Monday's parting shot

A moment with Jim Power working on one of his mosaic poles along St. Mark's Place... thanks to Mike G. for the photo...

A mosaic destroyed on 3rd Avenue and St. Mark's Place

A reader shares these photos from the northeast corner of Third Avenue and St. Mark's Place... where one of Jim Power's mosaics was destroyed.

Per the reader: "The way the bits are laying on the ground it looks like it was intentional — or maybe a truck backed into it or something. Who knows. Anyway, it’s really upsetting."

More Mosaic light poles arrive at Astor Place

[Photo by Steven]

This morning, two more of Jim Power’s Mosaic Trail light poles were reinstalled at the (not-yet-complete) redesigned Astor Place... seven poles are expected in the final redevelopment... (you can read more abut the pole-restoration project here).





Previously on EV Grieve:
The first of Jim Power's restored mosaic light poles has returned to Astor Place

A moment with Jim Power

EVG regular Stephen Popkin talked with Jim Power yesterday on St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue.

Stephen asked Jim about the status of his mosaic-covered lampposts that the city removed during the reconstruction of Astor Place.

"At the last Community Board meeting that I attended recently I was told that my mosaics would be preserved. They said that they would remove the lampposts and then cut them down to preserve the mosaics and try to reinstall them back into the area where they came from. I hope that they keep their word."

You can find more updates on Jim's blog here.

Welcome to the East Village (waves middle finger)

On Tuesday, Jim Power unveiled his latest mosaic... on the southwest corner of St. Mark's Place and Avenue A. The folks at Crif Dogs put up $600 for Jim to repair the hole that was in the sidewalk ... and to prevent anyone from being injured.

We asked Jim about the mosaic's middle finger.

"[It's] a message to old Mayor Bucko and the new one, Mayor De Bozo," he said via email. "They are spending $16 million to block the neighborhood's entrance at Astor Place while our streets and sidewalks are in dangerous disrepair."

Meanwhile, find out more about how you can help Jim restore his Mosaic Trail on his blog.

25 years of the 'Mosaic Man'

[Photo from last summer by Stephen Popkin]

I spotted this message on Facebook yesterday from Jim Power, aka the Mosaic Man, of course. Per the post, 2013 marks the 25th Anniversary of The Village Voice coining the name "Mosaic Man." I couldn't find that article from 1988 online, but the reference is mentioned in this Voice piece from 2010.

Watch a video about his Mosaic trail here. You can find more info here on Jim's website.

Jim Power and his Mosaic Trail [Video]

Jim Power is the subject of a brand-new video over at The Etsy Blog... I particularly like the archival footage of Jim...

Another mosaic painted over; an 'Avenue Arihood' pole in the works

Speaking of Jim Power... a reader passed along the above photo... someone had recently painted over the mosaics at the base of the street lamp at the northeast corner of Seventh Street and Avenue A.

Not the first time that this has happened here. In May 2010, a reader noticed that someone had coated the base with gray paint. So the reader took it upon himself to Zip Strip it.

In any event, upon hearing this most recent news, Power said "just one more to rebuild," before noting that the mosaics on Avenue A and Seventh Street needed work. On that topic, Power said that he's planning to create an "Avenue Arihood" pole on the northwest corner ("Bob's corner") in honor of the late Bob Arihood.

On Second Avenue with the Mosaic Man this afternoon

EV Grieve reader Stephen Popkin passes along a few photos of Jim Power, aka the Mosaic Man, continuing his work this afternoon on Second Avenue at St. Mark's Place...

Jim has been keeping busy of late, working on mosaics for Tompkins Square Bagels, the Bean and Porchetta.

EV Grieve mosaic

Thank you to Jim Power, aka Mosaic Man, for including EV Grieve on his under-renovation mosaic on the southwest corner of St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue...

The Mosaic Man is working on the Tompkins Square Bagels sign

Here at 165 Avenue A, Jim "the Mosaic Man" Power has been working on the new sign for the coming-soon Tompkins Square Bagels... he was there yesterday...

...and here's a look at the sign in progress...

...and a few days before that...

And have you been to Jim's new website? It's right here.

Meanwhile, the shop will also exhibit the work of local artists on a regular (monthly?) basis... first up, V.H. McKenzie and her metro used subway transit card art ... She'll be featuring some neighborhood scenes, such as the TSP Ratstravaganza...

She's also soliciting ideas for local/East Village scenes or icons that she could paint on the cards, so if you have an idea...

Previously.

