Artful apples find homes in Lower Manhattan

Cobblestone streets, seafood restaurants, cozy breweries, clothing stores -- these are all things people have come to expect at the South Street Seaport. A giant, canary-yellow apple, in contrast, catches many visitors by surprise. The oversized piece of fiberglass fruit, painted with the image of a young boy saluting a group of uniformed fireman, is one of several new pieces of public art that have found homes on Lower Manhattan streets in recent weeks. These new pieces are mixed in with the dozens of  sculptures and murals that have long brightened downtown's streets, and the resulting neighborhood-turned-outdoor-art-museum is a must-see while fall's beautiful weather lasts.

Big Apples in the Big Apple

The yellow apple at the seaport, entitled "Salute," was designed by artist Grace Graupe-Pillard as part of the Big Apple Fest, a philanthropic art exhibit that in mid-August began inviting artists to decorate apples for display throughout the city. The exhibit's purpose is to raise funds for City Harvest, the Police Athletic League, and the NYC & Company Foundation.

Slideshow of Downtown Public Art Public art is nothing new in Lower Manhattan. In fact, the area is home to countless permanent installations, many of which have been in place for years. If you've walked around at all, you're sure to have noticed a sculpture here or a mural there bringing color and beauty to downtown's sidewalks and parks. As part of your continuing tour, please enjoy this LowerManhattan.info slideshow, which captures a few favorites from a variety of angles. Click Here for Public Art Slideshow

Each contributor receives a $1,500 honorarium for his or her work. Designers have artistic control over their apples, but it is the sponsors that select which apples are ultimately transformed from designs on paper to dynamic 3-D creations. Sponsors, who include Anheuser-Busch, CNN, and MetLife, among many others, pay $8,500 to support the creation of each big apple.

Every week, festival organizers roll out another big piece of fruit for the public to enjoy. Already, there is a Broadway-themed apple autographed by Nathan Lane and Nicole Kidman, an apple decorated with a 3-D image of Yankee stadium signed by all the players, and the "Flaming Candy" apple -- a red apple illustrated with flames.

The Big Apple Fest concludes in October, when the 200 sculptures will be auctioned by Sotheby's. For more information about the location of the sculptures, go to www.bigapplefest.org.

Can You Hear Me?

For a more participatory artistic experience, head down to Foley Square. There, at the intersection of Pearl and Centre Streets, sits the Freedom of Expression National Monument -- an enormous red megaphone designed by architect Laurie Hawkinson, performer John Malpede, and visual artist Erika Rothenberg. "You are cordially invited to step up and speak up," reads a plaque adorning the distinctive sculpture.

That's right. New Yorkers checking out the public art piece are encouraged to climb a sloping, 21-foot-long ramp to a six-foot-tall platform, where they can speak, sing, read poetry, or issue grievances into the bright, crimson-colored megaphone.

Billed as a "modern-day soapbox," the Freedom of Expression National Monument -- on display through November 13 -- is presented by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and Creative Time, a non-profit public arts presenter. For more information, go to www.creativetime.org.

Art That Breathes

Breath, by artists Shirazeh Houshiary and Pip Horne

Breath, a 20-foot-tall minimalist sculpture located in front of the Ritz-Carlton in Battery Park City, is another downtown public art piece presented by Creative Time. The tower of white enameled brick -- presented in cooperation with the Ritz-Carlton New York and the Battery Park City Authority -- is shaped like a double helix, which conceals a sound system that emits a unique, low sequence of four spiritual vocal tracks.

From dawn until dusk each day, a continuous, 18-minute loop of sound hums from the sculpture, including the Azan (the Islamic call to prayer), a Jewish tribute, tonal breathing exercises of Buddhist monks, and "O Jerusalem," a Christian work by a 12^th-century composer.

Breath, which was designed by artists Shirazeh Houshiary and Pip Horne, will be presented until January 2005.