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Art Destruction

Posted on October 10, 2020October 23, 2020 by Pat

Toilets Overflow but Erasing Art Comes First

The city was in a big hurry to demolish protest art in East River Park this morning. They’re in a big hurry to demolish East River Park itself. Why?

Photo by Yasmin Zellipour @yasminzellipour
Header photo of man painting flowers also by Yasmin Zellipour

A woman approached a Parks Department employee on the promenade by the amphitheater where six official vehicles parked. “The women’s room up past the Williamsburg Bridge is overflowing with sewage,” she said. “Can someone come up and fix it?” The Parks man ignored her. She went to another Parks Department employee who also brushed her off. “It’s raw sewage in the public toilet,” she said as he walked away.

He and the other 10 Parks employees were busy lining up the power washing and painting over the “Save Our Park” paintings on and around the amphitheater. Six Parks police officers stood around, too. Later some NYPD officers joined them.

Art With a Message

Friday, Oct. 9, some 20 artists, many well-known for their graffiti, had painted the amphitheater and surrounding pavement on the south end of East River Park. “Save Our Park” was the theme.

Many of the artists came from the Lower East Side and East Village neighborhood that will lose East River Park. In November, the city plans to fence off 60 percent of the park including most of the promenade in preparation for demolition. The giant levee that will replace the park will take years to build and provide flood protection.

Photos in this gallery by Yasmin Zellipour @yasminzellipour

Within a couple of hours there were some two dozen paintings with messages to save the park. The artists fought nonviolently, with their painting, to stop the environmentally disastrous and unjust project and to advocate a Green flood control plan.  

Photos in this gallery by Pat Arnow

By noon Saturday, the power washers were erasing the giant peace sign that was a prominent part of the art project.

Power washing the Peace Sign Away. Photo by Pat Arnow
Parks Department employee painting over the message. Photo by Pat Arnow

Week later, poignant remnants remained.

Photo by Andrea Haenggi

Shout out to Two Boots Pizza, who donated tasty slices to the starving artists. Phil Hartman has been a steadfast friend of the park and the neighborhood.

For news reports on the Art Attack with some excellent photos, see

Art Attack’ offered fleeting protest of controversial East River Park resiliency project

BY BOB KRASNER, amNY, Oct. 14, 2020

If any trees fall in East River Park, there will be plenty of people around to hear it — but the results of a recent protest were erased so quickly that not many had the chance to witness it.

A diverse group of artists began work late on Oct. 9 and by evening had covered the park’s amphitheater and nearby grounds with art to call attention to the plight of the park. Yet by Saturday afternoon, all evidence of their discord had been power-washed away.

Artists ‘attack’ East River Park amphitheater, hoping to block resiliency plan

The Village Sun, Oct. 10, 2020

Artists ‘attack’ East River Park amphitheater, hoping to block resiliency plan

An Art Attack at East River Park

EV Grieve, Oct. 12, 2020

https://evgrieve.com/2020/10/an-art-attack-at-east-river-park.html

And about the erasing of the Art Attack for East River Park, see

Counterattack! Parks Dept. power-washes graffiti off amphitheater

The Village Sun, Oct. 10, 2020

Counterattack! Parks Dept. power-washes graffiti off amphitheater

And here are some photos from Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

“ART ATTACK!!!”???❤️“If you truly Love nature you will find Beauty Everywhere. -VanGough Awesome being part of an event so Amazing and Impactful! Change is coming. ?“Save #East River Park!!!” #EastRiverPark #art #activism #selfexpression #nyc

A post shared by ANNIKA?EnergyisArtUncapsuled? (@222key) on Oct 10, 2020 at 9:45am PDT

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGK2OushnRb/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
View this post on Instagram

“Starting this fall, New York City will demolish our big, beloved park on the unwealthy side of the Lower East Side and East Village” ? – learn more at @eastriverparkaction #frankape #saveeastriverpark #artattack #eastriverpark #eastriverparkamphitheater

A post shared by Frank Ape™ (@frank_ape) on Oct 9, 2020 at 2:03pm PDT

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