Larry Ng’s beloved “Queens, The World’s Borough” sculpture still sits in all its red, white and blue glory at Forest Hills’ MacDonald Park. But the city says it can’t stay much longer, let alone permanently.
The artwork was installed there last year through the city Parks Department’s Art in the Parks program, which permits yearlong displays. But some community members have taken such a liking to it that they want the intersection of Queens and Yellowstone boulevards to be its forever home.
“It’s huge. It’s right there on Queens Boulevard,” Forest Hills native Carmen Montijo, who now lives in Rego Park, told the Chronicle. “It’s like a meeting point.” Its colors also are reminiscent of the World’s Fair, Montijo said.
Area historian Michael Perlman, who played a major role in the sculpture’s installation, said the same, referencing the 1964-65 exposition’s theme, “Peace Through Understanding.”
“The symbolic sculpture is a creatively unifying work of art that is easily accessible by all residents and prominently situated, and it pertains to our borough’s nickname and reflects the Queens flag’s color scheme,” Perlman said.
Montijo said it does not invite graffiti, and she often sees children playing on it. It even got a fresh coat of paint recently, to welcome spring.
Montijo’s deep roots in the area and appreciation for the artwork inspired her to start a petition on change.org to let it stay in the park permanently. She said in the description that the sculpture has brought her and many others a sense of pride and inspiration each time they pass by.
“It’s not just a piece of art; it’s a symbol of our community’s identity, strength, and aspirations,” Montijo wrote.
Her online petition, which proposed a public hearing on the issue, had more than 300 signatures as of press time. Montijo also is gathering signatures in person.
“When encountering nearly any resident and visitor, and asking if the Queens sculpture should remain at the intersection of MacDonald Park, people say yes and sometimes ask, ‘Who wants to have it moved?’” Perlman said.
But that’s how it has to be, per a Parks spokesperson. The sculpture was approved as a temporary display — permanent installations must be selected through a juried process and lengthy review period, in compliance with the agency’s guidelines and those of the city’s Public Design Commission, the spokesperson said.
The sculpture originally was permitted to be on view in MacDonald Park through Tuesday, but Ng was given an extra month to move it.
He said he is working with Parks on next steps, but would be open to having it stay in its current home for good.
“A lot of people want it. In fact, a lot of the local elected officials want to keep it there,” Ng said. “I get texts and emails all the time, ‘please keep it there.’”
Roughly 2,000 people attended a block party in the park March 8 to celebrate the sculpture’s one-year anniversary.
Advocates are set to gather in MacDonald Park in an effort to “save the Queens sculpture” March 22, from noon to 3 p.m.
“It’s a public park and a public sculpture that celebrates our diverse heritage, so I am hoping that the Parks Department and our elected officials will work with the public,” Perlman said.
Chris Barca, communications director for Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, said the BP has been a “big fan” of the sculpture since its installation and thinks it should stay there temporarily, as talks about a suitable permanent location continue.
City Councilmember Lynn Schulman (D-Forest Hills) has been working with Ng and Parks to honor the sculpture’s importance while recognizing both parties’ initial commitment to a temporary display, according to her office.