Historic Nevelson Chapel In New York City Nears $3 Million Mark For First Phase Of $5.75 Million Fundraising Campaign For Its Restoration Through Anchor / Foundational Gift From Pace Gallery
This Holiday Season Pace Gallery Will Launch Online Charity Exhibition of Nevelson Collages to Further Support the Chapel’s Fundraising Initiative
NEW YORK, December 9, 2020 — The Rev. Jared R. Stahler, Senior Pastor of Saint Peter’s Church, and David Diamond, Chair of the Nevelson Legacy Council, are pleased to announce that following a foundational / an anchor gift from Pace Gallery they now near the $3 million mark in their first phase of an overall $5.75 million goal toward “Renewing a Masterwork,” the campaign to restore Nevelson Chapel. In 2018 the largely silent campaign was launched to support the conservation of this New York City public art treasure, the only remaining, permanent, fully intact sculptural environment by the pioneering American artist Louise Nevelson.
Dedicated in 1977, Nevelson Chapel was commissioned by Saint Peter’s Church for the joint venture with First National City Bank to build CitiCorp Center at 54th Street and Lexington Avenue. Nestled at the base of the tower with access from the street, the Chapel was always intended to be a public sanctuary to residents, commuters and tourists. Nevelson herself called this space “an oasis of silence” from the hustle and bustle of midtown Manhattan. The tranquil white-on-white installation, with nine wall-mounted sculptural elements, accented with gold-leaf and enhanced by the play of shadow and light from a single window, is not just an extraordinary work of art but a deeply transformative environment.
Over the past two years, the Chapel has been undergoing extensive physical renovations to ensure the safekeeping of this peerless sculpture for future generations and the start of art conservation.
As the campaign reaches its first major milestone, Nevelson Chapel will embark on a public drive to source donations from individual contributors for the second phase of the campaign to reach $5.75 million. In support of the launch of fundraising efforts, and to raise awareness of this quintessential New York work of art and the importance of preserving its legacy, Pace Gallery will launch an online charity exhibition from December 9—30th, 2020 at pacegallery.com, featuring three seminal collage works by Nevelson from the 1970s. Sixty percent of the proceeds from these sales will go towards supporting the Chapel’s restoration and endowment.
The Rev. Jared R. Stahler, said:
“Nevelson Chapel is the heart of our public arts program and there is no more integral a partner to our public arts program than Pace Gallery. Arne Glimcher was more than just an art dealer to Louise, he and Milly knew the value of the Chapel before it was ever created. They had the foresight to see that Nevelson could create a lasting space in the center of Midtown Manhattan that would receive all people from all walks of life, offer them respite from the hustle and bustle of the city, and evoke joy and human warmth. All these years later, Arne, Milly and Marc are the strongest champions for Nevelson, for her Chapel and for its ongoing life in the City. Then, as now, this gift from Pace Gallery is a commitment, an investment in humanity.”
Marc Glimcher, President & CEO of Pace Gallery, comments:
“For decades, Nevelson Chapel has provided New Yorkers with a safe refuge and space for contemplation. In a world in dire need of that gift, we are thrilled to continue to support Louise Nevelson’s vision through our contribution to the Chapel’s restoration--which also celebrates forty years of history between Pace and Louise, one of the gallery’s foundational artists. We look forward to sharing the story of Louise’s legacy with new audiences through an online exhibition which we hope will bring renewed awareness around the importance of preserving this public masterpiece.”
Although the Church and Chapel have remained closed since the city shut down in mid-March, in an effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19, Nevelson Chapel continues to make advancements on the restoration of the sculpture and its environmental systems. Renovations to the architectural envelope are nearly complete, a new low-intensity LED lighting system has been installed, a dedicated HVAC system with museum-grade climate control is now functioning, conservation of the sculpture and its original paint continues, and a growing library of virtual programming is underway. “Nevelson Chapel is both a critical work in the development of modern sculpture and a gateway to further innovations in site-specific immersive environments,” said David Diamond, Chair of the Nevelson Legacy Council. “The Chapel provides a vibrant link between the history of modern sculpture and the development of conceptual art.”
Pace Gallery’s donation is one of over 125 generous pledges. The effort has been spearheaded by The Nevelson Legacy Council, a group of art and philanthropic individuals that includes Arne Glimcher, Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, Peter Lipman, Brooke Kamin Rapaport, Christopher Rothko, Adam Weinberg, and Laurie Wilson.
