Michael Perlman's feature story in the Queens Ledger/Forest Hills Times on March 1, 2012. Please share & consider commenting on the Queens Ledger website:
http://queensledger.com/view/full_story/17821254/article-Restoring-Civic-Virtue
 |
| Civic Virtue, west of Queens Borough Hall at Queens Blvd & Union Turnpike |
 |
| Civic Virtue at its original home of City Hall Park, NYC circa 1930 |
Art is open to interpretation, and an artist's vision is bound for misinterpretation.
It
a shame how the true meaning of Civic Virtue – the statue that stands
near Borough Hall - is frequently misinterpreted and devalued in
political discourse.
At a February 2011 press conference,
ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner proclaimed this work of public art
“sexist.” He called for a public work to be privatized and removed,
posted it for sale on Craigslist, and explained that if it cannot be
removed, it needs to be concealed with a tarp. Since then, an influx of
art defenders and preservationists have emerged.
Situated on the
boundary of Forest Hills and Kew Gardens on Queens Boulevard, Civic
Virtue has been keeping an eye on passersby since 1941. The classically
designed 22-foot, stone-and-marble sculpture has a commanding presence
in a serene setting amidst urbanization.
Civic Virtue was
designed in 1920 by renowned sculptor Frederick William MacMonnies, and
sculpted by the Piccirilli Brothers. Frederick MacMonnies was the last
major American Beaux Art sculptor, and was the first American to win a
Gold Medal at the Paris Salon.
He also designed other famous
works across America and Europe, including Nathan Hale in City Hall
Park, Truth and Beauty outside the 42nd Street Library, and three
statuary groupings on the Soldiers and Sailors Arch in Grand Army Plaza.
Civic Virtue depicts a muscular nude Hercules with a sword in
his right hand behind his neck, and stands over (but not on top of) two
mermaid-like sirens depicting vice and corruption.
Controversy
ensued since Civic Virtue’s origins. In 1922, Civic Virtue watched
park-goers and elected officials as it stood centrally in Manhattan’s
City Hall Park. Shortly after, because some people felt it disrespected
women, it earned the nicknames “Tough Guy” and “Fat Boy.”
In
January 1941, Robert Moses announced a contract of $21,720 for the
statue's transport, and on May 29, 1941, the 24-ton statue was placed in
a wooden container, meticulously packed with sand and attached to a
35-ton crane. At 2 mph, it made its cross-town parade on a 16-wheeled
haulage truck with stout timbers to Kew Gardens in a four-hour commute.
On May 31, 1941, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia,
who famously hated the fountain because its naked backside could be viewed from
his office, said “Oh, it’s gone at last. Now I won’t have to look at that
virtuous back anymore.” Alongside Queens Borough Hall, Civic Virtue would once
again be in a landscaped setting, but not “turn its back” on government.
On October 7, 1941, City Council President
Newbold Morris presented Civic Virtue to Borough President George Harvey, who
advocated for its rescue. He said, “For 12 years, Queens has really had civic
virtue, but has never been able to prove it. We can, now!” There were 50
invited guests including Adolph Weimann and A.F. Brinkerhoff of the National
Sculptors Society, as well as 200 onlookers who cheered.
Civic
Virtue has not been maintained for decades; with an inoperable
fountain, a weathered sculpture, and cracked steps. On September 7,
2011, as chairman of Rego-Forest Preservation Council, I nominated Civic
Virtue for the State & National Register of Historic Places, so the
statue can be commemorated and eligible for funding incentives, to help
restore this public masterpiece.
On December 13, 2011, it was determined “National Register-Eligible” by Specialist Daniel McEneny of the New York State Historic Preservation Office. The next step is for the city to endorse the eligibility statement.
On February 6, 2012, Queens BP Helen Marshall held a budget hearing at Queens Borough Hall. Architect Glenn Urbanas of Richmond Hill, testified at the hearing. He suggested “a modest sum which might be as little as $25,000 - $30,000 to be allocated in next year’s budget, so Request For Proposals can be prepared for accredited stone conservators, who can provide a detailed scope of work including estimates of materials, labor, and procedures for a phased project of cleaning, conservation, and restoration.” Marshall said she found it very disturbing that the statue degrades women. After Urbanas’ presentation, he explained its allegorical nature. “Marshall seemed to have softened her resistance towards conserving the sculpture,” said Urbanas.
Mary Ann Carey, district manager of Community Board 9, also testified, and since then, Marshall has expressed interest in meeting with the board. “We have a work of art that’s crumbling and corroding due to pigeon droppings and the elements,” Carey said. “If it was in Italy, Civic Virtue would be a revered statue. We want it cleaned and conserved.”
On
February 7, 2012, NYC Parks Department Commissioner Adrian Benepe explained “We
have expressed our support to improve and restore the Civic Virtue statue. We
suggest working with potential donors to find the funding for any necessary
restoration to this monument.”
We
must not let our cornerstones fall by the wayside by abandoning them
for decades. Preserving existing infrastructure should be addressed
before new development.
We should embrace and cultivate our art
and architecture, which establishes who we are as a community and
nation, and inspires more creative works in contrast to some modern
lackluster developments. Restoration will also promote walking tours and
tourism, since Queens is often underrepresented.
Let’s
incorporate public art and preservation into our school curriculum, and
take inspiration from historic sites. Considering the extent of
politicians ousted from public office in recent years, New York City
needs more civic virtue, not less.
Posts
