Municipal Art Society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS), is a nonprofit membership organization which advocates for excellence in urban design, urban planning, contemporary architecture, historic preservation and community based planning in all five boroughs of New York City.
MAS is located in the North wing of the historic Villard Houses on 457 Madison Avenue. The ground floor is open to the public, including a gallery space with rotating exhibits. Urban Center Books is located across the hall, carrying a large collection of material on architectural and urban history and design.
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[edit] History
MAS’s advocacy efforts have shaped the city a great deal since its inception in 1893. Some of their early accomplishments include passing the city's first zoning laws, contributing input to the planning of the city’s subway line, and commissioning public art throughout the city.
By the 1950's, scores of notable Manhattan buildings were lost to redevelopment around the city, and the mission of MAS broadened to include historical preservation. In 1956, the Society successfully lobbied for the passage of the Bard Law, which for the first time allowed cities to take aesthetics, history, and cultural associations into account for zoning laws. The law, named after longtime MAS board member and chief advocate, Albert S. Bard, provided a legal foundation for the New York City Landmarks Law, enacted in 1965.
In 1965, public outrage over the destruction of the Pennsylvania Station and the Brokaw Mansion helped fuel the Society's mission towards preservation. With like-minded groups, they finally succeeded in establish New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission, and New York's Landmarks Law.
In June 2007, the MAS released with the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance a new documentary about the future of the New York waterfront titled City of Water. In September 2007, the Society opened a major exhibition about Jane Jacobs sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation.
[edit] Recent Projects
- Jane Jacobs and the Future of NY
- NewPennStation.org
- Save Industrial Brooklyn
- Community Technology Initiative
- City of Water
- the Campaign for Community-Based Planning
- A Vision for an East Side Waterfront Park