Why the Mosaic Cafe closed

[Dave on 7th]

Yesterday, we reported that Mosaic Cafe had closed on Avenue C between Ninth Street and 10th Street... I asked co-owner Rachel Fuchs what happened. Here's her response, via email:

"Business was going well. Unfortunately, we had to close due to issues with the landlord. We are very upset about the whole situation and love the neighborhood... so hopefully we will be able to relocate in the East Village in the near future."

Going underground with the Mosaic Man

In a new entry at Neither More Nor Less, Bob Arihood takes us into the basement workshop of the Mosiac Man, Jim Power. As Bob notes, it's "where Jim and Jesse Jane seem happiest." And perhaps it's the happiest Jim has looked since he was run out of the Cave some four years back?

See the photos here.

What the Mosaic Man needs to continue rebuilding

Earlier today I mentioned a good sign: The Mosaic Man working on refurbishing some of his work on Second Avenue at Sixth Street...

And he posted this message on his blog today:

60 light poles need rebuilding (2 months each) to complete the 80 lightpoles in the project.....now....donate your pottery, dishes etc. and of coarse save a few BUCKS ... cause without it it's over ... pass the word

Meanwhile, EV Grieve reader Glamma noticed this as well: Jim has uncovered the mosaic on Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place...

A good sign

The Mosaic Man and his apprentice at work early last evening on Second Avenue at Sixth Street.

The Mosaic Man is back on the trail... now with an apprentice

There's a nice piece in the Voice now by Leslie Minora, who files a feature on Jim Power.... Power is in the process of refurbishing his mosaics... and! He has apparently found an apprentice. An excerpt:

Power has also teamed up with Al Bonsignore, a 23-year-old apprentice/patron, to carry on his mission. Two months ago, the older man was walking along First Avenue when Bonsignore recognized his mosaic cane and approached him. Bonsignore, a native New Yorker who has admired the posts since childhood, hit it off with the artist, and the two began an unlikely but serendipitous working relationship. "Yeah, he's hooked; he's done; he's finished. That's it -- Mosaic Man," Power says, jokingly bequeathing his nickname to his protégé.

A month after meeting Power, Bonsignore invited him to work out of the basement of the East 5th Street building owned by his father, John Bonsignore, who runs a plumbing business in Murray Hill and co-owns West Village Bar Little Branch with Milk & Honey mixologist, Sasha Petraske. In return, Power is teaching his craft to Bonsignore, who helps manage the East 5th Street building, and the two are developing plans for future projects and ventures that grow loftier and more intricate by the day.

"It's great for me," says Bonsignore. "It just feels right. It's a great de-stressor; it's a great way to be creative, and it's just fun." (Bonsignore also grows medical marijuana in California.) "Growing and mosaics have been my two main focuses right now -- and music," he says.

Read the whole article here.

[Photo of Al Bonsignore via The Voice]

Mosaic Man rebuilding on Sixth Street and Second Avenue

Two weeks ago, we were wondering if the Mosiac Man was calling it quits on refurbishing his mosiac trail around the neighborhood... as this note spotted last evening on the sidewalk at Second Avenue and Sixth Street would indicate, he's planning on rebuilding, though he could use some financial assistance...




Previously on EV Grieve:
More on the Mosaic Man removing his mosaics

Mosaic removal on St. Mark's Place?

More on the possibly vanishing mosiacs

Continuing our conversation about the possible loss of the mosaics.... Jeremiah Moss shared this photo with me...



We're all hopeful that a Vanishing tribute to these will never have to be written.

More on the Mosaic Man removing his mosaics

Per the earlier post today.... EV Grieve reader Marjorie Ingall passed along these photos from a few weekends ago...




Already this morning, Marjorie and several other readers have written to say that they hope that Jim reconsiders removing the mosaics; that they are vital and iconic part of the neighborhood....

Mosaic removal on St. Mark's Place?

I'm not sure what to make of this... As you can see here, someone wrapped tape around one of Jim Power's mosaics on St. Mark's Place and Second Avenue...



The tape has been ripped in part ... but it appears to say "Mosiac Work To Be Removed."



Last I heard, via Neighborhoodr, Jim was coming back to the neighborhood a few days a week to do some repair work on his Mosaic Trail... perhaps this is his print... and he intends to replace it... Or there's something else... there's a recent entry on Jim's blog that reads, "bad day......MOSAIC"S to be covered and REMOVED after 26 years."

As I said at the top, I'm not sure what to make of this...