Making Love: Times Square Arts installation

Feb 12

—

Feb 19, 2026

information

Making Love, an installation presented by Powerhouse Arts and Times Square Arts, celebrates love, craft, and the makers of New York City.

The installation foregrounds the artistry of fabricators, often working behind the scenes to bring our city’s creative endeavors to life. Inspired by paper peep shows and theatrical set design, Making Love takes the form of a larger-than-life carousel book—a three-dimensional pop-up that opens into an immersive, multidimensional story with a circular narrative. Visitors are invited to step inside and move through a sequence of four distinct scenes that represent a crossroads of experiences and cityscapes, where one might encounter love—at a botanical garden, a canal, or even a corner bodega. Visitors are encouraged to move through the structure, linger within each vignette, and, in one scene, take away an artist-designed love note.

Each quadrant of Making Love highlights a distinct fabrication process, illustrating how artists’ concepts are translated into immersive, physical environments. Hand-painted murals, Dürer-inspired drawings reproduced at large scale, and customized bodega merchandise were produced in the Digital Print Lab at Powerhouse Arts using UV printing on Dibond panels. Within the bodega scene, many of the items on display were individually designed and fabricated by hand, including sewn food items that replicate familiar products through careful construction and detail. These hand-crafted elements are presented alongside sculptural components across all four quadrants—including trellises, hedges, proscenium frames, canoes, and a bodega counter—to create layered spaces that visitors can experience from within. Together, these techniques emphasize the collaboration between artists and fabricators, highlighting the care, skill, and processes that bring each scene to life.

Featuring the work of artists and Powerhouse fabricators Lisa D. Archigian, Kelsey Breen, Nellie Davis, Cythali Sapuis, and Jacqueline Veliz, Making Love celebrates not only romance, but love as labor, craft, and collective creation.

‍

Artist Bios:

Cythali Sapuis is a multidisciplinary artist and spatial designer based in New York. Her practice exists at the intersection of digital media, installation, and narrative environments, with a focus on how space functions as both a physical and emotional structure. Her work has been featured in recent publications including Vogue and Office Magazine, and she has contributed spatial design work to projects at the Times Center and the Brooklyn Museum. Through immersive and experiential design, Cythali continues to explore new ways of engaging audiences across digital and physical spaces.

‍Jacqueline Veliz (she/her) is a Mexican and Guatemalan multidisciplinary artist and NYC native working with ceramics, textiles, puppetry, and repurposed materials. Her practice explores play, grief, and the fantastical as liberatory strategies, drawing from cultural memory, Catholic ritual, and the visual and cultural density of New York City. Veliz has exhibited work throughout New York City and Atlanta, and serves Brooklyn and NYC as the Public Programs Manager at Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Her go-to deli order is a philly cheesesteak on a roll with NY kettle jalapeño chips.

‍Kelsey Breenis a Brooklyn-based ceramics and graphics artist whose work explores memory, material, and the influence of environment on inner experience. Working across clay, painting, and graphic forms, her practice emphasizes tactility and visual fragmentation. Alongside her studio practice, Breen works as a Public Art Production Coordinator at Powerhouse Arts and has previously supported public art and cultural projects for institutions including Creative Time, Brooklyn Museum, and the MTA.

‍Lisa D. Archigian is an artist, educator, and librarian from the Bronx. As a teaching artist, Lisa is trained in best practices for working with students with disabilities, using art as a pathway to critical thinking and social emotional learning (SEL), and is certified to provide mental health first aid to youth. She earned an MLS from Queens College, CUNY, specializing in Children’s and Young Adult Services in the Public Library. Often dealing with narratives of physical and mental space, her paintings and prints have appeared in exhibitions in New York;  Los Angeles; and Kyoto, Japan, where several of her woodcut prints are held in the collection of the Kyoto International Woodprint Association. Her work as an illustrator has been praised by Publisher’s Weekly and Rain Taxi Review. Lisa serves as MGC Community Print Studio Director at Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Her favorite deli order is a buttered roll, ginger ale, and any chip that turns her fingers orange.

‍Nellie Davis has a B.A. from Grinnell College in Russian. She has been working in NYC as a costumer, puppet builder, printmaker, seamstress, baker, and arts fabricator since 1999. Her artwork is drawn, fabric sculpture, paper sculpture, and acrylic paintings focusing on nature, colonization, and destruction. Nellie is currently working as a printmaker and fabricator at Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus, Brooklyn, where she collaborates to create work with artists from all over the world.

