Friday, September 21, 2012

Where Is Tiles For America?

The tiles have been removed from the fence located at 7th Avenue and Greenwich Avenue because the site - which is owned by the MTA - is going to be the site of a new subway ventilation plant.  City planners originally drew up sketches and plans that included the tiles in them: unfortunately there has been big drama involving several parties and that does not look like it is going to happen now.

The tiles have for a long time been in the care of a group of individuals who live in the neighborhood.  They have removed broken tiles, moved tiles as needed, cleaned around the fence, and done various other good deeds.  One individual in particular, Dusty Burke, spearheaded efforts to preserve and maintain the memorial including organizing an effort to remove and protect the tiles when a hurricane was impending. 

My understanding is that Dusty teamed up with the CCSA (Contemporary Ceramic Studio Association) when the date for ground breaking on the site was decided upon, and the tiles would absolutely need to be removed.  There was discussion about creating a non profit organization for the preservation of the tiles, and the possibility of a donated site near the original site to display them in.  The MTA was dealing directly with the CCSA regarding the tile removal - and the CCSA negotiated a storage space for them in Albany.  The CCSA sent a representative to NYC to meet with Dusty and discuss plans, but in the night prior to that person's arrival...

THE TILES DISAPPEARED.

Drama follows.  Accusations Fly.  Both parties feel they are the rightful "owners" of Tiles for America.  Stuff is posted on Facebook.  Reporters find my home number.  Emails. Tweets. All of this is enough to just make you want to lay down and take a nap.

Isn't it ironic that a project that was meant to embody a spirit of cooperation and healing has been so fraught with politics? 

I will post my feelings here as the person who started this Memorial. 

THE MEMORIAL WAS NEVER MEANT TO LAST FOREVER.
In the days following 9/11 spontaneous memorials popped up all over the city.  T4A was never meant to be a memorial that lasted forever.  In fact, at the heart of it from an artistic point of view and what I always loved about curating it was that it clearly showed the passage of time.  A tile made September 26, 2001 looked physically very different from a tile made September 26, 2009.  What the fence showed in addition to the passage of time was the journey away from some of the emotions that ran strong around September 11.  Tiles then had very strong emotions and messages-- they were cathartic and meaningful and their aesthetic reflected that- while as later tiles may have held similar sentiments but still showed a slight shift away--an artistic distancing that was apparent to me.  We cannot hold onto our grief and our sorrow and our loss forever.  The people we love who we have lost want nothing more than for us to move onward-- towards joy, towards happiness-towards light. 

NO ONE OWNS THE TILES
I do not own the tiles.  The CCSA does not own the tiles.  Dusty Burke doesn't own the tiles even if they are in rubber made containers in her apartment ( I don't know if they are.)  Those tiles belong to a moment in time.  They belong to a memory.  They belong to whomever took comfort from them.   To fight for "rightful ownership" is such an insult to why they were created and what purpose they served.

THERE ARE TILES THAT WILL LIVE FOREVER
The official 9/11 Museum has tiles, the Memorial Center has tiles, The Constitution Center has tiles that travel around to museums around the world.  The fact is that a ginormous section of the memorial has already been properly preserved and archived by people who are experts at doing just that. 

I find it ironic that this small little effort at healing following 9/11 has mirrored some of the politics that swirled around the creation of larger memorials.  What a shame that a project begun to promote cooperation and healing may have as its legacy some petty drama.  I will continue to update this blog as I become aware of any additional events.

Thank you to the MTA who housed those tiles for over a decade without complaint- who did their very best for them.  The MTA are true heros.

Thank you to the Village angels who cared for the tiles for so many years and made so many great improvments.

Thank you to the CCSA for their participation and support and for continuing to host the website that I gave them for the tiles.

Thank you to everyone who has ever passed by the fence and sent me an email, a photo, or linked to a poem on a blog a snippet of text.  Knowing that the project touched you reminded me how beautiful it can be when we all connect behind a common purpose.

Thank you to the heroes of 9/11-- from the firemen to the police, to the children and parents who struggle every day because the people they love are not with them now. 

And thank you for reading.

20 comments:

angie fraley said...

Nice job Veasey and very well written.

