Southampton - For New Yorkers, spring arrived on Park Avenue early this year - January 25 to be precise. Normally, it's the appearance of the tulips on the malls that herald the arrival of spring but this year, it was "The Roses" - an exhibition created by artist, Will Ryman, currently on view on the malls between 57th and 67th Streets.

Barbara McLaughlin, President of the Fund for Park Avenue, said, "Public art changes the way we think about our environment. Although contributions to The Fund do not support the installation of temporary sculpture, these exhibitions are important because they help draw attention to the community-supported parkland in the middle of the Avenue. Sculpture exhibitions on the Park Avenue malls are presented under the auspices of The Sculpture Committee of The Fund for Park Avenue and the Public Art Program of the City of New York's Department of Parks & Recreation in collaboration with arts organizations and artists.

While The Fund has a large and loyal donor base, many people are still unaware that all of its work is privately funded by the annual contributions from the buildings facing the Avenue as well as individuals, foundations and corporations. Contributions cover the cost of labor, grass and shrubs, pruning, mowing, watering, spraying and litter control. Donations ensure that the malls are beautifully maintained throughout the year with seasonal plantings such as the tulips as well as blooming Hawthorn and cherry trees in spring and colorful begonias in the summer.

This year the tulips will be Ollioules, a pale pink, white edged Darwin hybrid variety selected to compliment "The Roses." In past years the tulip colors have signified important milestones such as the white (Ivory Floradale) for The Fund's 30th anniversary in 2010 and orange (Blushing Apeldoorn) in 2009 for the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's arrival in the New York harbor.

Since its inception in 1980, The Fund has planted nearly three million tulip bulbs, one million begonias and over 600 trees through its Park Avenue Malls Planting Project. McLaughlin added, "Last summer's extreme heat and lack of rain took a toll on plantings citywide. Despite our extra efforts, many of our trees and taxus did not survive. This spring, we will be incurring the additional cost of their replacement. Every contribution - regardless of the amount - helps The Fund fulfill its mission."

The mission of The Fund is to plant, light and maintain the trees and flowers on the Park Avenue malls. It operates on a budget that is totally dependent upon donations and oversees two of the City's most successful privately funded beautification programs - The Park Avenue Malls Planting Project and the Park Avenue Tree Lighting.

For more information go to www.fundforparkavenue.org.