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Colorful Piano to be In Gantry Plaza State Park Through Sunday

Piano in Gantry Plaza State Park as part of the Sing for Hope public art project (Photo: Hunters Point Parks Conservancy)

June 17, 2019 By Shane O’Brien

A colorful piano with a bright orange fish painted on it sits in Gantry Plaza State Park and park-goers are able to play it until Sunday.

The piano, which is part of the Sing for Hope public art program, is one of 50 scattered in parks and public spaces across New York City. This is the eighth year of the piano initiative, which kicked off this year on June 3 and is going through June 23.

The piano in Gantry Plaza State Park was designed by Atlanta-based artist Maria Tonelli Smith and is called “Practice Your Scales.” Each piano is designed and painted according to a different theme determined by a given artist.

“I think my piano will awaken young imaginations, and entice people to gather around, discuss the art, and play the piano, no matter what level of skill,” Smith said of her piano in Gantry Plaza State Park. “Just like a children’s book opens the world of reading to children, I believe that the colorful fish and sparkles from the glitter will bring people of all ages together, to play, to sing, and interact for the common cause of just having fun.”

The piano will be moved to a new home at the end of Sunday. All 50 pianos used in the Sing for Hope program will be donated to local public schools, particularly those that lack funds for music programs.

The piano in Gantry Plaza State Park is one of eight Sing for Hope pianos in Queens. (Click for map)

Sing for Hope is a non-profit organization that aims to “transform lives by using the power of the arts to create a better world.”