We’re pleased to be working with the Historical Landmarks Preservation Center to honor and mark Saint Peter’s as a significant location for Louise Nevelson and Lella and Massimo Vignelli.

Nevelson Chapel at Saint Peter’s is the only remaining, permanent, fully intact sculptural environment by Louise Nevelson.

Regarded by many as one of the finest examples of late modernism, the interior of Saint Peter’s is the work of designers Lella and Massimo Vignelli.

The Cultural Medallions Program was initiated to create a sense of pride in history and of place among New Yorkers and visitors, to document significant individuals, and notable occurrences related to the economic, political, and social history of New York City. The plaques that will be placed on the building was designed pro bono by Massimo Vignelli.

For the full program and RSVP, please see here.

Join us in celebrating Louise Nevelson’s 125th birthday!

Around the world, galleries, universities, and cultural institutions are celebrating the milestone birthday of one of the 20th century’s most prolific artists.

At Saint Peter’s Church, we celebrate this birthday at Nevelson Chapel, the only remaining, permanent, fully-intact sculptural environment by Louise Nevelson. Comprising nine substantial white and gold-leaf sculptural elements installed onsite by Nevelson herself, this “oasis of silence” is more than a quiet place for reflection— it is harmoniously contained yet uncontainable, profoundly and marvelously human.

Just outside the doors of this sculptural masterpiece, toast to Nevelson’s enduring legacy, don Louise’s unique fashions, and tap into the creativity that only the lady of honor could match. Come and enjoy refreshments, live music, and brief remarks.

Born September 23, 1899 in Ukraine, Louise Nevelson created monochrome sculptural masterpieces, often from found objects. In 1977, Nevelson created a unique sculptural environment at the heart of Citicorp Center and Saint Peter’s Church, which she titled Chapel of the Good Shepherd. Today, as historians of art and architecture are recognizing the gradual loss of our city’s human-scale spaces to an urbanism focused on security and pressured by commercialism, Nevelson’s legacy offers respite and inspiration.

In addition to her vital artistic contribution, Nevelson was known for her unique fashion: her head wrapped in scarves, layered clothing inspired from around the world, and multiple layers of eyelashes. The same year Nevelson Chapel was completed, Nevelson was added to Eleanor Lambert’s “Best Dressed International Women” list. On her birthday, we remember her vivacious personality in addition to her artistic vision as we celebrate Nevelson steps away from her “monument to the soul.”

This event is hosted by the Nevelson Legacy Council, The Arts and Architecture Conservancy at Saint Peter’s and Saint Peter’s Church. After a successful Renewing a Masterwork campaign to fund urgent conservation work and upgrade the HVAC system, a For the Future campaign is underway to secure an endowment for annual conservation and an endowment for programming. Learn more at future.saintpeters.org/nevelson.

Presented by Nevelson Chapel 
and New York Culture Club
in partnership with Midtown Arts Common

Curated by Jenny Mushkin Goldman

The pandemic, compounded by the Russian attack on Ukraine, has caused a collective confrontation with mortality and loss unlike anything in recent history.

This group exhibition addresses the entirety of the life cycle and delves into the promise of the everlasting. Individual works deal with themes of death, regeneration, and the hereafter. The pieces are placed in such a way as to invite a creative experience of these perennial themes beyond customary linear or circular approaches.

Artists

Chellis Baird, Nelsena Burt-Spano, Alexis Duque, S. Klitgaard, Katarra LaRae Peterson, Gracelee Lawrence, April Marten, Ariel Mitchell, Anne-Sophie H. Plume, Lina Puerta, Leonard Reibstein, Adam Umbach, and Paul Joseph Vogeler

Gallery Open hours

10-12 noon Monday to Friday,  
4 to 6 Sunday to Tuesday

Enter on 54th Street for COVID screening.

About NYC Culture Club: www.nyccultureclub.com