State: Columbus statue is historic

From the NY Post:

The state is designating the Columbus monument at Columbus Circle as a landmark — in case the city tries to move it in the future.

The New York State Board of Historic Preservation voted unanimously on Sept. 20 to place the statue in the state and national registers for its historic and cultural significance.

The action was not publicized.

Gov. Cuomo is expected to announce the designation at the Columbus Citizens Foundation dinner Saturday night and the news will be celebrated at the monument on Sunday — ahead of Monday’s Columbus Day Parade.

The 76-foot beaux arts monument was designed by Italian sculptor Gaetano Russo and it’s his only sculptural art work in America.

Columbus isn't going anywhere

From NBC:

A city commission has decided to keep a controversial statue of Christopher Columbus that stands in Columbus Circle, officials said. Katherine Creag reports.

Both sides heard at Queens hearing on monuments

From PIX11:

The future of New York City’s controversial monuments was the topic of conversation Friday at Queens Borough Hall where for the first time, New Yorkers had a chance to give their two cents.

As many as 800 pieces of art across the five boroughs including a statue of Christopher Columbus in Midtown, are at the center of the debate.

Nearly two dozen residents testified before Mayor de Blasio’s advisory commission on city art, monuments and markers.

From residents who warned that erasing history would be dangerous, to others who called Columbus a “terrorist” — the opinions ran the gamut.

Outside all the talk of history, the turnout for the public testimony was noticeably low with members of the media outnumbering residents.

The midday hearing drew ire from some but the Mayor’s office insists holding a hearing like this in the middle of the day on a weekday, is standard procedure.

Pols support keeping Columbus in his circle

From the NY Post:

...the statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus Circle was not built to herald the explorer’s subjugation of native people. If it had been, I would be the first to demand that it be torn down.

No, the Columbus Circle statue was erected in 1892 following a massive fundraising campaign by the nation’s Italian-American community in recognition of the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ landing in the Americas.

Hard-working men, women and families of Italian descent, along with businesses and various institutions with Italian or Italian-American ties, pooled their money to pay for the statue as a way to give something of value back to the city that had given so much to them. They were acting in the spirit of community and with a love of this nation and the dream it represents.

Across the city, there are statues and monuments to great men and great women who have made a significant impact on our world. Yet they cannot be judged fairly using only the standards of our time.

From the Observer:

A group of Italian American and Catholic organizations rolled out a list of 54 elected officials and candidates for office in New York City who want to keep the Christopher Columbus statues in the city.

The 41 groups — which include the Columbus Citizens Foundation, Italian American Museum and the New York State Commission on Social Justice — said their supporters include Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Public Advocate Letitia James, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, GOP mayoral candidate Nicole Malliotakis, independent mayoral candidate Bo Dietl and Democratic mayoral candidate Sal Albanese, a former Brooklyn councilman who is now running on the Reform Party line.

De Blasio uninvited from Columbus Day parade in Bronx

From NBC:

Organizers of one Columbus Day Parade in New York City have uninvited Mayor de Blasio after he ordered a review of controversial statues in the city -- including several Columbus statues. Rana Novini reports.

De Blasio's monuments commission appointed

From CBS 2:

The members of the commission are:

Co-Chairs

Darren Walker President of the Ford Foundation; longtime leader in nonprofit and philanthropic sectors

Tom Finkelpearl Commissioner, Department of Cultural Affairs

Commission Members

Richard Alba Distinguished Professor at CUNY Graduate Center; former vice president of the American Sociological Association

Michael Arad Architect; designer of the World Trade Center Memorial

Harry Belafonte Singer; songwriter; actor; and civil rights activist

John Calvelli Executive Vice President for Public Affairs of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Vice Chair of International Affairs at the National Italian American Foundation

Mary Schmidt Campbell President of Spelman College; former vice-chair of President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

Gonzalo Casals Director of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art; adjunct faculty at CUNY Hunter College in arts administration

Teresita Fernandez Visual artist with experience in public art; MacArthur Fellow

Amy Freitag Executive Director of the JM Kaplan Fund; former Executive Director at New York Restoration Project

Catie Marron Editor of books on urban parks and public spaces; chair of the board of Friends of the High Line; trustee of the New York Public Library

Jon Meacham Vanderbilt professor; Pulitzer prize-winning biographer of Jefferson and Jackson

Pepón Osorio Visual artist with experience in public art; MacArthur Fellow

Harriet Senie Public art scholar; author; professor of art history and director of the Art History program and Art Museum Studies at City College of New York

Shahzia Sikander Visual artist with experience in public art; MacArthur Fellow

Audra Simpson Mohawk anthropologist; Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University

John Kuo Wei Tchen Historian of Chinese Americans in New York City; Associate Professor at New York University

Mabel Wilson Architect; scholar of race, memory, and urbanism; Associate Professor at Columbia University

Ex-Officio City Agencies Public Design Commission, Law, Education, and Parks

Astoria's Columbus statue vandalized

From Eyewitness News:

"Don't Honor Genocide" was spray painted in blue paint on the monument of Christopher Columbus in Queens.

This statue is the latest across the country to be marred by vandalism in the wake of the deadly Charlottesville rally.

It's all making many officials question whether New York City should remove monuments of other controversial figures.

An employee from the Sanitation Department spent just about his whole day working on it, but try as he might, he just couldn't wash it away.

"It's against America," said Adrianna, a parkgoer.

Folks stopped in Columbus Triangle Park in Astoria, to take pictures of the vandalism of the statue of Christopher Columbus Thursday.

Someone had written with a stubborn blue paint over a stencil: "Don't honor genocide," a reference to Columbus' actions as a conqueror after he landed in 1492.

"He came to discover the new world and this is how he's treated," said Joe DiPietro, a parkgoer.