Nevelson Chapel is honored to host Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney in a salon conversation with artist Leonardo Drew, public art historian Dr. Michele Bogart, and Director of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for Art Program Kendal Henry.

What invigorates public art today and how do we value it?

These are the questions we'll explore in the context of very real, current threats to governmental and public funding for art in our time.

Although Louise Nevelson’s 1977 commission for Saint Peter’s Church and the former Citibank Center was conceived, and is being maintained, as public art, it was not funded by the government or a corporation, but by a private donor. In fact, the Chapel’s presence in a religious institution, which has continued to ensure its ongoing public access, raises issues and concerns about how to position it to continue to provide that access for the future. As Nevelson's masterwork is renewed today, how do questions of value and invigoration of public art in today’s environment affect the present and future of this unique art environment and the idea of public art as a whole?

Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney is the first woman to represent New York’s 12th Congressional District. Among her several appointments is the House Financial Services Committee andHouse Committee on Oversight and Reform. She is the Vice Chair of the Joint Economic Committee.

Dr. Michele Bogart, Stony Brook University Professor, is a scholar of social history of public art, urban design and commercial culture in the United States. Her most recent volume is Sculpture in Gotham: Art and Urban Renewal in New York City.

Artist Leonardo Drew crafts environments made of “brand new stuff” intentionally subjected to weather, burning, oxidation and decay. His work explores memory by employing a wide range of material to evoke common elements of the human experience and of our diverse histories.

Kendal Henry is the Director of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for Art Program. An artist and a curator, he has specialized in the field of public art for nearly 30 years. In addition to his service to the City, he is adjunct professor at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development.