800 Golf Balls From East River To Become Sculpture In Queens Park

COLLEGE POINT, QUEENS — Members of a northeast Queens conservation group are looking for an artist to turn trash they've pulled from the East River — including 800 golf balls — into a sculpture.

In honor of its 20th anniversary, the Coastal Preservation Network (CPN), which helps restore northeast Queens' waterfronts, launched an open call for a public outdoor sculpture, which would be displayed on the highest hill in Hermon A. MacNeil Park (named after eponymous sculptor).

The group will award one artist $1,000 to build a sculpture that embodies the theme "MacNeil Park: Portico to the East River" and incorporates used plastic, including the aforementioned golf balls that volunteers have plucked from the riverbed.

From where the golf ball comes remains unclear, as there are several courses along the river, among them, a Trump course in The Bronx the city has tried (and failed) to cancel.

Artists based in Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn (the borough's that MacNeil worked and lived) can apply for this grant by email until March 28, according to the proposal.

Sculptures that "respond directly to the park and its neighborhood" will be given priority, organizers said, pointing to the history of the park and its connection to the East River, in particular.

"Artists are strongly encouraged to visit MacNeil Park before submitting a proposal," organizers said, noting that while the sculpture will be displayed near a flagpole it cannot be attached to trees or lampposts of any kind.

Winning proposals will be chosen by the board of CPN and displayed in the park for an as-yet-unspecified exhibition term beginning in the fall.

Find out more information about the call for proposals and how to apply here.