Should Hoboken Approve $500K Art Installation? Meeting Scheduled

HOBOKEN, NJ — The city of Hoboken has scheduled a meeting Wednesday night to present three proposed public art installations to the public. The installations are funded by the 1 percent of all bond ordinances that has been set aside for art.

A unique statue of LGBT+ activist Marsha P. Johnson, who lived in Hoboken for the last 12 years of her life, will cost $250,000 and be installed at Stevens Park. A mural near City Hall will cost around $11,000.

A third choice has already caused some controversy.

RELATED: Can Artists Afford To Stay In Hoboken And Jersey City?

The Fund for a Better Waterfront, a longtime Hoboken activist group, called a proposed $500,000 sculpture to be installed on the waterfront "ostentatious."

In response to public debate, Councilman Phil Cohen Tweeted this on Monday, including a rendering:

The FBW said in its newsletter Wednesday, "The City of Hoboken has revealed little about a $500,000 sculpture proposed for Pier C Park. Nevertheless, a public hearing will be held at the May 1 City Council meeting beginning at 7 p.m. FBW has many questions about the selection process, the appropriateness of such a piece on Pier C Park towering over a Hudson River, and the sculpture's long-term viability."

The sculpture also appears similar to items installed around Hoboken by Mother Nature:

The installation, "The River That Flows Two Ways," was designed by Dutch artist Harmke Datema Chang.

Supporters of the choices noted that they were vetted by Hoboken's Art Committee Advisory Board. The process is explained here.

The city has recently welcomed several other installations.

Recently, the city installed a mural by a Canadian artist. And the Hoboken Business Alliance has already brought two traveling light installations to town, one from a Brooklyn artist and one from a Los Angeles-based arts collective.

Council Seeks Your Input

Here is the council agenda with links to information about all three projects.

Of the newest proposals, city spokesperson Marilyn Baer explained, "The city of Hoboken put out a call for artists in late 2022 with the intent of bringing more public art to Hoboken. The resulting proposals were thoroughly reviewed by the Hoboken Art Committee in 2023, concurrent with development of the City of Hoboken PublicArt Plan, which was adopted by the City Council in January 2024."

She said, "These artworks by local and international artists would be funded by the Arts Fund, a dedicated funding source for permanent public art established by executive order in 2018. The project would be overseen by the City's Public Art Administrator as outlined in the adopted Public Art Plan. The city looks forward to gathering public feedback on the proposed art during the public hearing. If the city were to movethe projects forward following that feedback, the city would seek council approval during a future meeting."

To find out the meaning, story, and more behind the options, attend the meeting virtually or in person. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 94 Washington Street (at Newark Street). You can watch on the city's Facebook page, or watch on YouTube.