Rockefeller Center's outdoor flag exhibition open to public in NYC

A new public art installation "The Flag Project," featuring 192 newly designed flags showcasing love for New York City, is displayed as a temporary exhibition at Rockefeller Center from Aug 1 to Aug 16.

Rockefeller Center has invited the public to design the flags that show their love for New York City and submit their own artworks celebrating the city's diverse culture, vibrant energy and strength.

More than 1,000 designs from all over the world were submitted, created by people ranging from primary school students to retired workers.

The winning submissions from the public will be accompanied by works created by a number of renowned artists including Jeff Koons, Christian Siriano and Laurie Anderson.

Each selected design was produced into an 8-foot by 5-foot flag, raising alongside the artists' flags on the 192 flagpoles surrounding the Plaza.

Kristin Doney, an illustrator from Pennsylvania, said her design is a dog sitting in a New York City taxi.

"A lot of people adopted shelter dogs during COVID-19 shutdown. And so all these little dogs are now living it up in the city with their new home," she said. "So my design is celebrating rescue dogs and all the animal rescue organizations that help shelter dogs and cats."

"The Flag Project" is a free outdoor exhibition and can be viewed by the public at any time. For most of the year, the flags surrounding the Plaza at Rockefeller Center represent the nations recognized by the United Nations. For some special occasions, all of the flags are uniform, such as the US national flags on the Fourth of July.