Showing posts with label Astor Place. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Astor Place. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Cover Cube

ICYMI: The Cube (aka Alamo) graces this week's cover of The New Yorker

Jorge Colombo is the cover artist... you can read a short Q&A with him here

His first Cube-related prokect came about in 1999...

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Noted

Photo by Steven 

From this morning on Astor Place... when the Baby Trump balloon made a pitstop on Astor Place... the 19-foot-tall diaper-clad baby first appeared in the U.K. in July 2018, and made its NYC debut later that year... there are reportedly six replicas in circulation in the U.S. for various protests.

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

When the Cube returned to Astor Place late Monday night

Photos by Lawrence Lee 

The Cube (aka Alamo) is back in working (spinning) order on Astor Place after being away for two-plus months for repairs and refurbishment. 

Versteeg Art Fabricators in Bethany, Conn., put in a new weatherproof spinning mechanism and added a few coats of paint (and in record time). After a visit to Southampton for the Hamptons Fine Art Fair this past week (Alamo creator Tony Rosenthal lived and worked in the Hamptons), the Cube returned to Astor Place, its home since 1967. 

Just as the sculpture was whisked away late at night back in May... the return followed the same MO to avoid daytime pedestrians and vehicular traffic.

Lawrence Lee shared these photos of its arrival a little after 11 p.m. on Monday when a crew from Mariano Brothers Specialty Moving — the Bethel, Conn.-based specialists in rigging and installing museum and art pieces — delivered the Cube and helped put it back in place with the help of a team from Versteeg Art Fabricators.
  
 

The Cube had been out of commission with structural damage since December 2021. At the time, we were told that the spinning mechanism for the Cube, which manually rotates around a pole hidden in its center, was not working. 

Rosenthal's estate picked up the estimated repair bill of $100,000.

Previous repairs to the Cube took place in 2005 and 2016, though it was away longer than this 2023 trip to the shop.

Photo below from yesterday by EVG

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

[Updated] The Cube returns to Astor Place — and ready to spin again

The Cube (aka Alamo) is back on Astor Place (as of last night) after spending the past two-plus months in the shop — not to mention an art fair.

Dave Petrie, the director of creator Tony Rosenthal's estate, told the Times that the Cube got a new weatherproof spinning mechanism via Versteeg Art Fabricators in Bethany, Conn., "that should keep it turning for 20 years or so."
From there, it went by truck to the art fair in the Hamptons, where some attendees did double-takes. "They can't believe they’re seeing the real 'Alamo,'" Petrie said. "They think they're seeing a new sculpture. Five coats of paint." It had even been painted inside, he said.
Just after midnight on May 8, workers whisked away the Cube from Astor Place for repairs. It had been out of commission with structural damage since December 2021. At the time, we were told that the spinning mechanism for the Cube, which manually rotates around a pole hidden in its center, was not working. 

However, before returning to its Astor Place home of 56 years, the sculpture appeared in the Hamptons, where Rosenthal (1914–2009) lived and worked. (Rosenthal's estate picked up the estimated repair bill of $100,000.)

Dan's Papers said the Cube was in Southampton for the Hamptons Fine Art Fair from July 10-16.

City officials are expected to officially unveil the refurbished Alamo at some point today. 

Updated 10 a.m.

City officials and the Tony Rosenthal Art Estate unveiled the newly restored Cube in a short ceremony this morning (thanks to Steven for the photos)...

Saturday, July 8, 2023

Saturday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

A moment with Wolfspeak today on Astor Place... performing during the annual WitchsFest USA.

Thursday, May 18, 2023

The Cube will return to Astor Place this summer — but not before a spin to the Hamptons

Just after midnight on May 8, workers whisked away the Cube (aka Alamo) from Astor Place for repairs, with an expected return mid-summer.

As previously reported (first by THE CITY), the 1,800-pound Cube was going to Bethany, Conn., for restoration by Versteeg Art Fabricators.

The Cube had been out of commission with structural damage since December 2021. At the time, we were told that the spinning mechanism for the Cube, which manually rotates around a pole hidden in its center, was not working. 

