NEST Sculpture Brought Freshkills Park to Staten Island Ferry Terminal

After 11 months at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, NEST was de-installed on August 9th. A collaborative collection of habitats found in Freshkills Park, Kirk Finkel’s NEST represents an intersection between the diverse bird population of Staten Island and the dynamic urban environment that surrounds it.

NEST is designed to bring Freshkills Park wildlife to the people of New York City while encouraging visitors to experience the park firsthand. The Ferry Terminal was a great location for the installation because it is a juncture between tourists and commuters, Staten Island and the rest of NYC, present and future.

The colorful interactive sculptures include drawings inside the boxes that were created from community submissions. This installation asked travelers to pause, reflect, and observe the natural world around them and consider the ecological changes at Freshkills Park.

This installation was presented by the Freshkills Park Alliance, NYC DOT ART, NEA Art Works, The Staten Island Foundation, and Tauck Ritzau Innovative Philanthropy. Special thanks to NYC Parks, Staten Island Makerspace and Gifpop.

The sculpture will be reintroduced at “MakerPark,” a public park located across the street from the SI MakerSpace workshop on 450 Front St in Staten Island.