FIFA Comes to McGinley Square
This One’s For You, a monumental soccer ball sculpture by Jersey City artist Nyugen E. Smith, now has a permanent home in the McGinley Square Plaza, a lasting piece of the summer the World Cup came to our region.
A Lasting Piece of the World Cup
The sculpture was donated by ARTS 14C and brought to McGinley Square in partnership with the City of Jersey City. It was dedicated at a ribbon cutting in the plaza on October 26, 2026.
When the City asked whether McGinley Square would want the sculpture, our answer was an immediate yes. Stop by, take a photo, and see it up close.
Nyugen E. Smith
Nyugen E. Smith is a Caribbean-American interdisciplinary artist and educator, born and based in Jersey City. Working across mixed media drawing, assemblage, sculpture and performance, he explores how ritual, memory and lived experience shape space, identity and survival.
He holds a BA from Seton Hall University and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, was named Visual Artist of the Year by the Jersey City Arts Council, and has shown work at the Newark Museum, the Pérez Art Museum and the Schomburg Center.
This One’s For You
Nyugen was the project’s open call winner from New Jersey. His sculpture evokes a handmade ball, wrapped in burlap coffee bags and cordage.
Part of his inspiration was to show the oppression people around the world face, and how people everywhere can make a soccer ball out of anything.
Before moving to McGinley Square, the sculpture stood in front of Jersey City City Hall throughout the World Cup, and Nyugen and his ball were featured on NJ PBS's State of the Arts.
The Art of the Game
Art of the Game was created by ARTS 14C, a Jersey City arts nonprofit, with the FIFA World Cup 2026 New York New Jersey Host Committee. It turned soccer's most iconic object into monumental public art across New York City and New Jersey, and was the final philanthropic project of the late arts patron Agnes Gund.
Dedicated to Haytham
The sculpture was dedicated in honor of Haytham, owner of Chop Shop and XENA, one of our biggest champions during this summer's FIFA activations. He opened his doors, rallied his neighbors, and helped make McGinley Square a true home for fans from every country.
Thank You
To ARTS 14C and Robinson Holloway, the Mayor's Office, the Office of Cultural Affairs, our City partners, and the McGinley Square Partnership board.
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