Sidewalk Scaffolding to Display Artwork in Chelsea Updated November 12, 2010 9:48am

SEE MORE PHOTOS

By Tara Kyle

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

CHELSEA — Scaffolding may scar hundreds of thousands of feet of New York City building facades, but the planks above one Chelsea block are getting a high art makeover.

"In Plain Site," opening Thursday on the North side of W. 23rd Street, puts works by 25 New York-based artists side by side in front of the luxury London Terrace Gardens apartment complex.

"I think it brings a little joy," said Alice Downs, a 42-year-old pet sitter who works on the block. "The scaffolding stays up for so long, it's a nice way for the artists to get their works seen."

The new exhibit marks the second installation of its kind for the stretch of scaffolding between Ninth and 10th Avenues. After London Terrace resident Rodney Durso founded ArtBridge in 2008, the group installed its first scaffolding show in March 2009.

Walking down W. 23rd Street on Thursday afternoon, 38-year-old video editor Sarah Josephson said a "smudgy, colorful" piece by collage artist Sara Sill caught her eye.

"It certainly livens up the ugly scaffolding," Josephson said.