New York Harbor was once carpeted with oyster reefs that filtered the whole estuary, and Alan Michelson's monumental sculpture on Governors Island's Western Promenade builds that history into a form you can sit inside: an amphitheatre facing the water, made with More Art and the Billion Oyster Project. The island stays open into the evening, so this is a late ferry and a walk along the harbor edge.
What to expect
Take the ferry from the Battery Maritime Building, walk west from the landing, and the work opens onto the promenade with the harbor and the Statue of Liberty in the sightline. It is a walk-in, sit-in sculpture rather than a piece behind a rope, and it reads differently as the light changes. Chakaia Booker's salvaged-tire sculpture Brick House is a short walk away in Colonels Row.
Good to know
- Ferries leave from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street; the seasonal Brooklyn service from Pier 6 and Red Hook runs weekends and holidays only.
- The island is car-free — bring a bike on the ferry or plan on walking, as the promenade is a fair distance from the landing.
- There is very little shade on the Western Promenade, so sun cover and water are worth carrying.
- The South Island park closes at dusk even when the island stays open later, so time the walk accordingly.
- Combine the visit with Chakaia Booker's Brick House in Colonels Row for a two-work loop.
- Check the last ferry back before you settle in for sunset.
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Common questions
Does it cost anything?
The artwork and the island are free to visit. You pay only the ferry fare, and even that is waived at certain early sailings.
Who made it?
Alan Michelson, a Mohawk member of the Six Nations of the Grand River, commissioned by More Art with Governors Island Arts and the Billion Oyster Project.
How long is it on view?
It is installed for the season and stays on the Western Promenade into the autumn, so there is no rush to catch it in a single weekend.
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