Located in lower Manhattan with a beautiful view of the city skyline, this building encases a work of art that most people don’t stop to notice. Everyday hundreds of people walk in and out of this building not knowing they are in the presence of a piece of public and site specific art. Many people will breeze past the art unaware that it is actually art. Others will think nothing of it and step, sit, or even leave their garbage on it. This wouldn’t be the case in a museum where people can obviously see what is art and what is not. They would never think twice to disrespect the art in the museum because they know it is art. In Whitehall Terminal most people are unaware that the granite benches they are sitting on is actually a work of art. Created by Ming Fay, these benches are functional art allowing viewers to become a part of it by sitting on the benches.

Ming Fay had a vision of these granite benches to portray Native American canoes crossing the New York Bay. He wanted people to have a fantasy journey before actually starting their real journey by sitting on these benches and thinking back to when Native Americans were traveling in canoes. The benches are serpentine shaped and cut into three sections. They are placed on top of a water themed terrazzo floor, which mimics crossing the bay very well. This theme of crossing the bay relates to why people are sitting on these benches in the first place. They are waiting for a ferry to bring them to Staten Island by crossing the New York Bay.

This public piece of art is basically invisible to people. Ming Fay took into account the area this artwork would be displayed in; a busy space where people will need to wait until it was time to go. He didn’t want to put a useless piece of art but rather something that could be of use. Benches seemed like the best idea for Whitehall Terminal because passengers would need somewhere to rest while waiting for a ferry. They could also be a part of the art without even knowing it in the first place. These granite benches are mostly unknown to people because it is functional and it is invisible to the average person because they interact with it. People usually don’t consider a bench art but that’s the beauty of art; anything and everything can be art as long as there’s an idea behind it. Public art is something for everyone to see but it can also be something everyone can use. Most people don’t realize that but if they take the time to really know their surroundings there might be more art out there being under appreciated.