Previous
Next

more at PHA

MIXTAPE: Delighted

DJ and community builder April Hunt brings her Mixtape series to Powerhouse Arts for Delighted, an evening of music, conversation, performance, and spectacle. Along with a DJ set by Hunt, the evening features Wardell Milan, Teedra Moses, and DJ Saint James Joy.

December 11, 2026
view event

Crafternoons: Crafting a Miniature Museum

Inspired by the immersive virtual reality exhibition Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado, we’ll paint and sculpt small-scale artworks to fill our museum diorama. Part of our series of free, drop-in art workshops for families, kids, and neighbors of all ages.

November 14, 2026
view event

Morning Dew: Cyanotypes and Natural Toners with Mickey Aloisio

Explore the rich possibilities of cyanotypes,as well as alternative photographic printing using organic materials such asgreen tea, coffee, and wine.

November 14, 2026
learn more
Morning Dew: Cyanotypes and Natural Toners with Mickey Aloisio

Screen Printing: Cards & Stationery

This 3 week class at MGC Community Print Studio will introduce students to all the skills needed to screen print cards and stationery. Step-by-step instruction, demonstration, and guidance will result in a limited edition on paper. Class goal: 20 1-color cards or equivalent self-directed project.

November 8, 2026
learn more
Screen Printing: Cards & Stationery

Anchoring Sight: Figure Drawing with Kiara Ocasio

Strengthen the connection between observation and gesture in live model figure drawing, through this session led and supported by an instructor.

November 8, 2026
learn more
Anchoring Sight: Figure Drawing with Kiara Ocasio

Gold Leaf

Gilding for printmakers is a custom designed intensive weekend workshop for experienced printmakers who want to use genuine gold and silver leaf in the printing process. The class will focus on two phases: pre-printing and post printing. We will use genuine leaf, metal leaf mica, and metallic powders.

November 7, 2026
learn more
Gold Leaf

Ripple & Rip: Marbling & Collage with Nazli Efe

In two sessions, experiment with the traditional art of marbling and then create expressive collages using the marbled designs.

November 7, 2026
learn more
Ripple & Rip: Marbling & Collage with Nazli Efe

Powerhouse Arts 2026 Staff Art Show

Presented in dialogue with Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado, the Staff Art Show will showcase a range of artistic practices while exploring the broader ecosystem of influence within the arts. Each participating artist will identify an artwork from art history that has shaped their practice, revealing networks of inspiration that connect artists across generations and offering a glimpse into the creative lives of the people who make Powerhouse Arts run.

November 5, 2026
view event

The Tech is Not the Territory with Kim Reinhardt

Taking a software-agnostic* point of view, useboth subscription-based and open-source digital tools to create expressivecollage, patterns, texture and graphic language.

October 29, 2026
learn more
The Tech is Not the Territory with Kim Reinhardt

Art Where You Are: Preserving Technique and Artistry with Stained Glass Studio

With support from Stained Glass Studio founders Bryane and Jenny Fleming, attendees will learn the fundamentals of stained glass techniques while creating their own glass artwork inspired by the masterpieces featured in Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado.

October 24, 2026
view event

Mosaics with Viktoriya Basina

Explore various mosaic techniques through hands-on making and create an individual artwork.

October 24, 2026
learn more
Mosaics with Viktoriya Basina

The Incredible Scope of Site-Specific Installations: Panel Conversation with PHA’s 2025–2026 Artist Subsidy Recipients

As part of our Open House New York and Gowanus Open Studios programming, the 2026 Artist Subsidy recipients Bahar Behbahani and Coral Saucedo Lomeli join Powerhouse Arts fabricators Brenna Board and Biata Roytburd to discuss the possibilities and challenges of making site-specific work at scale.

October 18, 2026
view event
Top left: Emerita Baik, Rose Malenfant; Bottom: DW Zinnser and Lisa D. Archigian

Printing the Personal: Panel Conversation with PHA’s 2025–2026 Artist Subsidy Recipients

As part of our Open House New York and Gowanus Open Studios programming, the 2025–2026 Artist Subsidy recipients Emerita Baik and Rose Malenfant come together with Powerhouse Arts fabricators DW Zinnser and Lisa D. Archigian to share more about their creative practices and experiences working with PHA’s Printshop and the MGC Community Print Studio.

