September 5th - September 9th, 2011

Tribute Lights May Go Out

September 5 -- The Tribute in Light installation may have a dim future, reports NY1. The lights went up six months after the towers fell but due to the opening of the World Trade Center Memorial and a lack of funding. The two beams are made up with 88 lights, each 7,000 watts. The Municipal Arts Society which produces the installation is asking the public for donations to start an endowment.

Ground Zero No More

September 6 -- While addressing the Association for a Better New York downtown, Mayor Michael Bloomberg made a request. He urged people not to not call the area 'Ground Zero.' While acknowledging the vivid memories people have from the attacks of that day, the Mayor called on people to recognize it as The World Trade Center and the National September 11th Memorial and Museum.

Downtown Alliance Unveils Hudson Street Art

September 7 -- The Alliance for Downtown recently installed their latest sidewalk arts project on Varick Street, reported DNAinfo. The 265-foot-long piece is called "half awak, half asleep," by Brooklyn-based artist Maki Kaoru. The work is printed on transparent mesh and shows leaves, flowers and rays of light in watery shades of green, gold and red. The exhibit is part of the  Re:Construction series of public art project at downton construction sites.

LMDC Announces Cultural Grant Recipients

September 7 -- Thirty-eight grants were awarded to an array of Lower Manhattan not-for-profit organizations. The grants are from the $17 million Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) Community and Cultural Enhancement Fund, and are now designated for a broad range of projects and services including youth, senior and social services; health care; education; recreation; and cultural initiatives.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Empire State Development Corporation made the announcement with LMDC officials, noting that since the funding details were released last year, the LMDC received 266 applications totaling $191 million in requests. Grantees were selected based on the rating of their applications by the Cultural Grant Advisory Committee, a six-member panel composed of three representatives from both the state and city.