With the unveiling of the recently restored Harlem Fire Watchtower, and renovation of the Acropolis on which it sits, we take a look back at a Marcus Garvey Park art installation in 2015, Caesura: a forum ~ a large-scale architectural and sound installation we frequented, but find our original post unretrievable ~ and worth a re-post.
On a sunny Saturday ~ during Memorial Day Weekend ~ we spied a small army of weeders, rackers, mulchers, and general cleaner-upers, hard at work along the Madison Avenue side of Marcus Garvey Park in East Harlem. They were New York Road Runner volunteers who regularly give of their time and energy. Follow along as we walk (not run) along the Park to take a closer look at what they’re doing.
NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks ~ Creative Courts initiative, Facebook Artist-in-Residence Program (FB AIR Program), along with artist Saya Woolfalk, the non-profit Publicolor, and the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance/Public Art Initiative have arrived at the basketball court on Madison Avenue near 122nd Street in Marcus Garvey Park. Watch as this work-in-progress takes shape over this next week.
If you happen to be in Marcus Garvey Park on a Saturday afternoon, you might hear the sounds of drums coming from the Madison Avenue side of the Park, between 123rd-124th Streets.
Connie Lee, President of the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance/ Public Art Initiative, and Commissioner Mitchel Silver on a walk-through of Marcus Garvey Park
Mitchell J. Silver, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, along with William T. Castro, Manhattan Borough Commissioner, NYC Parks Department, met with Connie Lee, President of the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance, several members of her Board, and Friends of Marcus Garvey Park Alliance, for a tour of Marcus Garvey Park in East Harlem today.
Image taken October 18, 2019, courtesy of a reader
A pop-up visit by Urban Park Rangers visiting the historic Harlem Fire Watchtower prior to resuming tours. Image courtesy Connie Lee, President, Marcus Garvey Park Alliance; Director, Public Art Initiative; Curator, Living With Art Salon, spending some time with the Urban Park Rangers today.
Harlemites and preservationists were delighted to receive the recent news that the historic Harlem Fire Watchtower, removed from the Acropolis overlooking Marcus Garvey Park in 2015 for restoration, would have its unveiling and ribbon-cutting on October 26, 2019. Prior to COVID-19, the Urban Park Rangers opened the gate and escorted the public up to the top of the Watchtower, giving the public a bit of history and a spectacular view. We look forward to the time when they can resume these tours.
A pop-up visit by Urban Park Rangers visiting the historic Harlem Fire Watchtower prior to resuming tours. Image courtesy Connie Lee, President, Marcus Garvey Park Alliance; Director, Public Art Initiative; Curator, Living With Art Salon
Below, a few images and history of the Watchtower as it was dissembled in 2015, and reassembled in 2019.
Atlas: The Third Millennium 2016-1017 by Artist, Jorge Luis Rodriguez in Marcus Garvey Park
With the temperature dipping to the mid-thirties, Atlas of the Third Millennium, along with its creator, the artist, Jorge Luis Rodriguez, arrived for the installation in Marcus Garvey Park this past November.