James & Karla Murray Fundraising for ‘Mom & Pop’ Installation in Seward Park
Photo: James and Karla Murray
Three months after first revealing their homage to the vanishing city, two prolific storefront chroniclers are raising money for its installation later this summer.
Indeed, husband-wife artists James and Karla Murray just unveiled a Kickstarter campaign to help fund their Lower East Side mom-and-pop throwback.
“Mom & Pops of the L.E.S.” is a bittersweet large-scale public art installation to be housed inside Seward Park. Consisting of an 8 foot high x 12 foot wide x 8 foot deep rectangular wood-frame, the sculpture will include a bodega, a coffee shop/luncheonette (i.e. Cup & Saucer), a delicatessen, and a local newsstand.
Thus far, the project has earned a public art grant from NYC Parks and Uniqlo to get it off the ground. The Kickstarter goal is more than $3,000, of which about one-third has been raised.
The installation will remain on display for an entire year – from July 2018 through July 2019.
Recent Stories
Are We Really the Fairest Big City with a Mayor for the 1%? [Op-Ed]
The following editorial was written by David Tieu on behalf of Youth Against Displacement, a group formed by youth across the City who aim to stand up against the Mayor’s pro-developer agenda and protect our communities from displacement. Last week, New Yorkers were greeted with two new proposals from the de Blasio administration: a “municipal […]
‘The Forward’ Ceases Print Publication After 121 Years
The Forward will do so without its print edition. The 121-year-old Jewish-American publication, founded as the Yiddish language Jewish Daily Forward on the Lower East Side in 1897, suspended print operations this week and will refocus efforts toward its online verticals. As a result, forty percent of the staff was reportedly laid off, including editor-in-chief […]
RIP Lower East Side Man in White, ‘Jimmy Blanco’
It’s a sad day for the Lower East Side. Jimmy Becker, known colloquially as “Jimmy Blanco” for perennially roaming the streets dressed in all white, passed away this week after a battle with Lymphoma. It’s believed he was about 69 or 70. Apparently, a neighbor in his building called EMS a couple weeks ago after […]
Tictail Brick-and-Mortar Market on Orchard Street Goes Under
Tictail officially closed down its Lower East Side market last month. The former shop at 90 Orchard Street is now a vacancy with the token farewell letter on the door. This retail surrender follows just a short while after the Swedish startup’s high-profile acquisition by Shopify. As for what’s next, expect nightlife of some sort. […]
More on ‘Gouie New York’ Sake Bar at the Market Line
The team behind Itzakaya, Davelle, and Samurice is multiplying again on the Lower East Side. More specifically, joining the ever-swelling roster of the Market Line concourse at Essex Crossing. As previously reported, the entity is to be a Japanese sake bar called Gouie New York. And now we have some additional details, including sample menu […]
