Cultural Events and Institutions
The Museum at Eldridge Street:
The latter half of the 19th century saw a large wave of East European Jews settling in the United States. Of the two and a half million Jewish immigrants, more than half came to the Lower East Side. The Eldridge Street Synagogue (Fig 18)[i] was erected in 1887, and it quickly became a center for prayer and community bonding. In the 1920s-1940s, the aftermath of the Great Depression and the immigration quota in place at the time hindered the initial success of the Synagogue. In 2007, it was fully restored and renewed into The Museum at Eldridge Street. The museum currently hosts many cultural events. Moreover, the architecture of the museum’s interior style is certainly a sight to behold. It invokes a Moorish design which is seen in the museum’s interior murals. The choice to use Islamic art may seem inconsistent since the museum was initially a synagogue; however, the connection between the two goes back to 11th century Spain where Jews lived peacefully among Muslims and allowed some of their art to diffuse. The museum’s exterior architecture is gothic, one example being its rose windows.
Lower East Side Festival of the Arts:
Presented by the Theater for the New City, the Lower East Side Festival of the Arts (Fig 19)[ii] is a three-day arts event that celebrates dance, theater, film, music, comedy and art being created by New York City’s talented emerging artists. Founded in 1996, this festival preserves and promotes the spirit of creativity in NYC. It serves as a tribute to artists who have lived and produced art in the Lower East Side and the East Village, and it allows new artists to showcase their work.
First Street Green Cultural Park:
Created in 2008, First Street Green Cultural Park (Fig 20) [iii]is an open art space providing cultural activity by engaging with emerging artists, architects, community and cultural groups through a series of programs that activate this public space. The many programs offered through First Street Green Cultural Park invite unrecognized artists to exhibit their work in an open space that is accessible to anyone.
The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center:
Figure 21: The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Education Center
Founded in 1993, The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Education Center (Fig 20)[iv], named after the renowned Puerto Rican poet, Clemente Soto Velez, nurtures and aids in the development of the Puerto Rican and Latino arts in the Lower East Side. According to the Center’s website, “While the Clemente’s mission is focused on cultivation, presentation, and preservation of Puerto Rican and Latino culture, it is equally determined to operate in a multi-cultural and inclusive manner, housing and promoting artists and performance events that fully reflect the cultural diversity of the Lower East Side and the city as a whole.”
