Bryant Park Compilation

Jean Parker Phifer, NYC architect and author of Public Art New York, reads a selection about the statue of Gertrude Stein, designed by Jo Davidson and located in Bryant Park.

The New York City Public Library Flagpole bases, created in 1912 by Thomas Hastings and Rafael Manconi, have been called the most beautiful in the country.  Also on the New York Public Library lions, nicknamed Patience and Fortitude, are so emblematic of the Library that they have been trademarked. They have work graduation caps and have been featured in many movies. There is a similar pair of Lions in front of the Morgan Library that the sculptor also made. The adornments on the facade of the library are called one of the most noteworthy examples of Beaux Arts architectural sculpture in the country.    

There are two statues in classical style located in the niches of the library entitled 'Truth' and 'Beauty'. These were created by Frederick MacMonnies in 1914-1920. Truth, the partially clad male figure, sits on a sphinx-the symbol of mystery.  And if you get a chance to go into the Library, be sure to check out the Richard Haas 2003 mural in the Dewitt Clinton Reading Room and the Edward Laning 1940 mural entitled 'The History of the Recorded Word."  Haas discusses his mural in the audio clip.

A description of various artworks in and around Bryant Park.

Matthew Broderick takes us on a walk through Bryant Park, using the scenery and passersby as inspiration for creating memorable characters. 

Matthew Broderick breaks it down for us through a statistical collage: the facts and figures of Bryant Park.

 Jean Parker Phifer, NYC architect and author of Public Art New York, reads a selection about Bryant Park, discussing its renovation in the 1990s after its takeover by drug dealers during the 70s and 80s. 

Hugh Hardy of H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture discusses his work on the renovation of Bryant Park, from a drug-infested area to a clean and safe community area.

Jean Parker Phifer, NYC architect and author of Public Art New York, reads a selection about the William Cullen Bryant Memorial, a bronze statue located in Bryant Park.

 Step below grade at the subway to check out the Arts for Transit work by Sam Kunce -Under Bryant Park' from 2002. According to the Arts for Transit website: -The artist based the project on the idea of systems. In her words, 'People travel the subway system, water and other utility services are delivered by pipes, and plants and trees that provide grace and softness against the city's sharper edges find their way to water and nutrients underground through a system of roots. In a similar way, literature is shared by systems of learning and lending, and many animals inhabit systems of burrows just as humans systematically divide portions of larger habitats above ground." 

                                            
                                            
                                            
                                                 Cook+Fox Architects 
                                            
                                        

 Rick Cook discusses the development of the first green skyscraper in Times Square. 

To celebrate the richness of the public art around Grand Central, we put together a walking tour which is modeled on the acoustiguide you might get in a museum.  You can listen to the entire tour below, download it to your ipod, or just a section that interests you. In addition to our narrative, we also recorded Jean Parker Phifer reading excerpts from her book about Bryant Park and some of the sculptures found there and Richard Haas talking about some of the murals he has painted in the area.

Matthew Broderick reveals to us the hidden world of the chess tables, the players, and the strategies.

Matthew Broderick takes us back to his childhood, as well as introduces us to the German writer and poet Goethe.

Matthew Broderick invites us to observe the daily interplay between the City's movers and shakers at the Bryant Park Grill.

Matthew Broderick invites us to come meet him at Bryant Park, located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

Matthew Broderick helps us to see the park through the eyes of one of its most important and eloquent employees.

Matthew Broderick takes us back in time to an older New York, through the power of the written word.

Matthew Broderick shows us the philosophical path of most enjoyment, through the game of petanque.

Matthew Broderick gives us a new way to appreciate the relationship of the Park and the City. 

Bryant Park Compilation

PLAYLIST