GREEN SPACE / HISTORIC SITE

The Trust for Governors Island

Located in New York Harbor, accessible only by boat, Governors Island is a truly unique destination in New York City. A mix of green open space, historic landmarks, military history, and amazing views of Manhattan and beyond, the Island has been under redevelopment since it was opened to the public in 2005. The Island is now an established recreation destination, with over 1 million visitors.

The Trust for Governors Island is a not-for-profit organization responsible for the planning, development, and ongoing operations of the 150 acres of Governors Island. The Trust’s mission is to make Governors Island a vibrant resource for New York City, a destination with extraordinary public open spaces activated by art, culture, and design.

AK Cultural Planning was selected by the Trust to lead visioning and master planning for the Island’s cultural work, a key pillar of long-term development. In collaboration with curatorial advisors David van der Leer of DVDL DD, Manon Slome, Shaun Leonardo, and Prerana Reddy, AK Cultural Planning articulated a groundbreaking plan for public art commissions and programs. Our work included:

• Analyzing the market and cultural context through an Environmental Scan; interviewing national and international opinion leaders; and defining a competitive position within NYC

• Defining “Governors Island Arts” as a brand under the umbrella of the Trust

• Providing a Vision and Master Plan for Public Art, which included values, curatorial guidelines, installation “zones” mapped to the island’s unique characteristics, exhibitions and programming framework, target audiences, and

• Identifying implementation priorities to support long-term budgeting