October 18, 2026
view event

Mood and Matter: Multidimensional Collage with Ye Qin Zhu

Move beyond traditional flat collage andexperiment with the layering of mixed media materials at the intersection ofpainting and sculpture.

October 18, 2026
learn more
Mood and Matter: Multidimensional Collage with Ye Qin Zhu

Crafternoons: Designing Puppets of Earthly Delights

Inspired by the immersive virtual reality exhibition Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado, we’ll design puppets inspired by Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights. Part of our series of free, drop-in art workshops for families, kids, and neighbors of all ages.

October 17, 2026
view event

Memory Mini Comics with Lara Antal

Learn evocative and sensory storytelling techniques to create a mini comic exploring memories as sights, sounds, feelings, and moods.

October 14, 2026
learn more
Memory Mini Comics with Lara Antal

Watercolor Figure Drawing with Henry Hung Chang

Using watercolor to create an observational illustration of a live model, experiment with shapes, structures, lines and colors in brush work.

October 10, 2026
learn more
Watercolor Figure Drawing with Henry Hung Chang

Storytelling Through Cloth: Freeform Sashiko Patchwork Quilting with Megumi Shauna Arai

Create narrative textile works using the Japanese embroidery technique of Sashiko and patchwork techniques rooted in the compositional elements of Boro.

October 8, 2026
learn more
Storytelling Through Cloth: Freeform Sashiko Patchwork Quilting with Megumi Shauna Arai
Top: Jazia Hammoudi, Ruby J. Thelot; Bottom: Wendi Yan and Rubén Polendo

From Oil Paints to Virtual Reality: Innovation is the Medium

Inspired by Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado and featuring artists and arts workers Jazia Hammoudi, Ruby J. Thelot, and Wendi Yan, with moderator Rubén Polendo, this conversation will consider how emerging tools and innovative approaches in arts organizations can deepen, rather than replace, our relationship with art.

‍

October 7, 2026
view event

Intro to Intaglio

Intaglio techniques include a number of rich and varied processes that lend themselves to traditional and contemporary images. This course will focus on traditional methods of working copper plates. The class will cover etching, drypoint, aquatint, use of soft and hard grounds, and the combination of techniques on a single plate.

October 6, 2026
learn more
Intro to Intaglio

How to Make Instant Books and Zines

Learn to make instant artist books and zines from a single sheet of paper! This versatile process doesn’t need any special supplies or equipment. All you need is a sheet of paper, an X-acto knife or scissors and imagination. Once you know how to make them, you can make them anywhere, including at home. These versatile books can be made using computer printouts, photocopies and drawings.

October 3, 2026
learn more
How to Make Instant Books and Zines

Crafternoons: Building Tunnel Book Worlds

Inspired by the immersive virtual reality exhibition Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado, we’ll bring 2D artworks to life as we transform them into pop-up tunnel books. Part of our series of free, drop-in art workshops for families, kids, and neighbors of all ages.

‍

October 3, 2026
view event

Making & Using Terra Sigillatas with Rhonda Willers

Explore the ancient art of fine clay slips, from raw clay to layered, colorful surfaces.

October 3, 2026
learn more
Making & Using Terra Sigillatas with Rhonda Willers

Digital Fabrication for Artists with Austin McInnis

Learn to design and transform a digital image into a physical object using Rhinoceros3D software, mold-making, and casting methods.

‍

October 3, 2026
learn more
Digital Fabrication for Artists with Austin McInnis

Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado

An immersive virtual reality exhibition developed by ACCIONA Cultura in exclusive collaboration with Madrid’s Museo Nacional del Prado, Masterpieces invites visitors into a multi-sensory reimagining of one of the world’s greatest museums, including fantastical, in-depth explorations of its most celebrated, and rarely traveled, masterpieces.

October 1, 2026
book now
Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado

Screen Printing: Cards & Stationery

This 3 week class at MGC Community Print Studio will introduce students to all the skills needed to screen print cards and stationery. Step-by-step instruction, demonstration, and guidance will result in a limited edition on paper. Class goal: 20 1-color cards or equivalent self-directed project.

