ArtBridge and Con Edison Unveil 900-Feet of Public Art Outside of Con Edison’s Iconic Union Square Building, with Artist Sophia Chizuco
The exhibition is part of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs’ City Canvas program that turns construction sites into art exhibitions

Illuminating Energy Flow, 2024. Digital rendering by Sophia Chizuco. 

March 17, 2025 — Manhattan, NY — ArtBridge, in partnership with Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., is pleased to announce the unveiling of Illuminating Energy Flow, a public art exhibition by artist Sophia Chizuco. The 900-linear-foot-long exhibition is installed on elevated construction sheds surrounding the Con Edison Union Square headquarters in Manhattan.

Chizuco’s artwork is inspired by the Zen concept of Enso, symbolizing sun, infinity, and continuity and presents circles and lines in various colors to suggest potential, kinetic, and sustainable energy. Illuminating Energy Flow was also influenced by Con Edison’s commitment to a clean energy future and built upon the artist’s ongoing project “Flakes of Shine,” which transforms elements of natural light — like sunshine and shooting stars — into geometric shapes.

Chizuco’s artwork was chosen from an open call for proposals addressing themes of environmental stewardship. Ninety-three submissions were received, and the final artist was selected by a panel of community stakeholders local to Union Square. The exhibition is part of City Canvas, an initiative of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs that transforms the city’s temporary protective structures into platforms for art.

“We are proud to witness artists like Sophia Chizuco transforming our city's streets into platforms for art, where passersby are invited to experience and engage with the energy of our urban landscape," said NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. "Illuminating Energy Flow captures the essence of New York—dynamic, diverse, and ever-evolving. Through the City Canvas program, we are excited to bring art throughout the five boroughs, turning construction sites into galleries that reflect our environment, the spirit of the people, and the pulse of our city.”

“Working with Con Edison to define an exhibition theme that placed environmental consciousness at the center of our open call enabled us to review a wide variety of meaningful artist proposals," said ArtBridge Curator and Senior Program Manager, Rebecca Pristoop. "The selection of Sophia Chizuco’s vision by local stakeholders brings a vibrant yet grounding presence to the bustling Union Square neighborhood. Chizuco's ability to portray both movement and buoyancy through line, color, and perspective, visualizes the many forms that energy takes in our environment. The colorful spheres that she suspends in the atmosphere of her composition on Irving Place take viewers on a journey through energetic realms that translate to both external and internal physical experiences."

The idea to enliven the construction sheds at the Con Edison headquarters was suggested by the Union Square Partnership. “Union Square has a rich history of supporting public artwork and artists, and we’re thrilled to welcome this most recent addition to the neighborhood’s art scene, Illuminating Energy Flow,” said Julie Stein, Executive Director of the Union Square Partnership. “We are proud to see the expansion of public art in the neighborhood, complementing the growing roster of USQArt installations across Union Square, and we are grateful for Con Edison, ArtBridge, and Sophia Chizuco's commitment to reenergizing the 14th Street corridor through the City Canvas program. We invite all who pass through the neighborhood to take a moment and experience this exhibition.”

“Illuminating Energy Flow has transformed the scaffolding on Con Edison’s building into an inspiring outdoor art installation,” said Jen Hensley, senior vice president, Corporate Affairs, Con Edison. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with ArtBridge and the Union Square Partnership to bring this talented artist’s interpretation of energy to the community and give passersby the opportunity to enjoy her work. We recommend you see it!”

“I created Illuminating Energy Flow to uplift people and enhance their connection to the world and each other,” said artist Sophia Chizuco, “abstraction in art can be a common language beyond words. In New York City, people come together from diverse backgrounds, my abstract landscapes can be read by all.” Designed in three parts – Potential Energy, Kinetic Energy Flow, and Sustainable Energy – each side of Chizuco’s mural uses varied combinations of colors and shapes to offer energizing, calming, or playful energy. “We are lighting up the streets of NYC with Art,” exclaimed Chizuco.

About ArtBridge
Founded in 2008 by artist and designer Rodney Durso, ArtBridge empowers emerging artists to transform construction sheds and fencing into a canvas for art. ArtBridge works with communities and artists to develop large-scale exhibitions that represent local narratives and cultures. ArtBridge’s exhibitions have provided prominent public exposure for more than 200 artists and have covered over 50,000 square feet of public space. 
art-bridge.org

About City Canvas
City Canvas allows for the installation of large-scale, temporary artwork on protective construction structures — namely construction fences and sheds — throughout the five boroughs. City Canvas is a collaboration between NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the Office of the Mayor, and the NYC Department of Buildings designed to improve the city’s visual landscape, while giving artists and organizations opportunities to bring their work to public  space.

About Con Edison
Con Edison supports organizations and causes that champion a clean and equitable energy future for all New Yorkers. Through its corporate contributions program Con Edison shareholders funded more than $18 million in grants last year with organizations that share its vision to combat the effects of climate change, advance social justice, and create green jobs.

About Sophia Chizuco
Sophia Chizuco is a multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn and born in Japan. She received a B.A. in Art and Education from Tokyo Gakugei University and a certificate in Fine Art at the Art Students League of NY. She has completed four Community Mural Projects with NYC Health + Hospitals’ Arts in Medicine program and has also participated in SU-CASA with NYC DCLA. She was also selected to participate in The Flag Project 2022, at Rockefeller Center in collaboration with the Climate Museum and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Chizuco has led workshops at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, NARS Foundation, and the Lewis Latimer House Museum and was a mentor in the NYFA Immigrant Artist Program.     

Media Contacts:
ArtBridge: press@art-bridge.org, 646-450-1463