Louise Nevelson Plaza 1978

Louise Nevelson Plaza opened in 1978, dedicated to and featuring work by the sculptor. For her plaza, Nevelson designed seven sculptures, ranging from twenty to seventy feet in height. Nevelson was inspired by flags, and wanted her sculptures to seem like they were flying, so she raised them on poles. The group of sculptures is aptly entitled “Shadows and Flags.” Nevelson often works with wood, plexiglass, and found objects to create her sculptures, but for “Shadows and Flags” she used a more outdoor-appropriate Cor-Ten steel painted black. After 9/11, the plaza was rearranged to allow better surveillance at the Federal Reserve, adjacent to the plaza. The sculptures were removed for restoration in 2008 after the surfaces were damaged in 9/11.