Case Study: Lincoln Center, David Geffen Hall
The Story
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts invited Public Art Fund in partnership with The Studio Museum in Harlem to launch a rotating series of commissions for the new David Geffen Hall’s public spaces. For the first iteration, we led a selection process to commission site-specific installations by Nina Chanel Abney and Jacolby Satterwhite. Their works explore the complex and rich history of Lincoln Center and the New York Philharmonic while celebrating creative progress and healing.
Completed two years early, David Geffen Hall’s opening represented a statement of faith in New York and its artistic community, delivering jobs and economic development at a crucial time for the city’s rebound following the Covid-19 pandemic. Reflecting the neighborhood, the art installations underscore both the visual and performing arts as essential parts of civic life.
Impact and Highlights
Art commissions received widespread acclaim, including a review in The New York Times that called the commissions “accessible but enduring,” and “relevant to the site.”
In October 2023, David Geffen Hall received the MASterworks Award in the Best Restoration category – recognized for its transformational design that expertly enhances the original qualities of the historic performing arts venue at Lincoln Center.
David Geffen Hall has also been recognized with the Engineering News-Record’s Award of Merit in 2023 Best Projects and the Architecture MasterPrize Award.
Artworks explore and interrogate the history, communities, and cultural legacy of San Juan Hill and its impact over time.
Sited on the exterior of the building and in the lobby, the artworks’ prominent placement boldly welcomes visitors to the concert hall.
Abney’s artwork spans nearly 200 feet and features 35 icons, inspired by the rich cultural heritage and complex history of San Juan Hill.
Spanning the 50-foot Hauser media wall, Satterwhite’s ambitious work features more than 100 student musicians and dancers from schools around New York City.
Project Timeline, 2021–2023
Planning and Strategy
– Site-specific research begins
– Stakeholders engaged
– Creative vision developed
Research and Development
– Proposed artists presented to selection committee
Commissioning
– Commissions awarded
Implementation
– Installation
– Signage and promotional materials created
Launch & Project Close Out
– Press and communications outreach
– Interpretive content provided
– Maintenance manual submitted
Artists and Artworks
About San Juan Heal: On the building’s 65th Street façade, graphically bold portraits and icons greet passersby, inspired by the cultural heritage and complex history of the San Juan Hill neighborhood.
About Nina Chanel Abney: Abney’s paintings capture the frenetic pace of contemporary culture through a distinctively bold style harnessing vivid colors, monumental scale, and influences from Cubism and the Harlem Renaissance.
Behind the Scenes: Abney performed thorough research into the history of San Juan Hill, even partnering with institutes like the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, to uncover portraits of the neighborhood’s pioneers and celebrated musicians, as well as symbols and text derived from the era’s protest flyers.
About An Eclectic Dance to the Music of Time: The digital video installation traverses historical periods through virtual space and features young musicians and dancers that connect the past, present, and future of Lincoln Center and the New York Philharmonic.
About Jacolby Satterwhite: Satterwhite’s conceptual practice addresses themes of labor, consumption, and fantasy through immersive installation, virtual reality, painting, sculpture, and digital media.
Behind the Scenes: As part of his research, Satterwhite mined the archives of the New York Philharmonic, weaving his findings together with live action footage, and digital animation.
Testimonials
“We could not be more honored to have such important artists working with us to open up this new space. Their imprint on this building and this project will strengthen our work and offer such meaningful experiences for all those both here in the community and far beyond.” — Henry Timms, former President & CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
“A guiding principle of the new David Geffen Hall is to open our campus to our community — through the structure of the building and by how we present the art we curate. The very public unveiling of these two dynamic pieces will announce to New York City and the world that we are back, and that we welcome all artists and all art lovers.” — Deborah Borda, former Linda and Mitch Hart President and CEO of the New York Philharmonic
“The artists incorporate the history of the Lincoln Center and its performing companies, and also of San Juan Hill, the largely Black and Puerto Rican neighborhood displaced by the performing arts complex, into deeply thoughtful pieces that are also joyful and welcoming.” — Will Heinrich, New York Times art critic