As every New Yorker knows, strange sights are a dime a dozen on 14th Street. So, on a block where only a man with aquamarine dreadlocks may stand out, it is easy to miss some of the gems that Art in Odd Places (AiOP) has to offer.

Michele Brody’s Tea House Productions, on the corner of 14th Street at Irving Place, is one of the many unobtrusive works in AiOP, an art exhibition of performances and interventions (running October 1 through 26) all along 14th Street. Housed inside a metal and Plexiglas coffee cart—the kind seen on almost every corner in Manhattan—the display in the windows comprises used teabags, instead of the regular fare of doughnuts and other assorted pastries. Brody invites pedestrians to join her inside, offering a cup of tea to anyone willing to stop and join her for a chat. In our conversation, I learned that Brody didn’t begin the project as a performance, but that it stemmed from her background in fiber studies, a fascination with tea stains and an interest in daily rituals. The works that inspired Tea House Productions—and the ones that come out of it—are the transcriptions of her conversations over tea, scrawled onto the dried teabags that were used.

AiOP offers many other ways to become part of the art, along with several subtle surprises demonstrating that art can be found in the details of a busy street. Go for a walk this month from the Hudson to the East River, or check out our slide show for a quick preview.—Emily Bauman

Tea House Productions will be repeated Oct 16–18 2–6pm, and Brody’s Tea Cart Stories will be on display at The Tenement Museum through December.