“The Stonewall Inn”

In honor of Pride Month, we took a stroll to the Stonewall Inn Historic Site. The Stonewall Inn (“the Stonewall”) is a historically LGBTQ+ bar located on Christopher Street in the West Village. In the 1960s, it was illegal for bars to serve anyone suspected of being gay, so the Stonewall operated illegally as a gay bar. On June 28th, 1969, the police raided the Stonewall, as they had numerous times in the past. However, this time the patrons resisted, crowding outside to chant and throw objects at the police. This led to days of rioting and inspired decades of social change and activism for LGBTQ+ rights. Now, over fifty years later, pride month is celebrated every year in June in honor of the June 1969 Stonewall uprising.

Named a National Historic Landmark in 2000, the Stonewall welcomes visitors year-round. The Stonewall and neighboring Christopher Street Park are ideal to learn more of the history of the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.

Undocumented Spouses of U.S. Citizens to be Afforded Legal Protections

President Biden is expected to announce new policy today which will grant undocumented spouses of US citizens a pathway to citizenship, protecting certain individuals from deportation, and providing work permits. Officials briefed on the conversations said it could affect up to 500,000 undocumented spouses. We will update as news develops.

“In Mortal Repose” by Diana Al-Hadid

On 27th street in Manhattan sits a woman melting away. Sculptor Diana Al-Hadid’s installation, “In Mortal Repose,” is displayed by the Kasmin Gallery just off the high line for viewers to enjoy.

“In Mortal Repose” depicts a woman slowly melting and dripping down the side of a concrete pedestal. All that remains intact is the woman’s torso and feet, with her feet fallen below. Notably, the woman’s head is missing. Al-Hadid described her process, explaining that she does not look at heads as she sculpts, because the head is the “only thing on your body you can’t really see.” The sculpture is a welcome addition to New York’s landscape and offers viewers a chance to reflect on the self, forever disintegrating, growing, and evolving.

“Unframed” By JR

Photos by Andrew Markey

Ellis Island, the famed entry point for millions of nineteenth-century American immigrants, is offering an exhibit that welcomes visitors to a part of the island that was abandoned and closed to the public for over fifty years. “Unframed – Ellis Island” by French street artist JR guides visitors on a hard hat tour through the long-abandoned Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital.

“Unframed” brings to life the real people who passed through the immigrant hospital a hundred years ago. For the installation, JR combed through archival photos that were taken in the hospital a century ago. From there, he installed the photos onto the structure of the hospital itself, floating doctors over the surgical theater, crowding immigrants onto the walls of the waiting room, and placing nurses along the halls. The installation breathes eerie life into those who once passed through the hospital’s halls, searching for a new life in America.

Welcome Summer

Photo by Kathleen D

As May comes to a close, the sun is officially rising on the summer season.  We are kicking off summer by visiting the beautiful beaches on Long Island. Robert Moses State Park is a particular favorite with Long Island locals, offering glorious sunrises and sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean.

We had to share this picture a surfer friend captured in the early morning of the sun peeking out behind the iconic water tower. We are so ready for you, summer!