This morning as I was trying to watch the morning news over coffee, I was using the remote flicking through the channels when I saw a special on the Gates of New York. I stopped there to watch the special since that was one of John and Tracy’s first trips together. They actually went to visit New York being unaware of the art exhibit there. I remember Tracy calling and telling me about the Gates. They got some great pictures of the Gates and Central Park. Watching the show I was amazed at the cost of the project, 20 million dollars. I thought,” WOW that’s alot of money for an exhibit for two weeks. Think of all the good the money could have done.” ( I think of how hard it is to do fundraising for our Task Force for The Missing and Unindentified and how much even a fraction of those funds could have been used on behalf of the over 105,372 Missing Persons listed in the FBI’s NCIC computer system. I thought about how that money spent on the Gates could have been used.
I kept watching the show wanting to know how the artists, Christo and Jeanne-Claude could justify the project, for no other reason then because they wanted to, as they stated in the show. The project cost 20 million dollars and they paid for the project themselves! It had nothing to do with Sept 11. No other prupose but art for the public. I watched the mixed emotions of the New Yorkers who watched the project unfold in Central Park, many thought it was an intrusion into the beautiful natural beauty of the park. Many anticipated the unveiling of the project, Truly, it was a mixed bag of reactions.
Here are a few facts about the exhibit from Christo and Jeanne- Claude’s website.
- The Gates were unfurled in Central Park, New York City on February 12, 2005, and remained through February 27, 2005.
- Christo and Jeanne-Claude developed the concept for The Gates in 1979.
On January 22, 2003, the City granted permission to the artists to realize their vision.
- 7,500 gates, 16 feet high (4.87 m) with a width varying from 5 feet 6 inches to 18 feet (1.68 m to 5.48 m) lined 23 miles (36.8 km) of footpaths in the park.
- Free-hanging, saffron-colored fabric panels were suspended from the top of each gate and hang down to 7 feet (2.13 m) above the ground.
- The Gates were stationed approximately 12 feet (3.65 m) apart, except when low branches extend above the walkways.
- The Gates created a visual golden river appearing and disappearing through the bare branches of the trees, highlighting the shapes of the footpaths.
- The luminous moving fabric underlined the organic and serpentine design of the walkways, while the rectangular poles were a reminder of the grid pattern of the City blocks around the park.
- The project provided employment for hundreds of New York City residents, hired to assemble, install, maintain and remove the installation.
- After The Gates were removed, most of the materials was recycled.
- As always, Central Park was open to the public, free of charge, during The Gates.
- The Gates is financed entirely by the artists, who do not accept sponsorships. The publicbeared no expense of any kind.
- For more information about The Gates please visit www.christojeanneclaude.net
As I watched the show and the Gates began to unfurl, the response from those there was amazing, it was very moving to the New Yorkers and the visitors there. The comments made by some of those who viewed the exhibit was that it was beautiful, uplifting and gave you a sense of freedom. As I watched the show I felt a feeling of wonder. In the words of Christo and Jean -Claude from the New York Gov website:
”The temporary quality of the projects is an aesthetic decision. Our works are temporary in order to endow the works of art with a feeling of urgency to be seen, and the love and tenderness brought by the fact that they will not last. Those feelings are usually reserved for other temporary things such as childhood and our own life. These are valued because we know that they will not last. We want to offer this feeling of love and tenderness to our works, as an added value (dimension) and as an additional aesthetic quality.”
There was a feeling within me, a feeling of sadness that I had missed the Gates but happy that Tracy and John had experienced it firsthand. That they had been part of something larger than themselves, a piece of history that gave people hope and inspiration. Thsy had shared in a bigger dream.
The Gates were a vision of the artists, a vision that gave many enormous pleasure and happiness. It was a dream in the making, project that was a long time in the making. A project that gave New Yorker’s and the rest of the country inspiration. We all may not have the funds to undertake projects of that magnitude but we all have dreams in the making. Dreams that no one can ever take away from us, no matter what twists and turns are lives take. That dreams like the Gates are dreams that should be shared, because they inspire and encourage our spirits ands souls. We all need to keep our dream and visions alive even if we are the only ones who pursue them. Dreams have a rippling effect. That all dreams are worth pursuing no matter their size or impact. We all have dreams, dreams to do bigger and better things with our lives. Career dreams, family dreams and yes even dreams of llama farms… on that note I’m headed to the barn.
Oh, and by the way the Gates actually brought in 254 million dollars to the city of New York, smart man that Mayor Bloomburg. That’s giving me some ideas…
