UNION SQUARE PARTNERSHIP UNVEILS BEAD MAZE, EXPANDING ITS PLATFORM FOR EMERGING ARTISTS THROUGH A NEW COLLABORATION WITH FIT
Photo Credit: Jane Kratochvil
Bead Maze, a new public art installation, debuts today on University Plaza, between 13th and 14th Streets in Union Square. A collaborative project between Union Square Partnership (USP), the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)’s School of Art and Design, Scale Rule, and New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program (NYC DOT Art), Bead Maze is a large-scale sculptural work inspired by the classic bead maze toy often found in doctors’ waiting rooms. Conceptualized by seven seniors from FIT’s Fine Arts program and realized by design collective Scale Rule with renowned architectural studio, Grimshaw and engineers Schlaich Bergermann Partner (sbp), the installation is proudly supported by philanthropist Bob Fisch.
The monumental exhibition–measuring 26.5 ft by 13 ft, with heights ranging from 3 ft to 12 ft–features curving and bending steel pipes with movable plywood beads and a signature acrylic bead that sits atop the highest pipe serving as an identifiable, visual beacon. The interactive sculpture, arranged across University Plaza at varying heights, invites visitors to experience the work by walking through and around the form and sliding the beads along the pipes. The colors of Bead Maze draw from the vivid palette of the Union Square Greenmarket, and the weaving pipes allude to the curving forms of the subway below, rooting the sculpture within its neighborhood and reinforcing University Plaza’s role as the gateway to Union Square. Designed to spark curiosity and a collective sense of nostalgia among all generations, the installation offers a playful and memorable encounter for residents, workers, students, and visitors alike.
Photo Credit: Jane Kratochvil
Beyond its visual impact, Bead Maze tells a broader story of access, education, shared authorship, and the cultural life of New York City. Bead Maze marks the first collaboration between USP, FIT, and Scale Rule. USP commissioned the project, initiated with a design brief to develop a new public work for University Plaza, following the success of the installation Love Continuum by Yoni Alter on the same site. USP engaged Scale Rule, a design collective that collaborates with professional architects and engineers working pro bono to realize student concepts through design, fabrication, and installation. Scale Rule’s team for Bead Maze included the global firms Grimshaw and sbp, both of whom recently collaborated with Scale Rule in New York on similar public installations at the Queens Botanical Garden and Hofstra University. The installation in Union Square is fabricated by the Brooklyn-based A05 Studio.
FIT’s School of Art and Design embarked on the initiative to bring student creativity into dialogue with New York City’s communities. With plans to develop a broader and more ambitious public art program at FIT, the school’s collaboration with USP resonates as the district has evolved into a leading platform for large-scale public art exhibitions, as well as a launching ground for emerging creatives and young artists to showcase their talent for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.
“Bead Maze is exactly the kind of artwork we want to champion in Union Square – visually compelling, deeply collaborative, and rooted in the life of the neighborhood,” said Julie Stein, Executive Director of Union Square Partnership. “We’re proud to work alongside FIT, NYC DOT Art, Scale Rule, and the wider project team to continue to grow Union Square as a place where art thrives. This project proves how shared spaces create unique opportunities for artists to build visibility while enriching our neighborhoods and inviting the public to experience civic space in new ways.”
Developed through a student-led process built on dialogue, teamwork, and collective design development, the seven students from FIT’s School of Art and Design conceptualized the work, refining ideas through conversation with faculty and professional partners. Student artists Noa Doron, Cianna Gibson, Jacqueline Lafayette, Samuel Leone, Michelle Bing Lin, Brenna Mahoney, and Ryan Michael Johnson were each involved in the creation of Bead Maze.
”We’re grateful to Union Square Partnership, Bob Fisch, Scale Rule, NYC DOT Art, and the wider project team for helping bring the Bead Maze vision to life,” said Jason S. Schupbach, President of FIT. “For many of our students, seeing their ideas realized in a setting as visible as Union Square is both a significant educational experience and a valuable reminder of what public higher education can make possible.”
