PUBLIC Art Media Installs New Digital Art Gallery in Essex Market
Written by Ana Candelaria
Photos provided by Ana Candelaria
New York City is a mecca for artists who come from all over the world to paint murals. The art scene in the Lower East Side is constantly evolving as the quest for more wall space continues. What I love most about this city aside from the energy is that it’s filled with art. It’s my public street art museum. I look forward to seeing art everyday during my walks so it’s sad to see prime wall spaces go because of construction or new building management. Now, thanks to PUBLIC there’s a new home for art in Essex Market. PUBLIC, a curator of digital art based in Dallas, Texas works with popular markets in major cities across the nation to promote local artists and brands.
The new Essex Market located on Essex Street between Broome and Delancey first opened its doors five years ago in 2019. The space inside is beautiful and modern but smaller than the original market which at one point contained around 475 vendors. The original Essex Street Market ran its operations directly across the street from 1940 up until mid 1990s. I remember going with my mother to the original Essex Street Market as a child to shop for meats and vegetables and an occasional trip to the Botanica, for religious goods. The market was very noisy inside and for me as a child it felt like an adventure trying to keep up with my mother through the crowds as I looked around. There was something about the smell that I loved. It was an interesting combination of incense burning, spices, and fish. To make a long story short Essex Street Market has been a staple for the community of the Lower East Side for decades.
Fast forward to the present day. I had never heard of PUBLIC until I received an email from Scott Reynolds who contacted me via my website which is currently down for a makeover. He was looking for local artists to display their work as 10 second slides on newly installed digital screens in Essex Market and he asked me if would be interested in contributing a few images of my work. I couldn’t believe it! As a Lower East Side native I was thrilled and honored to showcase a few of my photos in the same neighborhood where I grew up. It had been a while since I had been out taking pictures so I decided to use a few of my old street art images of murals that were still on display in the Lower East Side as a test run. Special thanks to Zimer NYC, Indie 184, Ash Saint and Solus Art for allowing me to use my photos of their murals. I was excited to see how the images would look on the big screen as it would be my biggest display to date. I wish someone had been there with me to capture the look on my face when I saw my images playing in the market for the first time. I felt excitement and a boost of inspiration. I was motivated to get back out there and capture more content for the market.
The digital screens are strategically installed in high traffic areas for people to see as they make their way through checking out a variety of spices, seafood, treats, and other goods inside the market. Aside from shopping for groceries and quick bites, locals like myself also utilize the market space upstairs on the mezzanine level as a workspace to get some work done on their laptop or to sit and enjoy a bite to eat. The best part about sitting upstairs is being able to see the new enormous digital display screen PUBLIC just recently installed a few months ago.
The second round of photos I contributed was even more special than the first because it included a few shots of my current work titled Flower Art and Graffiti Pier. Two photos I previously had displayed in art shows. The other added bonus was being featured on the newly installed gigantic PUBLIC digital display on the mezzanine level in Essex Market. I asked Reynolds to include the instagram handles for myself as well as the artist for the mural shots I submitted. Having the credits added to my photos for myself and the artist is a big deal especially when your work is on display in a public market booming with pedestrians from all walks of life. The images remained on display for a couple of months. Special thanks to artists Tom Bob NYC, Miki Mu, Frank Ape, Outer Source, and Tess for allowing me to use my image of their public mural masterpiece. These are the artists that will be featured next in the market.
A few months after I submitted my second round of photos I received another email from Reynolds with another exciting opportunity stating my images were now on display on PUBLIC’s digital art gallery screens in a popular 5-story Miami market called Julia and Henry’s. The market is located on Flagler Street in the iconic Art Deco building. I was extremely thankful for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the future as PUBLIC continues to expand across the country.
The concept of being able to sit upstairs and see art on display as you work or eat is really cool! One of the major benefits of having your work on display at Essex Market is the exposure gained as the market is always crowded. Also the large digital display screen upstairs is on 24/7 even when the market is closed. The images on the screen can be seen clearly from across the street and looks beautiful at night. I was honored when PUBLIC asked if I would be interested in contributing some of my photographs. To know I have images on display in the neighborhood where I grew up and still reside is priceless. Now when I visit the market I take some extra time to look at some of the other artwork displayed by different local artists. That’s how I discovered artist Frederik De Wilde’s amazing alien-like flower art. Aside from my photographs I’ve seen a variety of other cool digital art and animated content. The slides play at random so you never know what’s coming up next and the content loops all day until closing time.
The more I communicated with Reynolds the more curious I became about his project with local markets and how he found me online. I thought it would be a great idea to interview him to find out how PUBLIC got started and also to inquire how to share the platform so other artists and photographers can benefit within the community. I reached out for an interview on behalf of UP Magazine.
