We love the Wittenburg Triangle ~ adjacent to Jefferson Market Gardens and the historic Jefferson Market Library building, at the intersection of Greenwich Avenue, Avenue of the Americas and Eighth Street in Greenwich Village.
This week, The Village Alliance unveiled a new art installation on the Triangle – The Poetry Jukebox.
With an ode to the Village of the past, The Village Alliance Public Art Program, selected an installation that reflects the literary legacy of its surroundings, with a Poetry Jukebox that will play twenty poems and spoken words from such iconic Village figures as Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and Jane Jacobs among many others. Just press a button to hear a poem!
The Village Alliance held an inauguration earlier in the week, with a chance to meet the artist, Ondřej Kobza, and Jiri Dužár, a Czech Tourism representative who spoke to the importance of freely sharing poetry and literature in public spaces, as the Czech Republic Ambassador, Hynek Kmoníček, looked on.
The Poetry Jukebox will be on view at the Ruth Wittenburg Triangle until early 2019, made possible through a partnership with the Village Alliance, New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) and Czech Tourism. The Wittenburg Triangle is located at the intersection of Greenwich Avenue, Avenue of the Americas, and Eighth Street to the East, and Christopher Street to the West.
To see picture from the Unveiling and Opening Reception, and a list of authors and their poems, visit The Village Alliance Village Beat.
The Wittenburg Triangle has been the site of a few very cool art installations. In 2015, Swedish artist Hanna Liden unveiled three giant stacked bagels on the site, and in 2016, Gille and Marc unveiled The Paparazzi Dogs pointing their cameras at C.O. Bigelow!
If you think you’ve seen the Poetry Jukebox before, you are right. It made its debut last year downtown in Extra Place, next to Howl! Happening Gallery as part of an Arturo Vega Project in association with Bowery Arts + Science, and the Czech Board of Tourism (below).
While you’re in the Village, walk over to Grey Art Gallery/NYU for the exhibition, NeoRealisimo: The New Image in Italy, 1932-1960, an exhibition portraying life in Italy through the lens of photographers before, during and after World War II ~ on view to December 8, 2018. The Gallery is located at 100 Washington Square East.
Walk up Fifth Avenue to The Salmagundi Club (between 11th-12th Streets), open seven days a week from 1:00-5:00pm, free ~ and always a wonderful exhibit on view.