Photo Credit: Jane Kratochvil & Mylea Braun
The project also advances Union Square’s role as a civic and cultural incubator where public art can animate daily life, enrich the streetscape, and create opportunities for artists, designers, and now also students, at pivotal moments in their careers. Bead Maze builds on Union Square’s ever-expanding public art program, which has included whimsical and thought-provoking installations, 7,500-square-foot street murals and this winter’s colorful light and real-time sensory experience, Patterned Behavior by MASARY Studios. Through these efforts, USP has featured emerging local and global artists, providing a venue for their first public large-scale installations in Union Square, such as New York-based visual artist Yuke Li and Spanish artist Vanesa Álvarez – just two examples of how work shown in Union Square can help propel artists toward wider recognition.
“Bead Maze is a powerful example of what becomes possible when student ideas are met with real partnership,” said Troy Richards, Dean of the School of Art and Design at FIT. “This installation is not only a milestone for our students, but a model for the kind of work we hope to build on at FIT: ambitious, outward-facing projects that connect student practice with audiences across New York City. At a public institution like FIT, opportunities such as these matter deeply.”
"My involvement in this project has completely expanded my knowledge of what is possible, and it has been the highlight of my last semester at FIT,” said Cianna Gibson, Fine Arts student at FIT. “The skills learned and my new understanding of, and appreciation for, public installations has been forever changed. This opportunity has given me a new perspective on what I can do within the art world, and how I want to participate within it.”
FIT Foundation Board Member, Bob Fisch helped bring the project to life through his $1,500 donations to each of the seven students for their participation in the project, setting the foundation for the Bob Fisch Public Vision Award,and co-funding the sculpture’s fabrication and installation with USP. Fisch was also instrumental in bringing Love Continuum by Yoni Alter to Union Square in 2025.
“Seeing Bead Maze come to life has been especially meaningful because it puts students at the center of the experience,” said Bob Fisch, Philanthropist, Retail Entrepreneur, Motivational Author, and FIT Foundation Board Member. “As the first project supported by the Bob Fisch Public Vision Award, it reflects the kind of opportunity I hoped the award could create – giving students the chance to develop their ideas in a real civic setting and to learn from working alongside experienced architects and engineers. I’d like to congratulate the seven FIT Fine Arts students for being the first student team to build within the NYC public arena! We’re excited to see what the future holds for more FIT classes that bridge classroom and career.”
Photo Credit: Jane Kratochvil
“The public spaces in our cities are experienced by everyone, but too often shaped by too few,” said Dan Bergsagel, Co–Founder at Scale Rule. “At Scale Rule, our mission is to bring more people into the process of designing the built environment we all inhabit. Bead Maze has been an exciting opportunity to advance that aim with a new student cohort and at a different scale, embedded in one of the city’s most vibrant cultural crossroads. Projects like this also remind us how many passionate people it takes–from students to architects, engineers, fabricators, and civic partners–to bring impactful public work to life. We are grateful to have contributed to this thoughtful project.”
“Bead Maze is a powerful example of what can happen when emerging voices are given a real platform in the public realm,” said Lola Sheppard, Associate at Grimshaw. “At Grimshaw, we were proud to support Scale Rule and the FIT students in translating their ideas into a built work–retaining the clarity and playfulness of the original concept while navigating the technical realities of fabrication and installation. The result is a piece that invites interaction, sparks curiosity, and reflects the energy of Union Square.”
“sbp believes in nurturing the next generation of designers through collaborative projects like Bead Maze that facilitate teamwork and encourage hands-on learning,” said Michael Stein, Managing Director of Schlaich Bergermann Partner (sbp). “Helping bring the students' creativity to life at Union Square was a true highlight for our engineers.”
“Bead Maze transforms a familiar childhood comfort into a shared civic experience, inviting people of all ages to pause, play, and connect in University Plaza,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “I thank the Union Square Partnership, Scale Rule, FIT, and these student artists for turning public space into places of curiosity and joy.”
Together, USP, FIT, NYC DOT Art, Scale Rule, Grimshaw, sbp, and Bob Fisch demonstrate how strong collaboration in a public art ecosystem can create space for culture in public view, extend FIT’s mission beyond the classroom, invest philanthropic support in creative endeavors, and transform student ideas into civic experiences for New Yorkers.
Bead Maze is on display now through November 2026. For information on Union Square and other happenings throughout the neighborhood, please visit unionsquarenyc.org.
Photo Credit: Jane Kratochvil