The Municipal Art Society of New York

MAS’s planned restoration of the “Rocket Thrower” statue and our energy retrofit at the Henry Street Settlement, were announced today as two of the 40 finalists of American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2012 Partners in Preservation Initiative in New York City.  Partners in Preservation is a community-based program providing preservation grants for local historic places. Continue Reading>>

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Adopt-A-Monument program, created by MAS in 1987 to rescue public statuary at risk of deterioration. Our two “Adopt” programs (the second being Adopt-A-Mural) have raised nearly $3.5 million to conserve and maintain 51 works of public art from the turn of the 20th century to the present in all five boroughs.  All monuments conserved under this program are available for public viewing. Continue Reading>>

In June, annual maintenance on the James Gordon Bennett Monument (better known as the Bellringers) in Herald Square, took place. The larger than life size, multi-figure monument by the French sculptor Jean-Anton Carles, was restored through the Municipal Art Society’s Adopt-A-Monument program in 1989 and then again in 2007, with a grant from the George Trescher Monument Fund. The monument, one of the city’s great landmarks, consists of a 40-foot-tall Italianate granite structure with flanking Corinthian pilasters. Continue Reading>>

In response to the deterioration of many of New York City’s outdoor statues and the limited resources to preserve them, MAS initiated the Adopt-A-Monument program in 1987. Since then, and with ongoing and generous support of corporate and private donors, many of the city’s most neglected public statues have been conserved and restored to their former glory.

In the short movie above, Director of MAS’ Adopt-A-Monument program, Phyllis Cohen, gives an overview of the program and tells the story of three notable restorations – the Die Lorelie Fountain in the Bronx, the Bellringers in Herald Square, and the Evangeline Blashfield Fountain in Midtown.

Over a century ago, when the MAS was founded, its goal was to beautify New York City with works of art. While our concerns have broadened to include pressing issues on advocating for future land development, excellent urban design and more comprehensive zoning legislation, we returned to our founding premise in 1986 by launching the Adopt-A-Monument program to preserve the public art which means so much to New York.

Acid rain and oxides of sulfur emitted by cars and factories had caused metal loss on bronze statues and reduced marble to a sponge-like consistency; graffiti and neglect caused other damage. Aware of deep restrictions on local and federal support for park maintenance, the Society sought to engage corporations, foundations and individuals that surrounded a park site or were historically associated with a monument to underwrite its repair. Twenty statues from five boroughs were selected for the pilot program; thirty-eight have been restored.  Of the original twenty only one has not been conserved and that is the heroic bronze Rocket Thrower.

Theme piece for the 1964 World’s Fair, Donald De Lue’s Promethean figure still stands on its original site in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park long after the fair buildings have vanished. Celebrating the space age, this forty-five-foot high semi-nude male hurls a long arc-shaped object through a circle of stars into outer space. It remains symbolic of our country’s aspirations and confidence during the era of our first explorations beyond the stratosphere.

The sculptor (1897-1988) sought inspiration from the tradition of ideal sculpture. His art reflects the influence of ancient Greek and Renaissance masters. Working from a small fifteen-foot model of the Rocket Thrower, De Lue spent a year enlarging the piece in his studio. A mold for the ten-ton model was made in plaster, adding another ten tons to the titan proportions. Hoisting the plaster figure from his studio required two chain lifts and several assistants. Cast in Italy, the statue is supported from within by four bronze tubes held in place by clamps. It is a technological tour de force. De Lue utilized skilled workers to finish the piece but applied the patina himself. The rocket, cast in a more metallic silver colored bronze, was attached separately. Gold and silver leaf once brilliantly gilded the stars.

These recent photos (July 21, 2011) show conservator/engineer Dave Woodham from Atkinson-Noland on site at Flushing Meadows- Corona Park completing his data collection on the Rocket Thrower which included: taking images with a videoscope; readings of the bronze skin’s thickness via ultrasound; and thermal imaging readings. By analyzing the data he will have an assessment of the condition of the steel armature inside the statue. If no major deterioration of the structural support system is evident, future conservation will be less complicated.

The original lustrous green patina has darkened due to environmental changes and lack of maintenance. Cracks in the bronze could be causing structural problems while cracks in the granite base might require resetting. Recent photos from July 21, 2011 show conservator/engineer Dave Woodham from Atkinson-Noland on site at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park completing a structural analysis of the monument. His data collection included: taking images with a videoscope; using ultrasound to obtain readings of the bronze skin’s thickness; and measuring thermal imaging readings on the strength of the internal attachments. If the structural support is sound, conservation will be less complicated and require cleaning, repair of cracks, repatination, application of a protective wax coating and regilding the stars. The cost is estimated at $200,000 of which the Society has raised $100,000 over the past years.

If you would like to make a donation to help restore this last historic work of art in the Adopt-A-Monument Program, please contact Phyllis Samitz Cohen, Director of the Adopt-A-Monument /Mural Program at 212-935-3969 or by email at pcohen@mas.org.

This summer the James Gordon Bennett Monument (also known as the Bellringers) in Herald Square is being conserved through the Adopt-A-Monument Program, a joint venture of the Municipal Art Society, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the New York City Art Commission. A generous grant from the George Trescher Fund to the Municipal Art Society made the project possible and the 34th Street Partnership is providing additional funds. Continue Reading>>

Following the tragedy of 9/11, the relevance of saving public statues seemed almost inconsequential in light of the impossibility of saving people’s lives. Then a photograph in The New York Times of a makeshift shrine at the statue of George Washington in Union Square revealed how much monuments function as a civic religion. An American flag had been placed in the mounted general’s hand, and antiwar slogans decorated the granite pedestal. Such monuments hold a reservoir of public memory, reminding us of the heroism and sacrifice of another era. Continue Reading>>

Following the success of the Monument program, MAS conceived of the Adopt-A-Mural program in 1991 in partnership with the Art Commission. Seventeen threatened public artworks out of the city’s 430 murals in libraries, schools and hospitals, were selected to be saved. Fifteen have found public sponsors and been restored through this project. Continue Reading>>

In response to the deterioration of many of New York City’s outdoor statues and the limited resources to preserve them, the Municipal Art Society initiated the Adopt-A-Monument program in 1987. The program was born as a plea to corporate and private donors to support the conservation of 20 of the city’s most neglected public statues. Over $2 million has been raised for this project and 38 monuments have been restored. The Society not only oversees the conservation treatments on these projects, but also continues to be a model for Save-Our-Sculpture efforts in cities across the country and Canada. Continue Reading>>

Long hidden from public view, the newly restored Evangeline Blashfield Memorial Fountain was rededicated on June 3 in a ceremony that also presented the first Evangeline Blashfield Award to the Honorable Patricia E. Harris, Deputy Mayor for Administration. Continue Reading>>