September 30, 2026
learn more
Screen Printing: Cards & Stationery

Friday: Special Topics in Intaglio

Experienced etchers will utilize traditional and contemporary methods such as non-toxic photo-etching, viscosity printing, and Xerox-transfer in this class. Students may undertake in-depth plate work that allows for extensive work on a single plate, multicolored printing, and various experimental techniques.

September 30, 2026
learn more
Friday: Special Topics in Intaglio

Weds: Special Topics in Intaglio

Experienced etchers will utilize traditional and contemporary methods such as non-toxic photo-etching, viscosity printing, and Xerox-transfer in this class. Students may undertake in-depth plate work that allows for extensive work on a single plate, multicolored printing, and various experimental techniques.

September 30, 2026
learn more
Weds: Special Topics in Intaglio

Copperplate Photogravure

Copperplate Photogravure with Digital Positives Photogravure yields a true continuous tone photograph etched into a copperplate. This technique has origins in early photography of the 19th Century. It remains one of the most beautiful forms of black and white photo reproduction.

September 29, 2026
learn more
Copperplate Photogravure

Color Viscosity Monoprinting

Viscosity inking is a multi-color printmaking technique that allows for printing colors simultaneously from a single plate, rather than relying on multiple plates for color separation. Using oil based inks, students will create one of a kind prints.

September 29, 2026
learn more
Color Viscosity Monoprinting

The Collagraph: Expansive Abstraction

The collagraph is a fairly young, experimental printmaking process which can produce beautiful and sophisticated textures, while encompassing other areas of printmaking. The adaptable nature of collagraph draws from intaglio, relief & monoprinting. From beginner to master, this versatile process welcomes all concepts and yields surprising results. Discover the tactile, expressive world of collagraph printmaking in this hands-on workshop.

September 27, 2026
learn more
The Collagraph: Expansive Abstraction

Art Where You Are: Creating Emerging Worlds

Participants are invited to create their own paper world inspired by Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado's immersive themes. With support from Powerhouse Arts staff, attendees will craft either a pop-up paper scene that recreates the feeling of moving through virtual space or that captures the sensation of stepping inside a painting. Through folding, layering, and storytelling, participants will experiment with paper engineering to bring imagined masterpieces to life.

‍

September 26, 2026
view event

Intro to Screenprinting

This 9-week class is designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of silkscreen and its versatility. Through the course of three projects, we will explore new methods and build up skill intentionally.

September 24, 2026
learn more
Intro to Screenprinting

Intro to Printmaking

This 8 week class will introduce students to a variety of printmaking processes. We will explore monotype, collagraph, and relief. Emphasis will be on developing skills both on and off the press, from creating plates, to inking and editioning, becoming a responsible member in a community studio will be emphasized.

September 24, 2026
learn more
Intro to Printmaking

Composition and Critique

This online discussion-based class will focus on composition principles and critique of both in-progress and completed work. Nandini will address how to integrate parts of an artwork into a unified whole, achieve balance of elements, and conceptualize and create cohesive series.

September 22, 2026
learn more
Composition and Critique

Japanese Woodblock

Learn the basic techniques of the Japanese tradition of woodblock printmaking with water-based inks. This tradition is associated with the extraordinary lessons of design and color passed on from the earliest Ukiyo-e masters.

‍

September 22, 2026
learn more
Japanese Woodblock

Mold-Making and Casting for Ceramicists with Livia Miller

Delve into casting and ornamenting through your own plaster molds in this foundational hands-on course.

September 21, 2026
learn more
Mold-Making and Casting for Ceramicists with Livia Miller

Figures of Speech: Abstract Figurative Sculpture with Peloloca

Explore the body as a site of myth, memory, and meaning through abstract ceramic figuration.

September 16, 2026
learn more
Figures of Speech: Abstract Figurative Sculpture with Peloloca

Intermediate Wheel: Raised & Refined with Camila Lim-Hing

Height. Precision. Refinement. Take your throwing skills to the next level in 10 weeks.

September 15, 2026
learn more
Intermediate Wheel: Raised & Refined with Camila Lim-Hing
Previous
Next

exclusive to PHA patrons

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Incorrect password. Please try again.
access

Incorrect password. Please try again.