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Stand Tall, Stand Loud: Difference between revisions
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|date_of_action=June 2016 | |date_of_action=June 2016 | ||
|location=New York City, Riverside Park | |location=New York City, Riverside Park | ||
|description_of_content=Aaron Bell's ''Stand Tall, Stand Loud'', is a sixteen-foot tall Cor-ten steel sculpture located in Riverside Park, New York City. The sculpture is composed of a stylized figure and a noose with a slash through it in place of a head. Bell's proposed design was selected by the Art Students League for Model to Monument (M2M), a public art program administered in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Bell, who is African American, conceived the sculpture as a statement against hate and bigotry. The sculpture's base is inscribed with a quote from | |description_of_content=Aaron Bell's ''Stand Tall, Stand Loud'', is a sixteen-foot tall Cor-ten steel sculpture located in Riverside Park, New York City. The sculpture is composed of a stylized figure and a noose with a slash through it in place of a head. Bell's proposed design was selected by the Art Students League for Model to Monument (M2M), a public art program administered in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Bell, who is African American, conceived the sculpture as a statement against hate and bigotry. The sculpture's base is inscribed with a quote from Martin Luther King., Jr.: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter." | ||
|description_of_incident=A public art coordinator for city parks, Jennifer Lantzas, contacted Parks staff with concerns that "the image of the noose could be problematic for the borough." Parks spokesman Sam Biederman said that Bell's project was rejected because the site, near West 68th Street in Riverside Park, "is adjacent to an area regularly programmed with passive recreational activities such as yoga, Pilates and senior movement." Bell was told to remove the noose element or forfeit the opportunity to install the sculpture; the M2M committee did not honor his repeated requests to explain or defend his concept. The sculpture was initially installed on schedule but without a head element pending fabrication of a substitute design. | |description_of_incident=A public art coordinator for city parks, Jennifer Lantzas, contacted Parks staff with concerns that "the image of the noose could be problematic for the borough." Parks spokesman Sam Biederman said that Bell's project was rejected because the site, near West 68th Street in Riverside Park, "is adjacent to an area regularly programmed with passive recreational activities such as yoga, Pilates and senior movement." Bell was told to remove the noose element or forfeit the opportunity to install the sculpture; the M2M committee did not honor his repeated requests to explain or defend his concept. The sculpture was initially installed on schedule but without a head element pending fabrication of a substitute design. | ||
|description_of_result=The NYC Parks Department reversed its decision to censor the sculpture. The noose element was fabricated in Cor-ten steel. It was installed on July 20, 2016. | |description_of_result=The NYC Parks Department reversed its decision to censor the sculpture. The noose element was fabricated in Cor-ten steel. It was installed on July 20, 2016. | ||