Thursday marked the beginning of the fifth annual Art in Odd Places —a month-long public art festival that takes place on 14th street in Manhattan.

This year AiOP director Ed Woodham, along with co-curators Erin Donnelly and Radhika Subramaniam, bring us the work of 59 artists via the theme "Sign." All pieces exhibited are displayed in various publicly accessible areas, but none of the artists obtained permits—part of the project's goal is to explore the meaning of public space and how artists can create work within it, without requesting the permission of the city. Using the sidewalk as a sort of living canvas, AiOP poses a Jane Jacobs-ian query into the ways in which urban public life plays into daily life.

Notable projects this year include: "Portable Fountains" by Tim Thyzel; the slow, contemplative movement of the City Meditation Crew; Michael Willett's "Limited Time Only" displayed in the windows of the Pratt Manhattan Gallery; and "Burns for Mayor," a project by Kenny Komer and Boris Rasin which has already received mentions in various publications, including PAPERMAG. The piece is part of a campaign to fight the re-election of Michael Bloomberg for a third term as mayor, and proposes "The Simpsons" character Montgomery Burns instead.

Find maps exhibits on the AIOP website or at various 14th St. businesses including Rags A Go-Go ( 218 W. 14th St.), Arties Hardware (140 W. 14th St.), Gavroche (212 W. 14th St.), and the 14th St. Y (344 E. 14th St.).