{"id":308108,"date":"2026-07-28T22:37:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T22:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/308108\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T22:37:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T22:37:10","slug":"interns-clean-iconic-monuments-at-flushing-meadows-corona-park-through-nyc-parks-citywide-monuments-conservation-program-qns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/308108\/","title":{"rendered":"Interns clean iconic monuments at Flushing Meadows Corona Park through NYC Parks Citywide Monuments Conservation Program \u2013 QNS"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Citywide Monuments Conservation Program (CMCP<\/a>) returned to Flushing Meadows Corona Park<\/a> in Queens Tuesday morning to care for and preserve some of the park\u2019s historic monuments, many of which have been in place since the 1964-65 World\u2019s Fair.<\/p>\n

The annual maintenance at the flagship park in Corona<\/a> focused on a diverse array of structures, including Marshall Frederick\u2019s Freedom of the Human Spirit, Jose de Rivera\u2019s Free Form, Albina Manca\u2019s Gates of Life and the Vatican Shrine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The CMCP, a public-private partnership through the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation that works to preserve the city\u2019s rich cultural heritage, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. It provides conservation apprentices with professional training through hands-on work on the nation\u2019s leading collection of public art.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s team, consisting of professional conservation technicians and four summer interns, the latter of whom come from all parts of the country and the world, worked from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on July 28 to clean each of the four statues \u2014 which are made of materials like bronze, stainless steel and stone \u2014 and replace some of their wax finishes.<\/p>\n

The program strives to ensure structural integrity and consistent aesthetic appearance of these art pieces, encouraging interns to serve as stewards of the NYC parks outdoor art collection.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"An intern stood on a lift and cleaned the Marshall Frederick\u2019s Freedom of the Human Spirit.Photos courtesy NYC Parks<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of the monuments here in the park are connected to the World\u2019s Fair from both 1964 and the 1930s,\u201d said John Saunders, the public art conservator for the Parks Department. \u201cThey sort of form a time capsule that brings that part of New York City\u2019s history to life. Keeping that stuff around keeps the memory of that time right here in place for people to experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saunders explained that the CMCP operates year-round in all five boroughs in NYC, but it enlists the help of four interns for a 10-week summer program to give them hands-on experience caring for parks like Flushing Meadows.<\/p>\n

In the past, Saunders said they\u2019ve completed more comprehensive repairs on larger structures, including the Unisphere after it sustained damage during an intense windstorm. For those larger-scale repairs, he said the crew will bring in special lifts or a crane.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe park has all kinds of issues \u2014 it\u2019s not the most well-funded park,\u201d Saunders noted. \u201cMaintenance is a little more deferred here. We\u2019re funded by the city, so we come and make sure the park is well cared for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"CMCP members applied a new wax finish to the Albina Manca\u2019s Gates of Life.Photos courtesy NYC Parks<\/p>\n

The interns said their experience with the CMCP is both educational and personally meaningful, noting that they\u2019d never visited Flushing Meadows until enrolling in the program. All four of them are pursuing careers in art and historic preservation, making this work an invaluable experience for them.<\/p>\n

Ian Komorowski, a North Dakota native and graduate student at the University of Vermont, explained that historic preservation is a wide-ranging discipline, spanning roles in administration, law and technical work. He himself is interested in the tactile parts of preservation, which is what led him to apply for the internship with the CMCP.<\/p>\n

When he first saw Flushing Meadows, Komorowski said he was amazed by the design of the park and its Parisian influences. He\u2019d never heard of the Unisphere until the day before he participated in the maintenance event, but was utterly impressed once he saw it and learned of its history.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see myself as preserving a very significant portion of American history,\u201d he explained. \u201cThe 60s were a very chaotic time, and to see it preserved for future generations is something I find meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sara Abrahamsson, who is from Los Angeles, Calif., and graduated with her bachelor\u2019s degree in art history from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2024, said her undergrad studies contributed to her interest in the field of art conservation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said the work she is doing for the CMCP is at a much larger scale than the work she\u2019d been doing with oil and acrylic paintings in college.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s just a lot of different questions that go into conservation of sculptures and monuments,\u201d Abrahamsson said. \u201cI was really interested in getting my hands on that kind of work and working with materials like metal and stone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since arriving in New York, she said there is a noticeable difference in housing density compared to her native city, which she noted isn\u2019t quite as crowded. That is why she feels parks like Flushing Meadows are so important to NYC residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom my perspective, it seems people use the park almost like a backyard that they don\u2019t have,\u201d Abrahamsson said. \u201cI love that part of the culture \u2014 people sharing space and coming together. The monuments are, of course, a huge part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"A CMCP member cleaned the Jose de Rivera\u2019s Free Form.Photos courtesy NYC Parks<\/p>\n

Sasha Galbraith \u2014 who was born in England, grew up in Los Angeles, and moved back to England to attend both Bath Spa University and the University of Lincoln for art conservation studies \u2014 said she greatly appreciates public art and the people who maintain it. She thought the CMCP would be the perfect opportunity to contribute to the cause.<\/p>\n

Similar to Abrahamsson, she said the scale of the work they\u2019re completing through the CMCP is much larger than the smaller objects she and her classmates worked on in her college\u2019s lab.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere, we\u2019re up on lifts trying to reach everything,\u201d Galbraith explained. \u201cEverything\u2019s been scaled up.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Galbraith said if it weren\u2019t for the internship program, she might have never visited Flushing Meadows or other iconic parts of the city.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was amazing to have the chance to come here and learn about something I\u2019d never heard of before and knew nothing about,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n

Alex Michener, who is originally from St. Louis, Mo., and moved to Brooklyn 10 years ago, said in all the time he\u2019d spent merely one borough over from Flushing Meadows, he\u2019d never visited the park until he began working with the CMCP.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was awed by the Unisphere, and just the scale of it,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019d seen photos, but I just don\u2019t think that quite does it justice.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

A graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University with a bachelor\u2019s in painting, Michener said he\u2019s seeking a graduate program in fine art conservation so he can do more of the work he has been completing through the internship. He said the more he immerses himself in the work, the more he realizes how important it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things I found really rewarding is talking to members of the public who\u2019ve shared stories about how they come here every day or have a special connection to a piece we\u2019re working on,\u201d Michener said. \u201cThat makes it feel deeper for me, you know? I\u2019m sort of working in service to these things that people have this connection to.\u201d<\/p>\n

A map to all NYC Parks monuments and public art can be found at NYCGovParks.org\/Art-Map<\/a>.
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