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Community Celebrates Return of Mosaic Light Poles at Astor Place Ceremony

By Allegra Hobbs | December 1, 2016 6:51pm
 An unveiling ceremony was held in Astor Place to celebrate the work of Jim
An unveiling ceremony was held in Astor Place to celebrate the work of Jim "Mosaic Man" Power.
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DNAinfo/Allegra Hobbs

EAST VILLAGE — Community members, advocates, and officials gathered in Astor Place on Thursday to celebrate the return of Jim "Mosaic Man" Power's iconic mosaic-encrusted light poles to the restored plaza.

Onlookers cheered as the first of seven poles was revealed from under a rainbow covering, and supporters of the works took turns thanking the artist for his  contribution to neighborhood culture and history.

"Today is a wonderful day," said Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, who Power credited with helping make the project possible with a hefty $9,000 donation.

"This really goes back to what is the character of our community and Jim, you have been a part of this community and you have enhanced its character and its history."

Representatives of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and the Village Alliance, both of which helped advocate for the return of the lampposts to the plaza, also celebrated the importance of the poles to the city's cultural landscape, along with local poet Bob Holman.

"This may not be the Met, but when you think about the number of people who pass by every day, I think our attendance is bigger," said Holman.

Power himself said he was happy to have contributed the restored works, and spoke of the long road leading up to the ceremonial unveiling, referencing his history as a Vietnam veteran and years spent homeless on the city streets.

"It's been an interesting 30 years," said Power. "It's not over, and I'm very happy that I have a chance to actually do this down here. I felt at home when I got here and that allowed me to be home."

Advocates with the Village Alliance took the ceremony as an opportunity to ask community members for additional donations to help fund the rest of the project. While all seven poles have been installed in the plaza, one light pole remains incomplete, and will likely be put off until the spring due to a lack of funds, as Power previously noted.

Power showed up at a separate ceremony last month, celebrating the newly restored Astor Place and the return of the iconic Alamo Cube to the plaza to speak out against city officials for failing to provide the necessary funds for his project.

The city had initially removed the poles in 2014 to make way for the plaza restoration with no plans of returning them, but agreed to include them in the redesigned plaza due to an outpouring of community support.

Power and his advocates are soliciting donations on a generosity.com page — as of Thursday evening, $5,473 of the $20,000 goal has been raised.