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World Views

Starting in June of 2001, fifteen artists made their way each day through the crowds of briefcase toting business professionals, then past three security check points, in order to venture up to their studio space in the sky. There they worked side by side on the 92nd floor at One World Trade Center, sharing ideas and forming friendships with one another. The artists were taking part in the World Views studio program, sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, or LMCC, a thirty-year-old non-profit arts organization.

Since 1997, the World Views program, also sponsored by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has given emerging artists five months of 24 hour access to over 10,000 square feet of free studio space. The program was conceived by the Port Authority in an effort to utilize unused office space in a way that would attract businesses back to the World Trade Center following the 1993 bombing. Each artist involved in the program is auditioned before a panel of judges from several New York City arts organizations. They come from a variety of cultural and artistic backgrounds and use various artistic mediums to portray their impressions of the vast and glorious views from the 92nd floor of one of the tallest buildings in the world.

Since the September 11th attack, this program and the LMCC have suffered tremendous losses. Like countless other former residents of the World Trade Center, they have lost their place of residence and their artworks. They have also suffered the irreplacable loss of one of their colleagues, Michael Richards; a Jamaican born World Views sculptor who was lost in the attack, having spent the night in the studio the evening before. An extremely talented artist, Richards was at the studio on the morning of the September 11th attack, working an his sculpture, an homage to the forgotten African American pilots of World War II called The Tuskeegee Airmen. His works have been described as being strong, charismatic and full of gentle grace, and had been displayed in numerous shows and exhibitions.

As the city recovers, so does the LMCC and the World Views Program. Using office space generously donated by France Telecomm NA, the LMCC has begun the arduous task of restoring order to their organization, while at the same time finding compensation for lost materials and studio space for the displaced artists of World Views, and two other LMCC artist programs, Studioscape and Thundergulch.

At a reception at the Whitney Museum in late September, LMCC Executive Director Liz Thompson assured LMCC employees, past and present participating artists, colleagues and friends, that the LMCC's mission to provide support to artists and arts organization will continue.

As part of the World Views program, the artists would have finished their residency by inviting the public to an open exhibition of their works at the World Trade Center Studio Space. Since all of the works of the Summer 2001 World Views artists were lost in the attack, the LMCC has devoted itself to lending support to its artists so that they can recreate their lost artwork for an exhibition scheduled for December 1st at the New Museum of Contemporary Art. According to a press release from the New Museum, the show will be located on the Museum's first floor gallery and will run through January 13. A memorial to Michael Richards will also be featured at the exhibition. Part of the proceeds from exhibition sales will go to the Twin Towers Fund.

A current World Views artist, Kara Hammond, is grateful for the support the LMCC has shown, and is working hard to recreate her pieces, which will depict abandoned spaces of corporate environments. She says, "the LMCC has been kind of an open door, and they will help in any way they can." She claims that following the attack they responded immediately to all of their artists with phone numbers to organizations for aid and support. Kara also says that the LMCC's Director of Visual Arts, Mouktar Kocache has found studio space for everyone who needs it -- a task that is not easily accomplished in this city, where living and work space are highly sought after. As for the other artists in the program, Kara says that they have also been eager to lend their support, saying, "They have been pretty open with information and helping each other try to get through red tape. Everyone has been e-mailing each other with whatever help that can be found."

From Kara's perspective, the September 11th attack has solidified the ties between this year's Worlds Views artists. "Our residency would have been over last week, and it's not over yet."

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Related Links:
Americans for the Arts
The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
The New Museum
The Studio Musuem in Harlem
The Whitney Museum

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