Whose Park Is It? Artist Lederman Arrested Protesting at Panel Discussion

Robert Lederman Protesting at Panel Discussion held at the Museum of the City of New York. Photo courtesy of "A Walk in the Park".

Carrying a hand-painted sign that said “PARK PRIVATIZATION IS A REAL ESTATE SCAM - IT IS ALL ABOUT RAISING PROPERTY VALUES FOR THE MAYOR’S WEALTIEST FRIENDS,” artist Robert Lederman was arrested recently while protesting at a Parks panel discussion that featured New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and other supporters of the unelected “public/private partnerships” that increasingly control the administration of New York City’s parks.

Lederman is the president of the street artists organization A.R.T.I.S.T and is currently suing the Parks Department in Federal Court over new rules that restrict artists’ right to work in city parks.

Here’s the news coverage, including video of Lederman’s arrest.

Videos of the protest and arrest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAWooZKyDy0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNFWHAc_-XQ

“Night Of Protests At Museum Park Funding Forum”
A Walk in the Park, by Geoffrey Croft, August 13, 2011

“Which Park Is It, Anyway?”
ParkSlopePatch, by Johanna Clearfield, August 12, 2011

“Is the revenue-generating park a good thing? Commissioner Benepe says it ‘depends on who’s in charge’”
Capital New York, by Dan Rosenblum, August 11, 2011

“Activist is arrested at a panel about private funding for parks”
The Villager, by Albert Amateau, August 11, 2011

Round-Up of Recent Articles and Blog Posts on the Artists/City Standoff

 
"Union Square Showdown: Holiday Market Versus Art Vendors"
DNAinfo - December 21, 2010 - By Amy Zimmer

“Artists at Union Square say city is a portrait of hypocrisy with holiday market”
New York Daily News - December 19, 2010 - By Adam Lisberg
 
“City Blocked Again From Enforcing New Artist Vending Rules In Parks”
A Walk in the Park - December 20, 2010 by Geoffrey Croft
 
“Artists, City Duel on Rules”
Wall Street Journal - December 18, 2001 - By Pia Cottan

New Article includes Portrait Exchange Photos and Quotes in Discussion of Revised NYC Park Rules

Journalist Leslie Koch's new article "Artists sue Mayor Bloomberg, NYC Parks Department over new regulations" features two photographs by Robin Randisi from the Central Park Portrait Exchange and quotes from Peter Walsh.

From the article:
"Two street artists filed a lawsuit on Friday accusing the Parks Department of violating artists' constitutional rights by restricting the number of art vendors in four popular Manhattan parks.

Artists Robert Lederman and Jack Nesbitt filed a lawsuit against Mayor Bloomberg, Parks Commissioner Benepe and the Parks Department on Friday June 18, 2010 in response to new regulations on art vendingin city parks.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe were named as co-defendants.

When the new rules go into effect on July 19, over half of vendors who sell "expressive matter" will be shut out of Central Park, Union Square Park, Battery Park and the High Line Park.

This includes artists who sell their own paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs and books.

"I spoke to more than 100 park artists the day after the rules came out. Not one expressed agreement with the new rules," said plaintiff Robert Lederman, 59, in an email.

Lederman is the president of advocacy group ARTIST (Artists' Response To Illegal State Tactics). He and co-plaintiff Jack Nesbitt, 70, have repeatedly clashed with the Giuliani and Bloomberg administrations over the right of artists to sell their work in public spaces.

Their lawsuit alleges that "the real purpose behind the Revision is to rid the parks of artists and independent written matter vendors in order to give preference to corporate vendors."

For the complete text go to: "Artists sue Mayor Bloomberg, NYC Parks Department over new regulations"

Welcome!

Test portrait exchange between Peter Walsh and Xiang Yue Chuan, April 23, 2009.

Welcome to the new blog for Central Park Portrait Exchange! I hope to be adding content rapidly as the project gets up and running. The actual drawing performances may start as early as next week, the second week of May 2010. Keep an eye out for details!

Why this project?

I've been wanting to do a portrait exchange with artists working in Central Park for several years. As a drawer myself, I'm impressed by the speed and precision with which they work. Yet I'm also interested in the economics of art-making. These artists get paid one price, artists in Chelsea get another, and as a conceptual artist supporting myself with non-arts jobs, I frequently get nothing in exchange for my art!

On top of these issues, the City of New York and the NYC Parks Commission have forced my hand by proposing that most of the talented artists working in Central Park and in other parks be shut down. The time to act is now!