A New Work of Public Art

Greeting visitors to the new science building is a spectacular 800-lb. sculpture, "The Next Generation" by Long Island-based artist Ned Smyth, that hangs poised above the fourth floor of the building's grand stairway. Visible to passers-by on the outside of the building as well, the work is made of dense foam and designed to perfectly recreate a monolithic rock form, like the ones shaped by glaciers in the early history of the earth and then smoothed over the ages by the sea and sand. Descending on the walls nearby, multiple mosaics of large stained glass will be installed in the future, capturing photos of microscopic dyed pollen. The work is made possible by the "Percent for Art" program of the City of New York in which one percent of the budget for eligible City-funded construction programs is spent on artwork for the City's facilities.