However, before returning to its Astor Place home of 56 years, the sculpture will be making a guest appearance in the Hamptons, where its creator, Tony Rosenthal (1914–2009), lived and worked. (Rosenthal's estate is picking up the estimated repair bill of $100,000.)

According to Dan's Papers, the Cube is headed to Southampton for the Hamptons Fine Art Fair, which takes place in July. 

Per the publication:
The restored Alamo will be on display from July 10-16. Rosenthal is being inducted posthumously into the fair's Hall of Fame, so the city's commissioners voted unanimously to loan the historical piece to commemorate the occasion. 
Hamptonites may also be familiar with the similar spinning steel Rosenthal sculpture, "Cube 72," which was made in 1972 and found a prominent spot outside Guild Hall in East Hampton.

Hamptons Fine Art Fair founder and Executive Director Rick Friedman says securing the massive piece was no easy feat. "To get this loan from New York City is outrageous," he said. "It's like getting the Statue of Liberty," Friedman added, pointing out that negotiations took about a year, with a lot of back and forth, an army of lawyers and piles of paperwork. 

But, he said, it was worth the effort. 

Given its VIP reception out east, the Cube will likely not return home via the Jitney. 

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

On Astor Place, the cube will BRB to spin again

After midnight, a crew whisked away the cube (aka Alamo) from Astor Place for repairs... with a return expected mid-summer.
As the Times noted, "A crane, a flatbed truck and a couple of city agencies assisted with the getaway." As previously reported (first by THE CITY), the 1,800-pound cube is off to Bethany, Conn., for restoration by Versteeg Art Fabricators — a firm that also restored the cube in 2005.

The cube had been out of commission with structural damage since late 2021. The barricades first arrived around the cube in December 2021, before the city removed them in late April 2022. At the time, we were told that the spinning mechanism for the cube, which manually rotates around a pole hidden in its center, was not working. 

Tony Rosenthal's sculpture first arrived here in November 1967.

And Rosenthal's estate is picking up the estimated repair bill of $100,000. 

From the Times:
Dave Petrie, the director of Rosenthal’s estate, said he was "concerned about the state of disrepair" the cube had fallen into...

"The thesis was, we want to do this," he said. "The cost wasn't the issue. We want Tony's legacy to live on."
And a reader shared this photo from last night after workers packed up the cube...

Friday, April 7, 2023

A visit with Chris Santana, the bookseller of Astor Place

Photos and text by Stacie Joy 

When we last checked in with Chris Santana, the bookseller of Astor Place had just released a rousing Christmas song

It's unseasonably cold out the next time we see him. 

"I set up the stand when it's 45 degrees or above and the wind isn't whipping," he says.
He has been at it now for two years at the start of this spring here on the corner of Third Avenue and Astor Place underneath the sidewalk bridge of Cooper Union's Foundation Building. 

"Cooper Union has been nice about it, and as you know, my First Amendment rights include selling literature or art without the need of a license," Santana says. "The hardest part of the whole gig is going all over the city digging for books, although there's a certain thrill involved. But the main thrill is making people happy when they get a book that we both think they'll really dig."
There's one constant at his stand. 

"I have an ongoing hand in the dissemination of The Urantia Book, and I’ve been at it for 40 years," he says. "It's a very challenging book, and it takes a degree of cool along with enthusiasm to introduce it. The last thing I want to do is come off as proselytizing when it comes to such an important book, and the bookstand has proven the best way I’ve found to introduce as casually as whoever is interested allows."
He also has a copy of his book, "The Drunken Tourist" ...
Santana has no set schedule for the corner nor a social media account with any updates.

Regardless, he's always a welcome presence. "See ya 'round campus," he says.

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Paper trail: Yaeji at Astor Place

Photos by Stacie Joy 

In case you were wondering about the line at the Astor Place newsstand outside the downtown 6 on Sunday afternoon (are people reading newspapers again?) ...
Turns out that Yaeji, the Brooklyn-based singer-DJ-producer, was using the space to offer up the first vinyl (and CD) copies of her latest release, With A Hammer ... 
A newsstand made sense, as she was giving out some zines too ...

Saturday, January 7, 2023

Monday, January 2, 2023

On Astor Place, a yearn to spin again

Unless you haven't walked through Astor Place in the past 13 or so months, then you likely know that the cube (aka Alamo) has been out of commission during this time. (First noted here.) 

