Astoria community members celebrated the street co-naming of “George S. Kaufman Way.”
TIMESLEDGER | Q 2 NS.COM | OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2021
BY BILL PARRY
With his third and final
term drawing to a close, Councilman
Jimmy Van Bramer
announced he has allocated
$5.1 million in capital funding
for much-needed roof repairs
at MoMA PS1 in Long Island
City.
“MoMA PS1’s growth and
continued success is not only
integral to the arts community
in Queens and New York
City, but for artists around the
world,” Van Bramer said. “I’m
proud that I have been able
to secure over $5.1 million to
make much-needed and overdue
repairs to the roof, and
I’m humbled to say that with
this funding the Council has
now allocated over $15 million
to this incredible Long Island
City institution during my
tenure.”
With the latest funding
to PS1, the city has now allocated
nearly $2 billion
to the arts communities
across the five boroughs, a
record amount, during Van
Bramer’s tenure as chair of
the Committee on Cultural
Affairs and Libraries.
MoMA PS1 is one of the
largest art institutions in the
country solely dedicated to
contemporary art. It opened
in 1976 in a vacant Romanesque
Revival public school
building on Jackson Avenue
in Court Square.
Over the years, Van Bramer
used the venue for many
of the memorable town hall
meetings on new schools in
the fastest-growing neighborhood
in the country, as well
as the displacement of the
artists community due to the
overdevelopment of western
Queens.
“Jimmy’s leadership has
been absolutely transformative
to MoMA PS1 and all
of New York City’s cultural
institutions,” MoMA PS1 Director
Kate Fowle said. “We
are so grateful for the $15 million
granted to PS1 over his
12 years as Council member,
enabling us to ensure PS1’s
120-year-old building is safe,
secure and accessible to both
artists and the public into the
future.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry
by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260–4538.
BY ALICIA VENTER
A portion of 35th Avenue in
Astoria is now named after a
prominent figure in the neighborhood’s
art scene.
The road between 35th and
36th streets on 35th Avenue
will now be known as George
S. Kaufman Way, honoring the
life and legacy of the real estate
developer.
The co-naming ceremony
began on the northwest corner
of 35th Avenue and 36th Street.
Among those in attendance
were Councilman Jimmy Van
Bramer, state Senator Michael
Gianaris, Queens Borough
President Donovan Richards
as well as family and friends
of George S. Kaufman and
community leaders.
“Queens would not be the
hub of culture and creativity
it is today without George
Kaufman and the incredible
potential he saw both in Astoria
and our borough as a
whole,” Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards said.
“His legacy is rich and deep
in this community he helped
Photo by Emil Cohen for the New York City Council
revitalize, and it is an honor to
help ensure his name lives on
in the neighborhood he loved.”
In Astoria, Kaufman is best
known for transforming a rundown
movie studio.
This restored studio, now
named Kaufman Astoria Studios,
rose to prominence and
revived film and television production
in western Queens.
“It’s only appropriate that
the man who brought feature
film production to Astoria has
a street named after him,” Van
Bramer said. “Happy to join
friends, family and other elected
leaders in unveiling George
S. Kaufman Way on 36th Street
and 35th Avenue.”
Kaufman Astoria Studio
now is the home for a range of
media production, from major
motion pictures to commercials,
with seven column-free stages,
including a 26,000-square-foot
stage, the largest “east of Hollywood,”
according to their
website.
Major actors such as Harrison
Ford, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino
and Tom Hanks have acted
there. Shows such as “Sesame
Street” and “Orange is the New
Black” have been filmed there,
as well as award-winning films
such as “The Irishman.”
Among the achievements
of Kaufman includes the establishment
of the Frank Sinatra
School of the Arts, a performing
arts high school in Astoria. He
also served on the boards of The
Whitney Museum, Fashion Institute
of Technology, Exploring
the Arts and the Museum of the
Moving Image.
Hal G. Rosenbluth, president
of Kaufman Astoria Studios,
remembered Kaufman and his
vision for Queens.
“When George dreamt up
the idea for Kaufman Astoria
Studios in the 1980s, critics at
the time said, ‘You’ll never make
movies in Queens.’ George certainly
proved them wrong, ushering
in the rebirth of the film
and production industry in New
York,” Rosenbluth said. “Today,
our studios remain a premier
destination for many of the productions
produced in New York
each year.”
Additional reporting by Bill
Parry.
MoMA PS1 in Court Square will get essential roof repairs done
thanks to Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer’s allocation of $5.1
million in funding. QNS file photo
MoMA PS1 gets $5.1M
in city funding for
desperately needed
roof repairs
Astoria street now named after
founder of Kaufman Art Studios
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