Municipal Art Society in the context of 488 Madison Avenue

⭐ Core Definition: Municipal Art Society

The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) is a non-profit membership organization for preservation in New York City, which aims to encourage thoughtful planning and urban design and inclusive neighborhoods across the city.

The organization was founded in 1893. In January 2010, MAS relocated from its longtime home in the historic Villard Houses on 457 Madison Avenue to Steinway Hall on West 57th Street (across the street and east of Carnegie Hall). In July 2014, MAS moved into the Look Building at 488 Madison Avenue, across the street from its former Villard home. In February 2025, MAS moved into one of the Trinity and United States Realty Buildings in the Financial District.

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Municipal Art Society in the context of Tribute in Light

The Tribute in Light is an art installation created in remembrance of the September 11 attacks. It consists of 88 vertical searchlights arranged in two columns of light to represent the Twin Towers. It stands six blocks south of the World Trade Center on top of the Battery Parking Garage in New York City. Tribute in Light began as a temporary commemoration of the attacks in early 2002, but it became an annual event, currently produced on September 11 by the Municipal Art Society of New York. The Tribute in Light was conceived by artists John Bennett, Gustavo Bonevardi, Richard Nash Gould, Julian LaVerdiere, and Paul Myoda, and lighting consultant Paul Marantz.

The Tribute's illumination begins at dusk and ends at dawn, with the lights being turned off for 20-minute periods to allow migratory birds to escape as needed. On clear nights, the lights can be seen from 60 miles (97 km) away, visible in all of New York City and most of suburban Northern New Jersey and Long Island. The lights can also be seen in Fairfield County, Connecticut, as well as Westchester, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York.

View the full Wikipedia page for Tribute in Light

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