Across New York City’s five boroughs, five new public art installations are on display, each made from salvaged plywood boards that were used for a much different purpose a year ago.

The sculptural pieces were created as part of New York art nonprofit worthless studios’ Plywood Protection Project. The initiative sought and repurposed discarded plywood boards that were formerly used to seal and protect New York City storefronts closed due to the pandemic and last summer’s protests calling for justice and reform regarding systemic racism and police brutality towards Black Americans. worthless studios notes that during peak protest months across the city, prices skyrocketed to above $90 for a single 4’ x 8’ AC plywood board, and supply rapidly depleted. 

Rather than let these valuable materials go to waste following last year’s events, worthless studios, through the Plywood Protection Project, collected over 200 boards and put out an open call to artists for plywood-based installation proposals. Over 200 applications later, five artists were selected by a jury and were provided studio space, tools, fabrication and installation assistance, a $500 material budget, and a $2,000 artist stipend. 

As explained by worthless studios founder Neil Hamamoto in a piece by the New York Times, the project’s aim was to “create safe, outdoor destinations for New Yorkers during the pandemic while prompting ‘emotionally and politically complex questions’ around pain, anger, protest, property, and memory.” 

This month, one sculpture was installed in each of New York City’s five boroughs. In Manhattan, “Be Heard” by Behin Ha Design Studio will be placed in Thomas Paine Park; “In Honor of Black Lives Matter” by KaN Landscape Design and Caroline Mardok will be in Poe Park in the Bronx; “Miguelito” by Michael Zelehoski will go up in McCarren Park in Brooklyn; “Open Stage” by Tony DiBernardo will lie at the Alice Austen House in Staten Island; and “RockIt Black” by Tanda Francis will be located in Queensbridge Park in Queens. The installations will remain on view until November 1, 2021.