Turn Five

During the time just after the second world war, two cities became the heartbeat of the nation. The American cities of San Francisco, California and Greenwich Village, New York brought together those that were interested in social change and artistic expression that sat outside of commercialism. Many artists of all genres flocked to these cities on either side of the continent, and forever changed the world of art and the world in general. Painters, writers, actors, sculptors, poets and musicians converged on these two cities, making them their homes and making history. In New York, to the south of the city of Manhattan and the New York airport hotels and the hustle and bustle of downtown, sits the hamlet of Greenwich Village. In the early days of the city the area was a marshland. And before that a tobacco field. Then in the late 1800’s, buildings were constructed and the area was developed by freed African Slaves. Sitting just outside the city as it does, the area became the preferred place to move to and live during the Yellow Fever epidemic. Once the threat had passed, most that moved there, decided to stay.

Then, during the 1950’s and 60’s artists going against social conformity created their home here. A section of a city that was open and welcoming of unknown talent and avant garde ideas. The artists of this generation were not concerned with just creating art, but they wanted to change the world. To expand consciousness. The music created during this time, the literary and theatrical contributions, and the achievements of the visual artists are a testament to the spirit of the city and the spirit of the arts. Folk music owes its roots to this village, with Joan Baez and The Velvet Underground playing regularly in the now famous bars and cafes. These artists of the area gained the support of those able to offer it, the Whitney Museum was founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt with the sole intention of giving unseen artists the opportunity to be seen. It is now considered one of the best collections of American art in the world. Theater in the neighborhood was also a response to and the rejection of commercial theater. The birthplace of off-off Broadway is here and gave again, unknown artists like Edna St. Vincent Millay and Eugene O’Neill the opportunity to work their crafts. For a long time this area was the heart-beat of creative thinking and remains so until this day. It was just a small group of artists wanting to change the world, and they did, one song, one poem, one painting at a time.

Related posts:

1. The Beat Poets of New York City
2. Manu Chao in NYC
3. New York Theater
4. The Gagosian Gallery Manhattan
5. Shopping Capital of the Middle East

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!