Joy Brown’s sculptures are now on Broadway

KENT >> A major exhibition of sculptures by American artist Joy Brown is being presented by Morrison Gallery in Kent along with the Broadway Mall Association and NYC Parks. Nine of Brown’s larger-than-life bronze figures will be on the green malls in the center of Broadway between 72nd Street and 166th Street until the end of November.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony with the artist and city officials was held on May 17 at the south entrance of the West 72nd Street subway station.

The sculptures draw you in — endearing figures with their earthy patina, the rounded forms conveying the heavy gravity of stone; the expressions and gestures transcend that weight, radiating warmth and inviting you to come close, to touch. They hold a space of stillness and peace

The influence of the Japanese aesthetic on Brown’s sculpture springs from her childhood in Japan and apprenticeship in traditional Japanese ceramics. Each large-scale bronze is inspired by a clay figure made and wood-fired in Brown’s studio in Kent.

For the past seven years, she has been working in Shanghai, several times a year, in collaboration with Purple Roof Gallery and Atelier, building a series of these monumental bronze figures. This Broadway exhibition is the debut of this body of work in the US.

In her 40-year career, Brown has exhibited in galleries and museums in the United States, Europe, Japan, and China. Her figures and three-dimensional wall installations are represented in prominent private and public collections, and are displayed in parks, sculpture gardens, and urban public spaces around the world. She is internationally known for her expertise with wood-fired kilns. In 1998, she co-founded Still Mountain Center, a nonprofit organization that fosters artistic exchange between East and West.

For 30 years, the Broadway Mall Association (BMA) has worked to beautify and maintain the verdant malls in the center of Broadway from 70th Street to 168th Street. Today, BMA remains committed to carrying out our founders’ vision of the Broadway Malls as a beautiful stretch of greenery uniting the diverse neighborhoods along Broadway. To maintain our 10.6 acre parkland, BMA plants annuals in spring and bulbs in fall. Members also water the gardens and remove trash, supplementing services provided by NYC Parks. BMA enlivens the malls with regular exhibitions of contemporary art, such as Joy Brown on Broadway. For more information, visit Broadwaymall.org

In 2017, NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program celebrates 50 years of bringing contemporary public artworks to the city’s parks, making New York City one of the world’s largest openair galleries. The agency has consistently fostered the creation and installation of temporary public art in parks throughout the five boroughs. Since 1967, NYC Parks has collaborated with arts organizations and artists to produce over 2,000 public artworks by 1,300 notable and emerging artists in over 200 parks. For more information about the program, visit nyc.gov/ parks/art.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Joy Brown’s bronze sculpture, Recliner with Head in Hands, is one of nine pieces now on display in New York City.