Damask Rose: A Gath­er­ing

As a recipient of the 2026 Powerhouse Artists Subsidy Program, Bahar Behbahani collaborated with Powerhouse Arts' Public Art Fabrication Shop to fabricate, and install Damask Rose: A Gathering.

Presented by Governors Island Arts, the public arts and cultural program of the Trust for Governors Island, Damask Rose: A Gathering was a spring celebration held on May 16, 2026, in Liggett Terrace on Governors Island. Inspired by the traditions of the Persian Garden, the project centered the Damask rose—an immigrant plant from the East—as a symbol of migration, hospitality, and cultural exchange.

Guided by themes of shade, wind, immigrant flora, and diasporic ecological and ancestral knowledge, the gathering brought together global south nonprofit organizations, herbalists, tea practitioners, musicians, food and drink storytellers, and community partners to share a collective moment of joy, resilience, and connection.

For more information about the project, visit: www.govisland.com/things-to-do/events/interventions-damask-rose-a-gathering

For more information on Powerhouse Art’s Artist Subsidy Program, please visit: https://powerhousearts.org/fabrication/artist-subsidy-program

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Project Team Members (Powerhouse Arts Staff):
‍Public Art: Alec Reed, Tommy Coleman, Daniel Quinn, Sheyda Azar, Brenna Board, Vivian Pullan, Kelsey Breen, Brittni Collins

Commissioner/Funder/Presenter(s):
‍Pre­sent­ed as part of INTER­VEN­TIONS, Gov­er­nors Island Arts’ annu­al mul­ti­dis­ci­pli­nary per­for­mance series that presents local, nation­al, and inter­na­tion­al artists and invites audi­ences to expe­ri­ence work made and adapt­ed for out­door spaces. INTER­VEN­TIONS is curat­ed by Juan Pablo Siles, Asso­ciate Cura­tor and Pro­duc­er at the Trust for Gov­er­nors Island. Sup­port for INTER­VEN­TIONS is pro­vid­ed by the NYC May­or’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

Damask Rose: A Gath­er­ing is made pos­si­ble through in-kind fab­ri­ca­tion sup­port through Pow­er­house Arts’ 2026 Artist Sub­sidy Program.

Powerhouse Arts is grateful to the Arts and Letters Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Wolf Kahn Foundation for generously supporting the Artist Subsidy Program.