MoMA PS1 has a brand new “frame.”
Congregated in the brand new entryway at MoMA PS1, members of the art community and local officials came to celebrate the unveiling of the very vestibule in which they stood.
The new entrance “kiosk,” located on Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, is approximately 140-square-feet of artfully-designed concrete — its walls adorned with quarter-sized portholes, allowing the sun to stream through.
“[This entryway] has been long anticipated and long in the making,” said Klaus Biesenbach, director of MoMA PS1, who added that the extension of a new doorway will contribute to the re-mapping of New York City by bringing creative neighborhoods together.
Agnes Gund, Chairman of the Board at MoMA PS1, was enthusiastic about the wonderful influences incited from collaborations between the museum and various groups around Queens.
“It’s hard to do a structure like this, make it interesting but keep with the structure of the building,” said Gund.
Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer also spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, thanking Biesenbach for his endless, grand ideas and steadfast dedication to improving the establishment.
“This project is so important because it contributes to the neighborhood,” said Van Bramer. “I’m really glad this is happening here, at this institution, at PS1.”
Van Bramer also hinted at the possibility of a High-Line-type park, to be built above the facility sometime in the future.
Terri Osborne offered a few words on behalf of Borough President Helen Marshall, expressing the BP’s happiness in having the privilege of spending tax payer dollars on an organization such as MoMA PS1 that will benefit not only the Long Island City neighborhood, but all of Queens.
Yvonne Force-Villareal came to the ceremony to support her husband, Leo Villareal, the artist commissioned to create the light structure surrounding the entryway.
“I’ve been coming to MoMA PS1 for decades,” said Force-Villareal. “For me, this structure formalizes it in a way. Even though it’s an entrance, it’s like a frame. It gives it the attention it deserves. It’s astounding.”
