Photos by Stacie Joy
Local elected officials, members of the Basquiat family, and community representatives gathered yesterday afternoon to unveil "Jean-Michel Basquiat Way" on the stretch of Great Jones Street between the Bowery and Lafayette.
The ceremony took place on the steps of 57 Great Jones St., where the artist lived and worked from 1983 until his death in 1988 at age 27. 
The artist's sisters, Jeanine Heriveaux (above and below on the left) and Lisane Basquiat, were present at the ceremony and stood alongside Council Member Erik Bottcher, chair of the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Libraries.
"To have New York honor Jean-Michel in this way is deeply meaningful to our family," the siblings said in a statement. "Jean-Michel's is a New York Story. We are thrilled to witness this epic moment of acknowledgment and honor from the city that helped shape him."
4 comments:
Not for nothing, but the amount of named streets is becoming insane. And this is pretty much something that materialized in force only in the last 25 years or so. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that some streets will have more than one named additional signs sprouting forth like tree branches. I pity the out of towner trying to navigate their way around this town for the first time.
These co-named streets seem kind of corny to me, although I admire the people they honor.
I agree with the both of you, but nothing is tackier than Billionaires' Row. At one time that was so not New York.
Overdue, but happy to see the placement.
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