Greenwich Village, the very name conjures vibrant images of small eclectic galleries and venues where innovative poets, musicians, activists, writers and artists once thrived. Sadly those treasures have mostly disappeared in favor of more lucrative endeavors.
But wait! Now there is the Little Underground gallery, found in the basement of the Jefferson Market library. Many years ago, when the library was a courthouse, that same area was used for processing female prisoners on their way to the prison next door. Now it’s been reclaimed and repurposed into an art gallery.
It’s the brain child of head librarian Frank Collerius, who “wanted a place for Villagers (or Villagers in spirit) to have a place to show their artwork. To show artists who work with different media, who are different ages, and backgrounds—to make it a real, diverse community effort and an evolving endeavor.”
Marty Kornfeld’s installation Reclaimed & Repurposed! will open there on April 1st and will be on display for the entire month. Marty has been a West Village resident for over fifty years, yet has never publicly shown any of his amazing works.
Working in the Abstract Expressionist style, he uses a pour/drip technique onto reclaimed and repurposed surfaces which are then glossed, often replete with imperfections and foreign objects. Thus each piece evolves differently, taking on an energy and life of its own, often evoking feelings of action and movement juxtaposed with those of serenity and calm.
An open reception will be held on Saturday April 4th at the Little Underground gallery, in the basement of the Jefferson Market Library at 425 6th Ave.
