Artist Jorge Luis Rodriguez will be on site during the restoration of his sculpture, Growth, the first public art commissioned in New York City through the Percent for Art program. (Thursday, June 24, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. @ Sylvan Place and East 120th Street, Manhattan)
Nestled mid-block in East Harlem is a large, abstract red sculpture called Growth that perfectly captures the vitality of its bustling neighborhood. Growth was the first public work of art commissioned by the public, as part of the Department of Cultural Affairs’ Percent for Art program. On its 25th anniversary, Growth will undergo a complete restoration, which will take place through Friday, June 25.
Jorge Rodriguez will be onsite to speak about his work. An active art educator, he has taught at the School of Visual Arts and Manhattan Community College. He has also worked with The Studio Museum in Harlem and El Museo del Barrio to develop art programs for all ages. Growth was his first large-scale public work. With Growth, the artist tried to capture the interaction between man and nature in an urban setting. Depicting the dynamism of the lively neighborhood, Rodriguez chose to portray a seedling morphing into a bird taking flight.
Conservators and apprentices of the Citywide Monuments Conservation Program are restoring Growth by stripping and treating the corroded portions of the base metal, priming and repainting it a new, bright red, as the artist had originally intended, allowing Rodriguez’ initial concept to finally come to fruition.
Growth and other monuments throughout New York City will get care throughout the summer by the Citywide Monuments Conservation Program. The program is a public/private partnership that was founded in 1997 and is funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and Donna Karan. CMCP has successfully worked to preserve New York’s cultural heritage and provides graduate-level preservation students with hands-on training with one of America’s foremost collections of public art.
Contact: Vickie Karp / Cristina DeLuca, (212) 360-1311 or Christine Djuric (onsite conservator) (917) 681-5683.
