The New York Observer tries to explain what it takes to get your work of art displayed on Park Ave.:

The city generally doesn’t fund public art, so artists or their galleries often cover construction and installation expenses themselves. “It’s a great thing: People get to experience art in unusual locations, all at no cost to the city,” Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said. The result, of course, is that only the most prosperous can afford an exhibition. “It’s kind of the law of nature out there,” said artist Tom Otterness, whose Free Money sculpture was displayed on Park Avenue in 2003, at his and his gallery’s expense. “The economy rules.”

For Mr. Ryman, the Park Avenue show meant coming up with about $800,000 on his own, which he raised by preselling some of the pieces and by dipping into his savings. It doesn’t always pay off: On Park Avenue last spring, artist Mia Westerlund Roosen (who shows at Betty Cunningham Gallery) displayed three 10-foot-tall, curvaceous forms. She said she made them of concrete and cheap architectural foam specifically to keep her costs down to $30,000. She’s still hoping to sell the pieces.

Two Art Galleries Play Monopoly on Park Ave. (Observer)