Public Art: Gathering Momentum in Westchester

Public Art: Gathering Momentum in Westchester

ByMary Alice Franklin

In Westchester, architect and developer Martin Ginsburg has been a leader in harnessing the arts for his development projects. In partnership with ArtsWestchester, Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC) has issued a call to artists for a major 25-foot high sculpture for his 50 Main Street project in White Plains, and he has pledged $120,000 as an artist’s commission. In this, Ginsburg is not alone. To the south, in the Fleetwood neighborhood of Mount Vernon, Alexander Development has pledged a $100,000 commission for a signature sculpture as a landmark feature for its 249 luxury rental development 42 Broad St. West. In New Rochelle, National Realty & Development Corporation has commissioned two large steel sculptures from British artist David Harber to adorn the waterfront of its new WaterMark Pointe development.

Pasolini’s Message Continues to Resonate

Pasolini’s Message Continues to Resonate

ByWilliam Bermingham

The work of Pier Paolo Pasolini was both radical and forward-thinking in its time – and arguably, it is as relevant today as it was fifty years ago. Over the years, during which the Neuberger Museum of Art conceived its Pier Paolo Pasolini: Subversive Prophet exhibition, it became increasingly “timely,” according to Museum Director Tracy Fitzpatrick. The show, on view through May 31, originally intended to fill in the curatorial blanks of past exhibitions of Pasolini’s interdisciplinary works, has taken on new meaning in today’s complex political world.

Old Clothes Make New Art

Old Clothes Make New Art

ByMary Alice Franklin

Is fashion no longer fashionable? Well, that may be so. Fashion waste has become one of the unintended consequences of that which we call ‘fast fashion’. So while the fashion industry tries to become more sustainable, celebrities like Jane Fonda are rewearing their old clothes in favor of buying new.
ArtsWestchester turns its lens on fashion waste with a monumental work of art by textile artist Amanda Browder. She has been recycling fabrics into contemporary art for more than 14 years. Her first fabric sculpture, Rapunzel, was made with donated fabric. She threw it out the window of her Chicago apartment and has been recycling second-hand vintage fabrics ever since – both for her own wardrobe and for her one-of-a-kind, large-scale fabric art installations.

A Q&A with Artist Amanda Browder
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A Q&A with Artist Amanda Browder

ByArtsW Gallery

So far, hundreds of community members have donated, arranged, pinned and sewed the fabric for a work of public art that will transform the front and side of ArtsWestchester’s nine-story historic building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue in downtown White Plains this May. Once known as the Peoples National Bank and Trust, it has new life as an arts center for the people of Westchester. ArtsNews Editor Mary Alice Franklin, sat down with Browder to find out more about the inspiration behind this project.

A Passport to Opportunity

A Passport to Opportunity

ByMary Alice Franklin

“I’ll rise up, and I’ll do it a thousand times again for you.” These are the lyrics – from Andra Day’s Rise Up – that describe the White Plains Youth Bureau (WPYB) for many of its former participants. The song, which was voted as the Bureau’s 50th-anniversary anthem, is indicative of the dedication that WPYB and its attendees have for one another. The Bureau fulfills its mission of helping its youth to grow into successful adults, and those adults then often give back to that same community.

The Delicate Balancing Acts of Bisa Butler and Derrick Adams
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The Delicate Balancing Acts of Bisa Butler and Derrick Adams

ByRandy Williams

The balancing act for contemporary artists is complicated; they must be relevant to the narrative of art history while embracing the themes of current trends. This challenge is compounded by an inescapable need for the artist to promote their self-interest in a global time warp. The consistency of change for the artists is as regular as a heartbeat, to create something new and innovative needs to be a byproduct of intense observation, disciplined and deliberate self-examination. Artists that jockey for inclusion in the mainstream of art have an additional responsibility to consider. They carry the burden of telling their personal stories with high expectations of bridging multiple worlds; they look to examine their ethnicity and simultaneous connections to the mainstream of American history and culture.

Derrick Adams and Bisa Butler have both navigated their particular and universal environments with insightfulness and clarity. In their aesthetic practices, they have masterfully made artwork that speaks to their provincial and universal viewers. Adams and Butler are two artists who personify the words of Walt Whitman: “That you are here—that life exists, and identity; That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.”

The Delicate Balancing Acts of Bisa Butler and Derrick Adams

ByArtsWestchester

  by Randy Williams, Art Department Chair at Manhattanville College The balancing act for contemporary artists is complicated; they must be relevant to the narrative of art history while embracing the themes of current trends. This challenge is compounded by an inescapable need for the artist to promote their self-interest…

Rebuilding Notre Dame

Rebuilding Notre Dame

ByMary Alice Franklin

In April 2019, the world watched in horror as the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was engulfed in flames, its iconic spire tipping to its demise. Its repair seems unbelievable, but it has happened before. In the 19th century, the Cathedral was in such a state of disrepair after the Napoleonic Wars that it was almost demolished – until Victor Hugo wrote Notre Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) and the building was resurrected to its former glory. Now people are clamoring to achieve the same goal once again – to rebuild the national treasure. However, as years shift, techniques advance and change, and once-standard materials become obsolete, the process has proven a difficult task. On March 5, Alliance Française in White Plains will host a lecture that will address some of these challenges.

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