Ward emphasized that they were interested in transforming the building, which could just be a "static" historical house into a dynamic space for community creativity. "I want this house to be full," Ward expressed as we looked at the beautiful lawn in front of the towering building. She has supported contemporary art exhibits in the building, and, on October 12th, there will be an all day art festival, all of which contribute to bringing the space into the present.
Ward's suggestion that historical spaces do not have to be static monuments is a helpful one for thinking about the nature of public art, community engagement, and participation. Movement emerges as a key component, imbuing artistic works with an evolving temporality.
The MJM is crucially located in Washington Heights which played a central role in the evolution of graffiti in New York City during the 1970s and 1980s. Perhaps a site that may have been precisely that which figures like Mayor Lindsay strove to protect from graffiti, it is now a stage for the evolution of graffiti as a permission based and collective art.
Finally, this adventure in space acquisition continues to reveal spaces of permission, generosity, friendship, and intimacy in different parts of New York. What George Washington, who occupied this Mansion during the Revolutionary War, would say about it becoming the backdrop to a circus and graffiti spectacular, one can only guess.
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