We invite MAS members and friends to submit nominations for the 2010 Brendan Gill Prize. The prize, endowed to permit a cash award, is given annually to the creator of a specific work— a book, essay, musical composition, play, painting, sculpture, architectural design, film or choreographic work — completed between January 2009 and July 2010 that best captures the spirit and energy of New York City. The award is not intended to honor a lifetime achievement. Please submit nominations to MAS by July 9. To download a nomination form click here.

Past Brendan Gill Prize recipients have included: artists Mike and Doug Starn for their site specific installation See it split, see it change; musician Sufjan Stevens for his musical The BQE, actress Sarah Jones for her play Bridge & Tunnel, and artists Jeanne-Claude and Christo for their temporary Central Park art installation The Gates. For more information about the Brendan Gill Prize, visit MAS.org/brendan-gill or call 212-935-3960.

Last Saturday, at an award reception at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens received the 2008 Brendan Gill Prize from MAS for his multimedia musical composition The BQE. Mr. Stevens’ “symphonic and cinematic exploration of New York City’s infamous Brooklyn-Queens Expressway” was selected by the Brendan Gill jury for “capturing the energy, vigor, and verve of our incomparable city.”

Above is a brief slideshow of the evening, attended by MAS members and patrons. To join the Municipal Art Society, click here.

MAS is awarding this year’s Brendan Gill prize to Sufjan Stevens for his acclaimed composition BQE (AsthmaticKitty). The Gill prize was created by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in honor of Brendan Gill and is awarded annually to a creator of a work of art, book, sculpture, film, musical composition, or architectural design, accomplished the previous year, that best captures the spirit and energy of New York City.

Santiago Calatrava echoes MAS’ sentiments that a train station should be a grand gateway into the city and a gift from the city for the public good; read more about MAS’ principles for Moynihan Station on New Penn Station.

In other news, the land and business owners in opposition to the City’s proposed Willets Point rezoning have broken into factions… Continue Reading>>