The Mosaic Man — Jim Power and His Mosaic Trail

Jim received top billing in the East Village section of the new Walking New York guide from National Geographic! On sale now! You can order via Amazon here. You can also try to find the book at your local book store.

Press Release, in which Jim’s work is mentioned at the top of the list of attractions to see in New York.

About:

See the best of New York with this streamlined, itinerary-driven guide, created in a handy, take-along format. Part of a brand-new series from National Geographic that showcases the world’s great cities, Walking New York is divided into the following sections:

The Whirlwind Tours section shows you how to see the entire city in a day or a weekend; what sights will interest kids most; plus, a hedonist’s tour that’s pure pleasure from dawn to midnight and beyond.

The Neighborhoods section of the book presents the city broken down into 15-odd itineraries that lead you on a step-by-step tour to the best sights in each of the city’s greatest neighborhoods—from Lower Manhattan and The Villages to Central Park, Harlem, and the Outer Boroughs.

Travel Essentials provides information on how to get to the city and how to get around, as well as hand-picked hotels and restaurants.

Each itinerary includes the following features:

Distinctly New York: Explore the city through 2-page features that showcase the quintessential aspects of the city, such as Ethnic Eating, Art Deco New York, and the Harlem Renaissance. Here you’ll get intriguing background information to help you understand why this city is one of the world’s greatest.

Best of: Specific thematic groupings of sights are described, such as beach getaways, historic homes & mansions, and jazz clubs.

In-depth: These spreads take a deep dive into a major museum or other sight—for example, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; the Met; and the Cloisters—providing step-by-step guidance on what to see and how to plan your visit.

Sidebars throughout give you the low down on shopping, eating, and going out on the town, and offer insider tips and interesting asides.

And on the East Village, specifically:

Once an immigrant neighborhood, the East Village acquired its distinctive feel in the 1960s as the haunt of artists, musicians, and hippies, and as the center of America’s counterculture. Gentrification has erased some of the area’s grittiness, but the neighborhood’s artsy vibe is still evident in the graffiti-covered walls and independent stores. Street artist Jim Power has decorated almost all of the 80 lampposts with ceramics, mirrors, and glass: a new streetscape known as the Mosaic Trail. At the heart of the village is St. Mark’s Place, where vintage shops help keep the alternative spirit alive. One of the most famous, Trash and Vaudeville, has been dressing rock stars and teenage rebels since 1975. St. Mark’s Place ends at Tompkins Square, the scene of the first labor demonstration in 1874 and a performance space for Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, and other 1960s legends. Punk rock arrived in the 1970s, with bands such as the Ramones and Blondie regularly playing at the (now defunct) CBGB nightclub on the Bowery, once the slummiest area of the city. The street’s name derives from the bouwerij or farm belonging to the Dutch governor Peter Stuyvesant in the 17th century. He is buried at nearby St. Mark’s Church in-the- Bowery, one of New York’s oldest churches. The East Village’s Avenues A, B, C, and D—known as Alphabet City—have become a trendy enclave, with a nightlife that draws many uptowners. If you feel in need of refreshment in your wanderings, drop in at Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffè, or McSorley’s Old Ale House, which dates to 1854.

See Jim elsewhere in print here.

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Mosaic Man’s Hands

By Bob Arihood at Nadie Se Conoce

1 year ago
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» Moving His 9/11 Art West, Mosaic Man is Now ‘Spread Over Both Villages’

A 9/11 memorial in the West Village got a surprise addition to its collection on Saturday. In a frenzied mix of patriotism and general disgust with the state of Astor Place, “Mosaic Man” Jim Power decided to move his planter dedicated to first responders from its original spot.

Mr. Power said the decision came to him after learning that the Walk of Remembrance honoring Rev. Mychal Judge, a firefighter who died while giving last rites to a comrade at the World Trade Center, would pass by the Tiles For America memorial at Seventh Avenue and 11th Street.

The assorted tiles honoring those who died on 9/11 was a perfect fit for Mr. Power’s planter dedicated to the F.D.N.Y. and N.Y.P.D., which he said he quickly put together in the days after the attacks.
“I hope no one misses the planter – it went to a better spot,” said Mr. Power, 63.

And!

But the artist behind the East Village’s iconic light-pole mosaics said there were other bonuses to his moving the planter. For one, his art would now be in a high-profile location outside of his usual stomping grounds. “I’ve crossed lines now,” Mr. Power said. “I’m spread over both Villages — it’s a new day.”
And just as importantly, he was getting sick of Astor Place, anyway…

Click through to read the full story on Jim’s overture to the West Village, including his thoughts on Astor Place, those flaming cactuses and more here. (via Stephen Brown at The Local: East Village).

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The Villager covered the move, as well here.

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Photo by Lincoln Anderson for The Villager

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Here’s to ten good years with the planter in the East Village. May it find solace and happiness in its new location for years to come.

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Jim has been busy this week building a mosaic’d bench that will also make its home near the memorial.

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So, head on over to the new western frontier of the Mosaic Trail at Mulry Square where Greenwich Avenue meets Seventh Avenue South. The Tiles for America memorial has been cared for by the Village Angels since it initially went up in the days following the attacks on September 11th, 2001. Members of the group, with the help of over 40 volunteers, had removed the tiles prior to Hurricane Irene and have been replacing them and hanging new ones all week in the lead-up to memorial events planned for the 10-year anniversary of the attacks.

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Via the GVSHP:

This memorial will be going on through the weekend, culminating on Saturday with an organic memorial where people are encouraged to come to Mulry Square at any time with candles, guitars, photos, or anything that inspires them, and help hang the tiles. In a recent Villager article, [Village Angels founding member] Dusty Berke said that this process will let people “feel that they’re part of the rebuilding process.”

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And an added note: the MTA currently owns the land at Seventh and Greenwich Avenues, and has plans to build a ventilation plant at the site. They will again remove the tiles for safekeeping while construction is underway, a spokeswoman said. The current design, (which Community Board 2 and the Landmarks Commission have criticized), permanently embeds the tiles in rows on the exterior of the building. Jim has been asked to assist in the design.

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(Thanks to the GVSHP and DNAinfo for additional reporting).