The Little Island off the Big City

I was browsing through my New York Times this morning when I came upon a story that made me smile for the sake of art. It appears that the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council has been selected to run an artist’s studio and exhibition space on Governors Island.

What is Governor’s Island? Situated just 800 yards from Lower Manhattan (and even closer to Brooklyn), for two centuries it was a military base for the Army and Coast Guard. In 1996 it was “mothballed” by the U.S. government and sold to the people of New York for $1.00 in 2003. Today, 150 acres of the island are governed by the Governors Island Preservation & Education Corporation and the remaining 22-acres are considered a National Monument which contains two early 19th century efforts.

The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, responsible for rejuvenating the arts downtown after the 2001 terrorist attacks. It’s also well know for creating and providing studio spaces for artists all over Manhattan, beginning with its World Views Program at the WTC in 1997. Their latest project will include a year-round artist residency on Governor’s Island, and weekend events. The residences will provide space for all walks of creative life from dance to writing to painting and sculpture. The group will organize shows of the residents’ art as well. The artists will keep bankers’ hours on the island: Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. (No overnight stays are permitted.) But during the island’s “public access” season — from the end of May to mid-October — artists will also be in their studios from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

The building is to have 30 artist and three rehearsal studios, and the council plans to have up to three performing-artists, dance or theater ensembles and up to 20 visual artists’ studios at one time. Residencies will last three weeks in the public-access season, and three months the rest of the year.

All I can say is YEAH! And, that I’ll be taking a little trip to the island the next time I’m in the big city.