Community rallies to protect Mosaic Man tiles on Astor Pl.

BY YANNIC RACK | Famous East Village artist Jim Mosaic Man Power, has been rallying support to save some of his iconic lamp poles from being removed during upcoming restoration work on Astor Place.

Power, known for his East Village Mosaic Trail of tile-encrusted lampposts, has reportedly been putting up signs alerting passersby that his artworks are endangered, starting roughly two weeks ago.

The Village Alliance has been getting calls from concerned residents as well, according to executive director William Kelley, who contacted the city Department of Transportation, resulting in a commitment on the D.O.T.s part to salvage and store the poles until they can be re-incorporated into the streetscape at a later date.

The planned Astor Place redesign will commence this fall and see the temporary removal and storage in a D.O.T. facility of seven of Powers mosaic poles, according to an emailed statement from the city agency.

The D.O.T. is working closely with the artist Jim Power and our partners City Lore and the Village Alliance to incorporate the light poles into the new plaza design, the statement further read.

I had a meeting with Jim to tell him that we are interested in helping to save them, Kelley said on Tuesday, adding that there is no immediate danger to the artworks. He said the signs started appearing about two weeks ago, but that nothing precipitated that in terms of specific developments in the construction works.

Jim Power couldnt be reached for comment.

I think its going to be several months before D.O.T. actually gets to that area with the project, theyre working on the Cooper Square area right now, which is further south. But be that as it may, at least my understanding is that D.O.T. will not throw them away, theyre going to salvage them, Kelley said.

Last year two of Powers works his F.D.N.Y. 9/11 tribute on Astor Pl. and another work on St. Marks Pl. were both removed without notice by the D.O.T., although both were later restored.

The Village Alliance ran some community outreach last year, Kelley said, to see which kind of uses the public would like to see at the redesigned Astor Place.

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Community rallies to protect Mosaic Man tiles on Astor Pl.