Avenue B my daughter said, "Ma, look at the mosaic!" Of course I had to snap a photo, miss the walk light, and then play catch up to my crew. As we sipped on pre-dinner drinks at a sidewalk table, I zoomed in on my photo, and noticed the "St. Mark's Mosaic Trail." Curiosity naturally sent me to Google where I wasn't expecting to find a lot of information. Boy was I wrong and I'm glad I was. There's quite a story behind this mosaic trail.
The Mosaic Trail is a collection of around 70 lampposts decorated by Jim Power, also known as the “Mosaic Man.” The Trail prominently features lampposts, but other decorated surfaces, such as building stoops, planters, walls, and sidewalks, have been covered with the bright tiles.
Called the “Gaudí of the East Village,” Jim Power says his mission is “to draw the anxiety out of the city with beauty.”
The lampposts contain all types of found objects, including pennies, marbles, plates, mugs, and pebbles.
The Trail stretches from Broadway to Avenue A, running along 8th Street and St. Mark’s Place.
Jim Power began creating the mosaic lampposts after his service in the Vietnam War and said that the project “is my religion. This is my medicine. And I’m giving it to the world—free.” He was a union carpenter before quitting and dedicating all of his time to making the mosaics.
All of the lampposts are inspired by and dedicated to events, places, people, and histories of the neighborhood.
However, today, only around 25% of Power’s original poles remain. Mayor Giuliani’s Anti-Graffiti Task Force targeted and removed them. East Villagers made such an uproar about the mosaics being torn down so now there’s an ongoing project to restore Power’s lampposts. The poles are removed and brought to a studio to repair broken or missing mosaic pieces before reinstalling them in their original locations.
In 2004, Power was inducted into the City Lore Peoples Hall of Fame, an organization that celebrates New York City’s cultural heritage.
The world needs more street art, public art.
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