Frieze by Famed Harlem Renaissance Sculptor Back at Kingsborough Houses After Restoration
At the Kingsborough Houses in Crown Heights last week, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) unveiled a restoration of the over 80-foot “Exodus and Dance” frieze by Richmond Barthé.
Barthé, a renowned sculptor of the Harlem Renaissance period, was hired to create the piece under the Depression-era Works Progress Administration, according to the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. It's been on display at the Kingsborough Houses since 1941, where it's affectionately referred to as “The Wall.”
“It looks 100 percent better now,” said Eden White, a resident of the Kingsborough Extension senior housing. “I’m going to tell my friends to come and my grandkids.”
What's ahead this week in housing: The Landmarks Preservation Commission will vote today on whether to landmark five buildings in Midtown Manhattan that played a role in the history of the city's garment industry.
