From Portraits to Puddles, 2: Dewey Memorial

NOTE: What makes an effective tribute? What makes a memorable memorial? This is the second in a series of posts in which I point out the lessons we can learn…

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ARC Exhibition at Salmagundi Club thru 10/2/18

The Art Renewal Center's annual competition for contemporary realistic art attracts some of the best artists from around the world. The paintings and sculptures are stunning for their technique and/or…

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From Portraits to Puddles, 1: Introduction & Ericsson

Introduction I find Reflecting Absence, the memorial on the site of the World Trade Center, profoundly  unsatisfying. If you do, too, this essay will help you understand why landscape architecture…

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Manhattan Bridge: Almost 99 Years Old

The Manhattan Bridge, connecting Canal Street in Manhattan with Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, opened for business on the last day of 1909. Its 6,855-foot length carries four lanes of traffic…

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William Shakespeare, Central Park

This essay is adapted from Chapter 37 of Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide. I’ve kept cross-references to other chapters in the book, all of which will eventually be updated and…

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Andrew Haswell Green Bench, Central Park

Who most influenced the shape of Central Park in its early years? There was Egbert Ludovicus Viele, whose detailed topographical study of the site helped make the park’s design a…

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Theodore Roosevelt by James E. Fraser, Central Park

This essay is adapted from Chapter 20 of Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide. I’ve kept cross-references to other chapters in the book, all of which will eventually be updated and…

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Robert Burns by Sir John Steell, Central Park

Robert Burns Dedicated 1880 Sculptor: Sir John Steell Medium & size: Bronze, over lifesize. Location: Central Park, on the Mall. If the city's street grid continued in the Park, it…

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Independence Flagpole, Union Square

Did you know that in Union Square, the words of the Declaration of Independence are inscribed on a  ten-foot-high bronze tablet? The Independence Flagpole in Union Square commemorates the 150th…

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