Restoring Historic Art at Kingsborough Houses
Since 1941, Kingsborough Houses has been the home of Exodus and Dance, an 8-foot by 80-foot sculpture that depicts scenes of Black people dancing and having a religious celebration. After almost 80 years on display outdoors at the development, the elements and time have taken their toll on the piece, and a restoration project will begin in 2021.
Exodus and Dance, or “The Wall” (as it is referred to by residents in the Kingsborough Houses community), is the largest piece created by Richmond Barthé, who was a prominent African-American sculptor and painter of the Harlem Renaissance. Mr. Barthé is known for his work inspired by Christianity, Black history and African lore, and theater and dance. The frieze — a long, narrow horizontal sculpture that decorates a wall or building exteriors — was commissioned by the New York City Works Progress Administration. Originally, the frieze was going to be displayed at Harlem River Houses, but after Mr. Barthé completed the piece, it was installed at Kingsborough Houses.
In spring or summer of 2021, the frieze will begin a restoration project undertaken by NYCHA, in collaboration with the New York City Public Design Commission, with funding from City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel. Local arts organizations Fulton Art Fair and Weeksville Heritage Center, as well as Kingsborough Resident Association President Michael Gaines and members of the resident association board, have also been actively involved in the project.
Mr. Gaines has lived at Kingsborough since 1958 and has fond memories of The Wall. He said the piece, located in the middle of the development, has always been meaningful to residents, and former residents often visit to snap photos of The Wall and reminisce.
“When we were growing up, we used to have races to The Wall and back. We didn’t know what it meant or what it stood for at the time, but it was something that was respected by everyone,” Mr. Gaines said. “I always thought it meant God trying to lead people to Heaven. There was always something special happening at that wall – we had movies and shows there. It’s a wonderful thing that The Wall was sent here. This project is going to be beautiful, and I can’t wait for it to get done.”
The restoration involves carefully removing the frieze from the wall and transporting it to a conservation studio. Additional work includes building a new wall to serve as the base of support for the frieze, replacing the surrounding pavement, and upgrading the site lighting for the frieze.
In anticipation of the restoration, an outdoor screening of The Green Pastures, the film the images on the frieze are based on, is scheduled to take place on Mr. Barthé’s birthday, January 28, 2021.
Florence Utley, Secretary of the Kingsborough Resident Association, has been a resident of the development for 26 years and believes the frieze provides the community with an important glimpse into African-American history, including the Harlem Renaissance. She hopes the restored frieze will be a ray of light to the entire community: “The Wall really does mean Heaven to me. We’ve all been through so much; it would be awesome to put some hope and faith back into the community.”
If you have questions or comments about the restoration project, or would like to get involved, please contact NYCHA’s Resident Engagement Department at resident.engagement@nycha.nyc.gov or 212-306-8436.