Times Square Arts Project Honors Essential Workers with Public Art Campaign

Messages for the City launched across five New York districts on April 17, with a second round on May 15. The collaborative project by Times Square Arts, Poster House Museum, Print Magazine, and the For Freedoms collective uses art to display public service announcements and messages of gratitude for city workers who cannot stay home. Approximately 30 established and emerging artists and designers created works for display in one of the world's most iconic locations. Participating artists include Jenny Holzer, Carrie Mae Weems, Pedro Reyes, and Paula Scher. Each artwork is displayed on digital screens for 15 minutes continuously throughout the day. Several companies donated advertising space on their Times Square billboards. The pieces will also appear on screens in nursing homes, health clinics, and food banks through the F.Y.eye organization. The campaign included a limited-edition painting by Mexican artist Pedro Reyes, with sales benefiting the New York Immigration Coalition, which represents over 200 immigrant and refugee groups in the metropolis. The editions sold out quickly.