Free Photo Exhibition Captures Energy and Impact of Pick-up Basketball

Image: Kevin Couliau, Morningside Park, 2015, Giclee print

Ten years after his seminal documentary “Doin’ It in the Park: Pick-Up Basketball, NYC,” photographer Kevin Couliau brings NYC’s vibrant public courts to NYC Parks’ Arsenal Gallery

June 29, 2023 – September 5, 2023

NYC Parks presents Heart of the City, a visual journey through New York City’s outdoor basketball scene through Kevin Couliau’s photographs, spanning 2004 to 2020. Drawing from his iconic book, “Blacktop Memento: Fragments of Erosion” and his groundbreaking documentary “Doin’ It in the Park: Pick-Up Basketball, NYC,” this exhibition unveils the raw beauty that permeates the city’s playgrounds on the 10th anniversary of the seminal film. Join us as we celebrate the boundless energy of pick-up basketball and the undeniable cultural impact of New York City’s public parks. 

This exhibition is curated by Common Practice with the support of the National Basketball Players Association and Project Backboard. 

This art exhibition is FREE and open to the public. For more information, visit nyc.gov/parks/art. 

An opening reception will take place at the Arsenal Gallery on Thursday, June 29, 2023, from 6-8 p.m. The reception is open to the public and refreshments will be served. For more information, visit nyc.gov/parks/art. 

In conjunction with this exhibition, there will be a screening of “Doin’ It in the Park: Pick-Up Basketball, NYC” at the West 4th Street Courts, Manhattan, on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at 8 p.m. 

The Arsenal Gallery will be closed on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, and Monday, September 4, 2023.

The Arsenal Gallery, Central Park
Fifth Ave. & 64th St., 3rd Floor
MANHATTAN