The city removed the barricades from around the cube in late April 2022. At the time, we were told that the spinning mechanism for the 1,800-pound cube, which manually rotates around a pole hidden in its center, was not working. A DOT spokesperson previously told us that they didn't have a timeline for repairing the spinning component.

The Post had a follow-up on this yesterday. A spokesperson basically said the same thing, that the "DOT is planning a repair to restore the Cube to its original, spinning condition." And: "We'd love to see it so people can spin it again. That's what Tony wanted — he wanted it to be enjoyed and not to be put in a cradle."

Tony Rosenthal's sculpture first arrived here in November 1967

Previously on EV Grieve:

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

It's 'Time for Christmas' with the book man of Astor Place

Chris Santana, aka "the book man of Astor Place," has released this seasonal single — going as SantanaClaus — filmed from his spot outside Cooper Union.

Please enjoy "It's Time for Christmas." (You can find more from him on SoundCloud.)

 

Saturday, October 15, 2022

Saturday's opening crane shot

Some reader reports of some early-morning crane action on Astor Place... on Eighth Street adjacent to 770 Broadway... perhaps something related to the new Wegmans... or, given the proximity to Facebook's office at No. 770, maybe they are installing the metaverse.

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

A new art installation on Astor Place honors playwright-activist Lorraine Hansberry

A new production of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" is underway at the Public Theater on Lafayette. 

Coinciding with the staging of this 1959 classic ... is an installation on Astor Place by Alison Saar titled "To Sit A While." 

Here's more via the Village Alliance
"To Sit A While" features the figure of Hansberry surrounded by five bronze chairs, each representing a different aspect of her life and work. The life-size chairs are an invitation to the public to do just that: to sit with her and think. 
Hansberry was the first Black woman to have her work produced on Broadway. She died of pancreatic cancer in 1965 at age 34. 

The installation, which has been in several NYC locations since June, will be here through Oct. 21. 

Thanks to Steven for the photo.

Sunday, July 17, 2022

Raise your spirits: At WitchsFest 2022 on Astor Place

Images by Stacie Joy 

The annual WitchsFest 2022 took place yesterday IRL on Astor Place between Lafayette and Broadway (there were virtual events Friday and today).

The festival featured DJs, performances, Magickal Market Place vendors and workshops. (There was also "a Summer Blessing Ritual for all of New York City and extending out to the World.") 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by to check in with WitchsFesters — vendors and attendees alike ...

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

The Alamo is free on Astor Place (though it's not ready to spin)

ICYMI: Workers removed the barricades surrounding the Alamo on Astor Place late last week. (Noted here and here on Saturday.) 

As previously reportedbarricades had surrounded the Cube — aka the Alamo — since late last fall.

We were told that the spinning mechanism for the 1,800-pound cube, which manually rotates around a pole hidden in its center, was not working.

The Department of Transportation installed the temporary in-house fabrication and support for the cube on April 27. After some painting, workers then took away the barricades. A DOT spokesperson previously told us that they didn't have a timeline for repairing the spinning component.

Tony Rosenthal's sculpture first arrived here in November 1967

Friday, May 6, 2022

Spin city: The Alamo remains out of commission on Astor Place

As you likely noticed in recent months on Astor Place, barricades have surrounded the Cube — aka the Alamo — since late last fall.

A spokesperson for the Village Alliance told us this earlier this year: "The Cube, unfortunately, needs some repairs to its base. We are working with the DOT to get it in tip-top shape." 

We're told that the spinning mechanism for the 1,800-pound cube, which manually rotates around a pole hidden in its center, is not working.

A DOT spokesperson told us that workers installed "the temporary in-house fabrication and support" for the cube on April 27.
And next?

"We are completing the painting for phase 1 and the barriers will then be removed," the DOT spokesperson said. "No timeline at this time for the second phase."

So there won't be any spinning of the cube for the foreseeable future (despite the annual lubing of the cube)...

 

Tony Rosenthal created the Alamo, then titled "Sculpture in Environment," .... and it arrived here on the south side of the Astor Place subway entrance in November 1967. Read more Cube history here.