Propagation/Propitiation
Lily Gradante

Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance Partners With The Port Authority and Chashama To Curate Art Exhibition In Project Find Space

The Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance (HYHK), in partnership with the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Chashama, has curated a solo exhibition of paintings by artist Lily Gradante in the windows of the “Project Find” space on 9th Avenue between 40th and 41st Streets in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City. The exhibit titled Propagation/Propitiation features five canvases and eight smaller watercolor paintings and will be on view 24 hours a day from February 18 – March 31, 2019.

Lily Gradante is interested in the form, color and the transcendental properties that plants exhibit. A combination of materials and mediums were used to create her work, including: acrylic paint, found materials and collage. By using an array of materials, Gradante encourages the viewer to consider the mystical side of plants. Though plants are everywhere around us, it’s easy to forget that they are vital for life and long-term survival. The pieces on display were inspired by urban gardening, and the challenges of creating a space for nature, fostered through the propagation and meticulous nurturing of plants within the confines of small NYC apartments.

Gradante’s inspiration for creating comes from a love of nature, and an interest in the culture and importance of a sustainable future. The art aims to “highlight that in a single lifetime, the Earth has been profoundly changed by all the previous generations of humanity, and through small actions one can make a difference,” said Gradante. Just as religious worshipers venerate saints, Gradante finds that honoring the natural world provides a divine path to enlightenment or peace.

The dedication to preservation and sustainability leads Gradante to find peace in the nature that is able to evolve, even in environments devoid of resources. Her execution in these pieces allows the exhibit to become a friendly ancillary to HYHK’s mission to beautify the neighborhood by way of streetscape and horticulture improvements, becoming more than just art, but a sort of bastion of multifaceted awareness.

Lily Gradante is a graduate of the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University, where she received a BFA as a double major of Art History and Painting (Studio Arts). For further information, please visit her Instagram account www.instagram.com/lildant or email her at lilygradante@gmail.com.

The Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance Business Improvement District (HYHK) is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of the diverse population who lives, works and visits the district. The BID covers an area broadly bound by West 42nd Street to the north, 11th Avenue to the west, West 30th Street to the south and 9th Avenue to the east. Our work involves streetscape improvements, supplemental sanitation services, neighborhood horticulture and beautification projects, and technical and professional services for small businesses. Additionally, HYHK is the official NYC Department of Parks and Recreation maintenance and operations partner for Hudson Blvd Park.

You can learn more about their work and future projects at https://www.hyhkalliance.org/ and Instagram. If you are interested in working together, email info@hyhkalliance.org.

Founded in 1921, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. The agency’s network of aviation, ground, rail, and seaport facilities is among the busiest in the country, supports more than 550,000 regional jobs, and generates more than $23 billion in annual wages and $80 billion in annual economic activity. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site, where the 1,776-foot-tall One World Trade Center is now the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. The Port Authority receives no tax revenue from either the State of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, please visit http://www.panynj.gov