Exhibition Coincides with 50th Anniversary of New York City Landmarks Preservation Law

New York, NY – December 17, 2014 – New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) is pleased to announce its spring 2015 gallery exhibition, Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York's Landmark Interiors, an indepth look inside public spaces, both familiar and lesser-known, that are designated as interior landmarks. The exhibition will be on view from March 6 until April 24, 2015 at the New York School of Interior Design Gallery, 161 East 69th Street, New York City. An invitation-only Opening Reception will be held at the gallery on March 5, 2015.

The exhibition coincides with the 50th anniversary of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Law. There are more than 1,300 individual landmark-designated structures throughout New York City, but just 117 interiors that are protected with landmark status. Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York's Landmark Interiors will highlight the importance of public interiors as the spaces in which we conduct our daily lives and present the challenges and controversies in maintaining the integrity of these spaces in the face of changing needs and popular taste, as well as the achievements in keeping them accessible to the public.

The curatorial team for the exhibition consists of prominent experts and preservation advocates, including award-winning architect Hugh Hardy; interior designer Kitty Hawks; Landmark West President Kate Wood; and design historian and NYSID design faculty member, Judith Gura.

The exhibition will feature new photography by Larry Lederman along with archival images and materials. Interiors from all five New York City boroughs will be represented in the show, ranging from the iconic, Art Deco splendor of Radio City Music Hall and Federal grandeur of City Hall, to the less-familiar – but no less impressive – interiors of the Italian Baroque-style Lowe’s Paradise Theater in the Bronx and the Art Moderne-style Sunset Play Center in Brooklyn. The exhibition will also call attention to the challenges of changing use, protecting modern interiors, and identifying the next generation of landmark interiors. It will include an interactive element enabling visitors to voice their opinions on which interiors should be priorities for future landmark designation.

“Often, when we think of landmarks, we think of exterior architecture,” says NYSID President David Sprouls. “A building’s exterior may be protected, but the interiors are frequently disregarded. This exhibition turns that notion on its head by focusing on the important role that interiors play in our lives as well as the incredible design that exists inside buildings all over our city. Interiors are sometimes out of sight, but they should not be out of mind. Visitors to the show will be amazed and delighted.”

There will also be a companion book, co-authored by Judith Gura and Kate Wood, to be published by Monacelli Press in September 2015.

Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York's Landmark Interiors is being held in conjunction with NYC Landmarks50, the organization of public and private institutions formed by author and preservationist Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel to engage, inform and educate the public about the importance of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Law and celebrate and commemorate its 50th anniversary.

This exhibition is made possible by the generous support of:

The Achelis Foundation
The Felicia Fund
Alexa Hampton
Ina Mae Kaplan Historic Preservation Grant from the IFDA Educational Foundation
Calvin Tsao
 

EXHIBITION DETAILS:
Rescued, Restored, Reimagined: New York's Landmark Interiors
March 6 - April 24, 2015
New York School of Interior Design Gallery
161 East 69th Street, NYC
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm
Admission is free.

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About New York School of Interior Design
Founded in 1916, the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID) is a private, not-for-profit college devoted exclusively to interior design education and related disciplines. NYSID’s guiding principle is that the interior environment is a fundamental element of human welfare and the College is committed to actively improving the quality of life for all segments of humanity. This ideal is put into practice by a dedicated faculty of well-known designers, architects, art historians, and authorities in the field who guide more than 600 full- and part-time students.

NYSID offers certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs in the field of interior design, design history and theory, sustainable design, interior lighting design, and healthcare interior design. A wide range of classes are also offered through the Institute for Continuing and Professional Studies. The College is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD); is a Candidate for Accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; and NYSID’s BFA and MFA-1 programs are accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

About NYC Landmarks50
NYC Landmarks50 was formed to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the passage of the New York City landmarks law, which was enacted on April 19, 1965. The goal of the project is to broaden the appreciation of, and commitment, to New York City’s most admired architecture, as well as to develop a new audience and generation of future preservationists. This all-voluntary effort brings together the public and private sector to inform, and educate the public about historic preservation in New York City. To get involved, share ideas and volunteer your time, email landmarks50@nyclandmarks50.org.