60 pianos set up in NYC parks and other public spaces
Sixty pianos this morning were unlocked in New York City — from Central Park to the Coney Island Boardwalk — inviting anyone and everyone to take part in the free public art project Play Me, I’m Yours.
The work of British artist Luke Jerram, the pianos will be in New York until July 5, overlapping with the street pianos in London event.
The 60 uprights were installed with the help of the non-profit Sing for Hope, but more volunteers are needed to unlock the pianos each morning and lock them at night. (A spokeswoman for the project said that volunteer link will be fixed soon.)
The piano in Brooklyn Bridge Park was opened late on its first morning, Jose Dobles of Sing for Hope said, because he had to unlock pianos in three different locations. “We still need a number of piano buddies,” he said.
The public is also encouraged to cover the pianos in case of a surprise rain if a piano buddy isn’t around, he said. The public can also upload video and pictures to the pianos website.
Once the piano was unlocked and uncovered in Brooklyn Bridge Park today, a handful of people converged to play, including a pair of delighted children with their nannies and Ngoc Minh Ngo (in the video at top.)
Generally the hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. but vary at some locations as indicated in each piano’s play book. The books also call for a maximum of 10 minutes of play per person if others are waiting.
This story was updated June 22 with additional first-day video and pictures, plus details about the pianos hours.
