I've always loved the Socrates Sculpture Park for its hardscrabble, can-do, heavy-lifters-only appeal - to say nothing of its awesome waterfront views of Manhattan's towers and its large-scale sculptures. Located in Long Island City, the nearly 5-acre site is a study in artist-led community development.

Left: Waterfront views at Socrates Sculpture Park. Right: Remote Arm Wrestle (detail) by William Stone. Photos: Peggy Roalf

In the mid-1980s, the site had become an abandoned toxic landfill. A group of local artists, led by sculptor Mark di Suvero, joined forces to acquire the land, clean it up and open a sculpture park for and about working artists. By the mid-90s it was folded into the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, and in recent years it has received major grants for its arts and education programs. Di Suvero still maintains his working studio there and generously lends his cranes and lifts to visiting artists.

What took me there today was State Fair, an exhibition of works by 10 artists plus 1 collective, curated by Alyson Baker, Mark Dion and Marichris Ty. The idea of a State Fair in Queens seems to have struck a chord with city-bound artists, who imaginatively took up the challenge. Big Apple Showdown Spectacular by Rita Puno, takes off on the traditional state fair obstacle course, complete with a stage for awards presentations and games, which include urban sports like text messaging bees and multi tasking contests.

Retribution by Janine Oleson consists of a small wooden corral covered in gold leaf. The fence surrounds a lush herb garden - imagery derived from Medieval unicorn tapestries such as those in the Metropolitan Museum of Art/The Cloisters. Visitors are invited to harvest the medicinal herbs for their own use.

William Stone took the idea of arm wrestling - what could be a more down and dirty state fair event? - and created an installation for the disaffected. In his piece, instead of 2 wrestlers meeting hand to hand, 2 wrestlers take sides with a pair of galvanized steel hands that might have been inspired by Popeye. Funny, they're wrestling each other, but without physical contact.

On the truly large-scale side is Socrates Ply-Teck Barn by Bernard Williams. High, wide and handsome, the skeletal form of a basic barn, complete with hardware cloth infill panels, is adorned with hex signs reminiscent of Pennsylvania Dutch art, figural inserts inspired by Native American spirit drawings, and even a Route 66 logo, all done in jigsaw-cut plywood painted black.

And for the tenth year running, the Broadway Billboard is back for the summer. The 10-by-28-foot piece, which frames the main entrance, was originated by Mathieu Borysevicz, a local artist who now divides his time between New York and Shanghai. This year's installation is a 1972 photograph Stephen Shore made in Amarillo Texas that nicely rephrases the idea of a state fair.

State Fair continues through August 2 at Socrates Sculpture Park. Vernon Boulevard at Broadway, Long Island City, Queens. Please visit the website for information and public programs including the Outdoor Cinema festival, which debuts tomorrow night with Betrayal, a documentary filmed in Laos and Thailand. Next week DART visits the Noguchi Museum, just down the street from Socrates.

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