the Conservancy’s annual symposium, Advancing Public Art, considered the exhibitions in the park that inspire more than 60,000 daily visitors in a range of political, social, environmental, economic, and creative themes realized through figuration, abstraction, sound and video work, performance, augmented reality, architectural pavilions, and social practice engagement. In panel discussions and dialogues, the symposium invited alumni artists to reflect on their projects in the park, describe their intense involvement with publicness, and discuss whether a commission in a New York City civic space has advanced their work in unexpected ways.

Advancing Public Art was generously supported by the Henry Luce Foundation.