Van Der Plas gallery, Lower East Side

Summer Solstice, Concrete Myths

 From the Van Der Plas Gallery press release:

Summer Solstice, Concrete Myths

June 20-June 29, 2025

Summer Solstice, Concrete Myths embraces the history of the summer solstice while paying homage to New York City, by showcasing works that explore New York local legends, contemporary folklore, and urban mythologies. ​

The summer solstice marks not only the longest day of the year but the true arrival of summer.  Civilizations have honored this celestial event for millenia through rituals, festivals, and gatherings aimed to bring luck, vitality, abundance, and rebirth to their communities. It marks the start of the dog days here in New York City, when grey skies lift and the streets become saturated with sunlight.

This exhibition not only celebrates the transition of spring to summer,  but invites artists to explore the potent collision of myth and metropolis. The art in this exhibition breathe new life into local lore: the whispered stories, half-remembered legends, block-by-block ghosts, and the ever-evolving fictions that thrive here. Whether rooted in history, invented from rumor, or spun from the poetry of everyday life, each piece evokes the mystique that lingers in the city’s heat-hazed streets.