Leslie Wayne paints coastline from above — thick, worked oil surfaces that read as satellite imagery until you get close and they turn into physical matter sliding off the panel. Showing that work on Governors Island, a former military post now being raised several feet to survive storm surge, makes the argument in one move. It anchors River To River's 25th season, it is free, and The Arts Center opens only on weekends.
What to expect
The Arts Center sits in Nolan Park, about ten minutes' walk from the Soissons Landing ferry dock, and opens Friday through Sunday afternoons. The show shares the building with other River To River programming including The Tempestry Project. Expect a quiet, uncrowded gallery and a short walk back past the island's outdoor artworks.
Good to know
- Ferries run from the Battery Maritime Building in Manhattan and from Pier 6 and Atlantic Basin in Brooklyn.
- The Arts Center opens on weekend afternoons only, so plan the ferry around it.
- Admission is free, as is everything in the River To River Festival.
- Combine it with the island's outdoor art — Alan Michelson's The Oyster is a ten-minute walk away.
- Governors Island is car-free and the walk from the dock is flat and stroller-friendly.
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Common questions
What is River To River?
LMCC's free summer arts festival across Lower Manhattan and Governors Island, running from June into late September in its 25th year.
Who is Leslie Wayne?
A New York painter known for heavily worked, sculptural oil surfaces; this show applies that technique to aerial views of eroding US shorelines.
Is there an admission charge?
No. The exhibition and the festival are free; only the ferry to the island costs anything.
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