UP Mag – What is PUBLIC?
Reynolds – PUBLIC exists to serve and stimulate the public space through visual art.
UP Mag – Tell me a little more about the platform and services that PUBLIC provides?
Reynolds – We have been connecting brands and properties in a form meets function way since the early 2000’s. Now we are in a stage where we are taking this experience and combining all of our favorite things like art, food, and iconic destinations to create something really cool – the first digital art gallery in the public space.
This begins with neighborhoods that are rich in history and authenticity, where the community and visitors alike gather together to connect. This is the magic of the public market. We sought out and stitched together the most historic and relevant venues from all over the country with a platform to serve the markets, the arts and the neighboring undernourished community.
This is accomplished through relationships. We get to know the communities, the venues, their tenants and patrons and help them communicate through our platform. This includes enriching the environment with art and providing an engaging medium for artists. We also include appropriate brand relationships who support the arts, which provides a new revenue stream for the properties and a means to give back to the community via the Children’s Hunger Fund.
UP Mag – Where in the U.S. does PUBLIC currently provide services?
Reynolds –
Essex Market, a fixture in the Lower East Side of NYC since 1818.
Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles, since 1917.
Dallas Farmers Market in Downtown Dallas, since 1941.
Finn Hall in Downtown Houston, since 1929.
Houston Farmers Market in the Heights neighborhood, since 1942.
Krog Street Market in Atlanta, since 1889.
Pearl District, the former Pearl Beer Brewery in San Antonio since 1883.
Julia & Henry’s, Downtown Miami. Established as the original Walgreen’s building in 1936.
Liberty Public Market in Liberty Station, a decommissioned Naval Base in San Diego since 1923.
UP Mag – What is your involvement with PUBLIC? How did you find me?
Reynolds – I guess you can say that I am the creator/visionary of PUBLIC, CEO sounds so bougie. We, as a team, try to view each project through the lens of an artist to provide the proper aesthetic approach. This is tricky with technology and historical venues and that is where local art comes into play – also and how I found you. I am a big fan of street art and always make time to explore the street art scene whenever I am visiting a city. So when I am in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, which has an especially vibrant street art scene in places like Freeman’s Alley, I try to find local artists who might want to make the jump to digital. During my research, I kept coming across your amazing photographs of these artists and was excited to make the connection.
Also, I majored in Fine Art with a concentration in Visual Communication and Serigraphy. My wife was also a fine art major and our four children are all involved creatively with two currently majoring in the arts in different mediums. I understand and appreciate the creative process and value the unique expression of artists.
UP Mag – What are some of the opportunities that PUBLIC offers to local artists? How can artists apply? Where are the PUBLIC digital screens typically installed, ie: Markets? What type of displays are they? Are the displays all the same size?
Reynolds – Our Digital Art Gallery provides artists with a platform to engage and be discovered at scale. Weaved into the colorful fabric and vibrancy of public markets and food halls, our displays are easily recognizable as the same portrait format as most social media platforms. Art can be photographed or captured in 10 second video reels or created digitally for exhibit in 16:9 vertical format. This makes it simple to broadcast since the format is the same throughout every venue in every city while the displays themselves are HD digital LED screens in various sizes ranging from 6’ to 18’ in height. Artists can apply on our website: www.public.art
UP Mag – How many screens are installed per place? Are the screens interactive? How will people seeing the display be able to obtain more information about the art?
Reynolds – The amount of displays varies per venue in keeping with the aesthetic of each individual venue. We value quality over quantity and the value of placemaking. The Digital Art Gallery runs a loop of static and motion art, market messaging and appropriate branding. Tagging each piece with a handle or QR code is typically the best way to engage the viewer to learn more about the works and artists.
UP Mag – How long will the art be displayed on screen?
Reynolds– Typically art is rotated monthly.
UP Mag – Is PUBIC looking into other ways to work with local artists in the future?
Reynolds – Absolutely, we know that art is fluid and digital works can spill out into static pieces commissioned by our property partners at larger scales and vice versa for static artists venturing into the digital space. We are always evaluating styles and curating artists to marry with spaces in a myriad of formats.
Ana Candelaria is a Lower East Side based photographer. She is currently an active contributor for Street Art NYC and a member of Shooter Street Art. Ana’s work has been featured in YV Magazine, displayed in MIKEY Likes It Ice Cream Shop, Unbound: Authentic Visions and Voices as part of a series, as well as Home Grown, a group show that featured Lower East Side natives. Ana has also collaborated with artist My Life In Yellow on a limited edition run of prints. Within the past three years she has established herself as a self taught street art photographer, writer and artist and has received recognition for her photos from street artists from all over the world. She enjoys traveling and nature.
