Historical Public Works
Rejuvenating Queens A century ago, when the Queensborough Bridge and the first subways made western Queens easily accessible to the new midtown district in Manhattan, residential development blossomed. Now, this part of Queens is experiencing a renaissance as young people and immigrant groups markedly change the residential demography. These tours are designed for the young (and the young at heart) who are interested in the future of these neighborhoods as much as in their past! They each begin at 10 am and last for 2.5 to 3 hours at a fee of $20. More Space and New Arrangements: Sunnyside to Jackson Heights (Residential) Saturday, October 2, 2010 – Meets under the Sunnyside sign, South side of 46 St (#7) During the first third of the 20th century, Western Queens nurtured developments where traditional open space/building area relationships were altered to create new urban architecture. The Sunnyside Gardens and the Jackson Heights Historic Districts anchor the route which also includes Phipps Gardens, Matthew Flats, Metropolitan Life apartments, and early truck-oriented industrial buildings. Gentrification in progress! Under the International Express: Sunnyside to Jackson Heights (Commercial) Sunday, October 17, 2010 – Meets under the Sunnyside sign, South side of 46 St (#7) After American immigration laws were changed in 1965, the middle class rental neighborhoods along the #7 train became the nuclei of cultures new to New York. The ethnic diversity under the "The International Express" has visible commercial concentrations of Irish, Mexican, South American, South Asian, Filipino, and Thai cultures. The train and the constantly evolving eats are always in focus. Historical Jamaica – Saturday, October 9 from 1 to 3 pm – FREE TOUR One of the earliest settlements in New York City, Jamaica boasts centuries old homes, churches and cemeteries. Focusing on Jamaica Ave at the foot of the glacial moraine, we'll dwell on its strategic location and make some interior visits including Grace Episcopal Church and the meticulously restored Valencia theater. Meet at King Manor museum front lawn, Jamaica Ave between 150-153 St. (E, J Jamaica Center, LIRR Jamaica station); Sponsored by Jamaica Center BID. Tour is free (and rain or shine) but RSVP is required. For more information, please call 718-526-2422 or info@jamaicacenter.org. No deposit is necessary. Simply email me jaconet@aol.com with your name(s), how many slots to reserve, for which tour.
Lecture On Egon Sciele: Bad Boy Of Art
On Wednesday, October 20, 2:30 pm, art historian Louise Cella Caruso will talk about artist Egon Schiele who laced his drawings and painting with fierce expressionism of sexuality or death. His art expresses the melancholy and anguish of living, from the depths of his fevered soul. His works combine flesh, bones, muscles and tendons resulting in repulsion and attraction. Tragically, Egon Schiele died at the age of 28. In Vienna he was viewed as a trinity of Klimt, Kokoschka and Schiele and today he is regarded as a separate figure-----a master of Austrian Expressionism. The Freeport Memorial Library is located at 144 West Merrick Road, between South Bergen Place and South Ocean Avenue, and is accessible to persons with disabilities. For additional information, please call 516-379-3274.
Cape May Designer Show House
The historic Fairthorne Cottage at 115 Ocean St. (corner of Hughes Street) is the site of the 2010 Cape May Designer Show House, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities (MAC).
Both Gothic and stick-style architectural elements are evident at the Fairthorne Cottage, which is actually a combination of two separate houses.The rear house was built in 1830 and was moved from Lafayette Street, while the front of the house was added in 1880. Enos Williams is credited as the architect and builder. The cottage is named after Frederick Fairthorne, who was one of the original owners of the property along with his business partner, John C. Bullitt (Cape May's mega-developer of the Victorian period). Currently owned by MAC Board President Diane Hutchinson and her husband Ed, the Fairthorne Cottage is a three story bed and breakfast in the heart of Cape May's Historic District.

The cottage will remain fully operational and continue to serve as a retreat for guests during its time as the Designer Show House. The first floor and grounds of the house will be renovated and transformed by designers and the top two floors will remain guest rooms.

Striking architectural elements at the cottage include the exterior tower in the front of the property, double parlors, and completely restored fireplaces. A new floor plan and kitchen and beautification of the outside grounds are some of the renovations slated to take place at this year's house. There are 10 designer spaces which include an enclosed front porch, powder room, living room, dining room, and kitchen, among others.

This year's Cape May Designer Show House is open for self-guided tours from June 18 through January 2, 2011. Tours are offered daily from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays to Fridays, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Each visitor will receive a full-color program book with information about the designers, products and vendors. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children (3-12). Tours of the Designer Show House can be combined with lunch and dinner packages and special events. See the Designer Show House decked out in holiday style through Cape May's Christmas season, November 19 to January 2, 2011.

After months of a painstaking, inch-by-inch, restoration process, Rockefeller Center unveiled the newly restored 656-square foot American Progress mural in the lobby of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The mural, which was commissioned by John D. Rockefeller Jr., and painted by Spanish artist Jose Maria Sert in 1937, is the centerpiece of 16,000 square feet of public art located on the walls, staircases, mezzanine and ceiling of the building.

American Progress is the main focal point of the lobby, measuring over 16 feet high and 41 feet long. A vast allegorical scene depicting the development of America during the past three hundred years, the mural prominently features two great Americans: Abraham Lincoln (standing on the left center) and Ralph Waldo Emerson (seated below Lincoln). American Progress portrays the collaboration of idealists and labor. On the right, small figures are raising heroic statues of three muses: poetry, music and dance, representing creative energy and man's dreams. On the left, looking toward the soil for strength, men or action are raising colossal states representing labor.

Tishman Speyer commissioned art conservationists Evergreene Architectural Arts to restore the murals.

"Overall, the works of art had been in stable condition, and the main conservation concern was the polyurethane coating that was applied to the panels in the 1970s," said Jeff Greene, President of Evergreene Architectural Arts. "The removal of this degraded and inferior vanish restored the space to the artists' original vision for the interior of 30 Rockefeller Plaza."

To date, the wall murals have been completed, and the difference between the restored murals and the untouched ceiling and elevator bank murals is staggering. The ceiling restoration will begin later this week.

American Progress is one of 16 murals by Jose Maria Sert and British artist Frank Brangwyn,r elating to the theme of New Frontiers. Brangwyn's four murals depict the ethical development of man and express man's relationship to society and his fellow man. Sert's 12 murals represent development of technological power. While they are individual works of art, the murals all relate to each other. Designer Edward Trumbull and an art committee determined the color palette – black, white and gray – materials, and method of painting (chiaroscuro). Canvases were shipped from New York to Europe, where the artists painted the murals.

Glowing: Cape May's Stained Glass Exhibit The 1896 Prince Edward at 38 Jackson St. is noted for its variety of original stained glass windows including the one seen here which is believed to be the largest working stained glass window in Cape May.

Presented by Dottie Rogers, Cape May's own stained glass expert and guest curator, "Glowing: Cape May's Stained Glass Exhibit" at the Carriage House Gallery features photographs of richly-colored 19th century windows in Cape May, tools of the stained glass trade, jewel-like samples of intensely colored glass and the uplifting story of the restoration of church windows in Cape May. The exhibit is open daily from April 30 to Nov. 7, gallery hours vary. The Carriage House Gallery is located on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Admission is $2 or free with any tour of the Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May's only Victorian house museum. This exhibit is sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities (MAC), a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Cape May's heritage. MAC also fosters the performing arts and MAC membership is open to all. For information about MAC's year-round schedule of tours, festivals, and special events, call 609-884-5404, 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org. For information about restaurants, accommodations and shopping, call the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May at 609-884-5508.