Mulchfest 2012: Recycling Christmas Trees

Curbside Christmas trees on York Avenue and 71st Street 

The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and GreeNYC are sponsoring a Christmas tree recycling program throughout the city this weekend. Christmas trees will be recycled into wood chips that are used to nourish trees and plants on streets and gardens citywide. 

You can bring your tree to a chipping location on January 7 and 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. A free bag of mulch will be given to those who bring in their tree for recycling. The Department of Sanitation has also been conducting special curbside collections for mulching and recycling of Christmas trees through January 14.

Please remember to remove all lights and ornaments before bringing the tree to a MulchFest site. For more information on drop-off sites, visit the City of New York Parks and Recreation website.

"Downtown Dogs" - Construction Site Art by Malin Abrahamsson

Downtown Dogs is a construction site artwork inspired by the children’s game "Pass the Pigs", a board game using little pigs as die. Scores are left to chance and depend on the way the pigs land on the board. Using the game as a starting point, Abrahamsson substituted the figurines with dogs, an animal dear to her but also one that’s more commonly encountered in the city. Intended to liven up the streetscape with its playful graphics and vibrant colors, the work serves as a reminder to all hard-working New Yorkers to always leave some time for play, but also, of the infinite and unpredictable chances that the city offers. Located at Grand and Lafayette Streets in downtown Manhattan, the 250-foot mural is printed on mesh and covers a 12-foot-tall wire fence.

"Commercial art, graphic design, and underground street art—originally three separate visual practices—become one in the playful and bold graphic creation Downtown Dogs," Abrahamsson said. “Not only do I enjoy to take my art practice outside of the studio, but the collaborative aspect of a project like this is incredibly rewarding as well, “I hope this piece will be a bit of a colorful surprise to those who happen upon it: that would be the ultimate reward."

“Hundreds of feet beneath the streets of NYC is one of the city’s largest capital projects ever undertaken—the construction of City Water Tunnel No. 3,” said Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway. “This vital project improves the entire water supply system for more than eight million city residents by providing an invaluable redundancy to our water supply. Though absolutely necessary, construction sites aren’t exactly pretty. But now, because of a new artwork installation—Downtown Dogs by Malin Abrahamsson—that covers the construction site of a shaft tunnel, residents and visitors alike will be treated to a colorful and unexpected “treat” that will no doubt give them “paws.” It all adds up to a more beautiful and vibrant Lower Manhattan Community. I want to thank Downtown Alliance for helping to bring this wonderful artwork to the site.”

Eden Fine Art Gallery

Eden Fine Art, is a major international art representative and sponsor, specializing in the publishing, marketing and distribution of artworks, sculptures and photographs from select leading Israeli and international artists. Shown above is the modern flagship gallery of Eden Fine Art Art at 437 Madison Avenue (between 49th and 50th Streets). Eden Fine Art is owned by Mickey and Cathia Klimovsky. It was founded in 1998 with one gallery on Jerusalem's King David Street, and have since launched other galleries in a prime and sought after locations, such as the exclusive Hilton Tel Aviv Hotel, the exclusive tourist street of Ben Yehuda, Tel Aviv, and the the upscale beach town of Del Mar, in San Diego County, California.

The Statue of Liberty at 667 Madison Avenue

The 667 Madison Avenue Statue of Liberty is a bronze casting of the original plaster sculpture from which the New York Harbor Statue of Liberty was scaled. The work was acquired and installed by Leonard N. Stern in 2011 as a salute to American democracy and the legacy of the French-American alliance. Mr. Stern’s father Max immigrated at Ellis Island in 1926 and often recalled the powerful moment of sighting the Statue of Liberty as his ship entered New York Harbor. This statue was enlarged 16 times by the artist, Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi (1834-1904) to create the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, perhaps the most recognized symbol of freedom in the world. It was presented as a gift to the American people and paid for by the citizens of France. The statue celebrates freedom, democratic government and the equality of man. It also celebrates the bonds of friendship between out two countris and the vital financial and military assistannce that France gave our Revolutionary Army comanded by George Washinngton during our young nation's hour of greatest need.

The New-York Historical Society Museum and Library

Beekman Family Coach, ca. 1770

Tiffany lamps

"Fifth Avenue, New York City, 1906" painting by Colin Cooper

"From Here To There" by Antonio Martorell, an art installation about Puerto Rican immigration.  It includes a theater for projection of a documentary where the seats are dressed as immigrants so visitors can sit on their laps, literally placing themselves in their position.

Paintings of Grand Central Terminal by Howard Thain (American, 1891-1959)

After a $70 million renovation, the New-York Historical Society Museum and Library reopened last November. Founded in 1804, the New York Historical Society explores the political, cultural and social history of New York City  and State. It has a great collection of historical artifacts, works of American art and other historical materials as shown in the images I made on the fourth floor of the museum. The renovation added a children’s museum and new artifacts such as the ceiling from Keith Haring’s Pop Shop, as well as the 9/11 artifacts and photographs. The museum is located at 170 Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets on the Upper West Side next to the American Museum of Natural History. 

Throughout January, the New-York Historical Society offers a $5 coupon off its regular $15 adult admission as part of its culture spot of the month designation by the city’s tourism bureau. The coupon can be printed online or picked up official NYC information centers and kiosks in Midtown, Times Square, Harlem and Chinatown. The museum regularly offers pay-as-you-wish hours every Friday night from 6 to 8 P.M.

Happy New Year!

videos from the AssociatedPress

Happy 2012.