5Pointz Revived with ‘Vertical Love Letter’ at CitizenM on the Bowery
The towering new CitizenM hotel on the Bowery opens in just a few weeks. And with it, a revival of the 5Pointz collective and its nascent Museum of Street Art (moSA).
As first reported earlier in the summer, a slew of artists decked the halls (and stairwells) with tags and murals, while photographer Christelle de Castro contributed 62 faces in the windows. This “Citizens of the Bowery” project is all part of the larger art initiative happening at the Bowery skyscraper.
Meres One (aka Jonathan Cohen), the famed 5Pointz founder, teamed up with Marie Flageul to curate this Museum of Street Art, with funding from the Netherlands-based hotel itself. The collaboration is apparently three years in the making – kept secret – and will span twenty floors.
In addition, it seems the New Museum is also involved in the hotel decorating game. Its NEW INC. incubator will loan art for the 300 guest rooms.
CitizenM debuts in a couple weeks, and is reportedly the world’s tallest modular hotel. At twenty stories, the development boasts 300 rooms and two food-and-beverage venues – CanteenM (ground floor) and CloudM (rooftop).
This Bowery hotel is more than ten years in development. The changes began in 2008, when Brack Capital acquired four adjoining properties on the Bowery (at Delancey), including the historic townhouse at 185 Bowery. The assemblage was knocked down a couple years later, and it would take another two years (2012) for CitizenM to jump aboard as hotel operator.
Is this head-to-toe project another instance of “art-washing” the area for further gentrification?
Recent Stories
Century-Old Tattoo and Flash Ephemera at the South Street Seaport Museum
Daredevil Tattoo is hosting a can’t miss event with the South Street Seaport Museum. We have been documenting the history of tattooing on the Bowery for years; this event is making history all its own. Gus Wagner flash just for you. From the sea merchant-cum-tattoo artist and most artistically marked-up man in America. Seriously. You […]
Luscious Jackson Singer has Solo Art Exhibition at 198 Allen Street
Fans of Luscious Jackson will be happy to hear that New York City’s own Jill Cuniff has an art show happening all weekend at 198 Allen Street. The Luscious Jackson singer-songwriter/bassist unveils “Lyric and Word Paintings” at the perennial pop-up tonight, showcasing a collection of abstract watercolor and mixed media paintings, some of which feature some […]
Rent Hike Forces Häagen-Dazs Out of Chinatown After 41 Years
The longstanding Häagen-Dazs ice creamery in Chinatown will soon close its doors at the corner of Bayard and Mott Streets. The store has been at 53 Mott Street since 1977. A purported rent hike is the culprit, ending the decades-long tenure. The $10,000-per-month lease is up November 30, which doubles as the final day in […]
‘Sel Rrose’ on the Bowery Expands with Montauk Acquisition
More than five years into operations, the seafood-heavy Sel Rrose is headed out east. Like so many other Manhattan brands, the Delancey Street bar-restaurant is opening a new location in Montauk. Owner Kristin Vincent, the same prolific proprietor behind nearby Home Sweet Home and basement club Fig 19, purchased the building that formerly housed the […]
‘Ralo’ Heads to Retirement After Brief Stay on Orchard Street
Ralo just got here, and already it’s leaving. The “authentic Tibetan rug” store, which recently celebrated 33 years in business, just vacated 48 Orchard Street. Since springtime, signs and sandwich boards announced their so-called retirement sale. The store eventually closed shop last week, capping under two years on the block for the company. Ralo had […]
