ASTORIA — Outdoor art space Socrates Sculpture Park is preparing for its upcoming summer season, which is set to include its largest installation yet as well as a series of furniture-building workshops for adults.
The park announced its summer lineup this week on its new website, which now includes a live webcam that shows the sky at the park so visitors can check the weather before heading out.
Among the new works of art that will open May 11 are a 250-foot long installation made of stainless steel poles connecting strips of silver Mylar ribbon — what will be the largest piece Socrates has ever hosted.
The installation, called "Scarecrow," is currently being assembled by Lithuanian artist Zilvinas Kempinas and is designed to move with the wind, according to an announcement.
"We asked Zilvinas Kempinas to use the park as his canvas for his most ambitious work to date, and he has pushed the envelope with a tour de force combination of chaos and geometric order," park director John Hatfield said in a statement.
Other sculptures on display at Socrates this summer include "Queen Mother of Reality," a massive sculpture of a reclining woman made from recycled materials, as well as a 50-foot overturned ark that visitors can walk under.
In addition to the installations, the park will be hosting a series of furniture-making workshops for adults, in a partnership with the nearby Noguchi Museum.
Participants will be able to flex their carpentry skills to build an end table, low table and a bench inspired by the designs of sculptor Isamu Noguchi.
The workshops will run in May and June and cost $20. Space is very limited and participants must register online here.
