A shortlist of artists including Thomas J Price and Tavares Strachan is competing to design a new public monument honoring jazz legend Billie Holiday in Queens, New York. The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs has revealed six commission proposals for the project, which aims to celebrate Holiday's groundbreaking legacy as a vocalist and cultural icon. Separately, the Museum of the City of New York is opening the Puffin Foundation Center for Social Activism, dedicated to civic engagement and social justice.
This monument commission matters because it represents a continued effort to diversify public art in New York City, honoring a Black female jazz icon whose contributions have often been underrecognized in monumental form. The selection of artists like Price and Strachan, both known for addressing themes of identity and representation, signals a shift toward more inclusive and socially engaged public sculpture. The concurrent opening of the activism center underscores the museum's commitment to connecting art with political organizing and community history.