UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Two temporary public art installations will grace the center median of Park Avenue this spring, including one now on display and another expected to debut next month, NYC Parks officials said Thursday.

Elizabeth Masella, senior public art coordinator for NYC Parks, told Community Board 8 on Thursday night that the new Park Avenue projects are coordinated with the Fund for Park Avenue.

The new works are part of the agency’s temporary public art program, which allows artworks to be installed in parks across all five boroughs for up to one year.

Talisman

“Talisman,” by Michele Oka Doner, was installed this week on Park Avenue between East 66th Street and East 67th Street and will be on view until October 2026, Masella said.

The mixed-media installation features hanging, illuminated sculptural elements suspended from trees planted on a raised wooden platform, creating a feeling of a magical, mysterious grove, Masella said.

“Talisman,” by Michele Oka Doner. (Photo: NYC Parks)

“They are Urban Fireflies, lighting up the night,” the artist wrote in an artist’s statement. “They sway with breezes and move with the wind, like jazz riffs that create a rhythm of their own. Inhabiting a Scared Grove, seasonally bare in early spring, then sheltered in a leafy dome as summer ripens, Talisman will continue to change during their residency on Park Avenue Mall.”

The Distance that Unites

A second exhibition, “The Distance that Unites,” will bring 10 sculptures by Spanish artist Manolo Paz to Park Avenue next month, Masella said.

Presented by Galeria Max Estrella and the Fund for Park Avenue, the show reflects the artist’s formative years in New York City and combines industrial materials such as concrete and metal with natural elements like granite and wood.

The artist will have three stacked quartzite sculptures, called “Three Cathedrals,” meant to echo Manhattan’s skyscrapers, at East 60th Street and Park Avenue.

The artist will also have several colored cubes made out of metal latticework, including a 23-foot-long red piece called “Transparencies” on Park Avenue between East 60th and East 61st streets.

“Transparencies,” by Manolo Paz. (Rendering: NYC Parks)

On either side of the intersection of East 62nd Street, as well as one side of the intersection of East 63rd Street, the artist will also have another cube-like sculpture series called “Blue NASA,” which will be red, white and blue.

“These intricate sculptures, designed as three-dimensional metal grids, echo the geometric patterns of New York City’s streets and buildings, further reinforcing the deep connection between the artist’s work and the urban landscape,” the artist’s statement reads.

The Paz exhibition is expected to open in the second half of April — with an anticipated launch date around April 25 — and remain on display through mid-September.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.