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A project nearly a year in the making, 4 World Trade’s street-art inspired gallery on the building’s 69th floor is finally finished. The exhibit will feature the work of over 50 artists from New York, and around the world, in a variety of mediums.
ART4WTC is a dramatic and shift in style for the Silverstein Properties artist residency program, which they have used to decorate their unleased spaces for around the past 15 years. The idea for the art project was born when Silverstein Properties Chief Marketing Officer, Dara McQuillan, viewed a display of similar work at World Trade Gallery, and offered curator Doug Smith the opportunity to turn the 69th floor into a giant canvas.
Smith jumped at the chance, and since June 2016, the space’s barren cement interior has been transformed into a kaleidoscope of color propelled by each artist’s enthusiasm for their craft. The project not only seeks to revitalize the Lower Manhattan art scene and elevate street art from its humble beginnings, but also celebrate the Financial District’s progress since 9/11.
Some of the artists featured in the gallery include Bradley Theodore, Layer Cake, Rubin451, Logan Hicks, Stickymonger, Sonni, Cern, Hugo Bastidas, Lauren Ys, L.E.G., Itaewon and Ron English, and WhIsBe. His piece, Vandal Gummy Blue & Red, is a playful nod at street art’s past life as acts of vandalism, while Ron English’s piece, No Brain No Pain, is a powerful punch of reality and color.
Fans of Hamilton can even find quotes from the hit musical in the very fabric of David Hollier’s $10 Bill, which faces the direction of the Trinity Church cemetery where the Founding Father himself is buried. Fortunately, Spotify — who will eventually occupy the space — plans to keep as many of the pieces as they can. Downtown recommends art fans of all ages check out the 3D tour available online to see the work of those keeping New York creative and colorful.