Lori said...

Veasey, oh I think you are one of the COOLEST people I have ever met. Thank you for sharing the update and putting it so eloquently. I also find it awesome that the person who posted before me is another one of those COOL people.....

Technician 101 said...

Wage earners in the city of Bridgeport have a yearly pay check of $53,939. The highest 25th division of its workers takes home an average of $67,043 in a year while the lowest 25th division gets $41,728. HVAC Wage in CT

Unknown said...

Nice post...very well-written..thanks and keep posting!!

window grills

Caroline08 said...

Your post is so cool, thank you so much!
_______________________________
Best wishes from Tile Adhesive :)

Unknown said...

I like the concept of CCSA. I am agree with tiles sentiments and values. I appreciate if the same concept in implement in Tiles Manufacturer in India and bring out affordable tiles.

MosaicManNYC said...

I AM MOSAIC MAN JIM POWER.I BROUGHT OVER THE MOSAIC PLANTER...WHERE IS IT ALSO................................I WANT IT TO GO BACK TO ASTOR PLACE WHERE IT WAS,,,,,,,,I WAS TRING TO HELP BUT BURKE WANTED ..NO ONE ELSE INVOLVED.......SHE NEVER REIMBURSED ME FOE OVER $500 I SPENT ...I WAS HOMELESS AT THE TIME SHAME ONN HER ,A CON ARTISE.........SUCKERED EVERYONE...I NEED TO CONTACT HER ASAP.....................SHE IS NOT HIGH-JACKING MY PLANTER..........THAT IS BEST SERVED BACK WHERE IT WAS IN THE EAST VILLAGE WHERE IHIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN...........NYCJIMPOWER@AOL.COM..646 790-0210 PASS THE WORD

Anonymous said...

Hi, Your post really got me thinking man..... an intelligent piece, I must say.

floor tiles for sale

Unknown said...

It is really one of the most worthy blog ever i read.You wrote fantastic i also like to read more aboutFabulous ceramic tiles as i am dealer of such kinds of tiles.it become helpful to me and others like me if you write for it.

Unknown said...

Nice....
stone in India

Home Remodeling said...

The Tileshop Virginia has everything you need and all the help you want - to create spaces that are as unique as the people who live there. Our showroom features a wide array full-sized displays and thousands of selections.

Unknown said...

Really, This is very interactive and helpful information for all blog reader that looking for such type of information. Keep up update...

Thanks for sharing a valuable info...

Cleanable Ceiling Tiles

Unknown said...

Good creativity innovation and you .
Ceramic Tiles Manufacturer

EvaAndersen said...

Hi Dear,

i Like Your Blog Very Much..I see Daily Your Blog ,is A Very Usefull For me.

You Can see also See at Quality porcelain tiles, Italian quality porcelain tiles, Quality pottery italian

CERAMISSIMA is selling online tiles of Italian quality porcelain tiles & pottery. Buy tiles online for floor, wall, Outdoor tiles, Tiles for homes with Affordable price.

Visit Now - https://www.ceramissima.it/

S Issa said...

Very informative! I have tile floors so I should keep my floors clean at all cost, other wise, the floors start to stain. However, since I have 4 kids and work, I’m unable. I have found that The Top Cleaner is a website that has helped me find the best companies to clean my floors!

Tom’s Pest Control Perth said...

There are many different types of tiles in melbourne which, the handyman can apply to floors, walls, and ceilings. One of the oldest types is ceramic tile - these are baked clay and have been used generally in the bathroom for walls and floors.

kristinahojholt said...

Hello there! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this website? I'm getting fed up of Wordpress because I've had issues with hackers and I'm looking at options for another platform. I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of a good platform. tile regrouting cost


pvcfloortile said...

Awesome travertine floor tile collection for kitchen.your content give me many information to take decision.. rubber tiles

BruceDavis said...

I'm not sure why but this web site is loading extremely slow for me. Is anyone else having this problem or is it a problem on my end? I'll check back later and see if the problem still exists.
tile replacement

KUBET said...

#https://mtpang.com/%eb%a7%81%ed%81%ac%ec%82%ac%ec%9d%b4%ed%8a%b8/