The Animal Park - 40 Montgomery St., NYC

This "Playground" was built during the summers of 1965 and 1966, as a special project of a Henry Street Settlement sculpture class led by Pedro P. Silva. It is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, on the grounds of the LaGuardia Houses. The original playground consisted of a group of sculptures: 3 Elephants, 2 Kissing Goats, 1 Owl (podium-like, to make speeches?), 1 Reclining Cat (nursing four kittens), 1 Motorcycle (built over an old bicycle donated by one of the students), 1 Race Car, 1 almost life-size Camel, 1 large (about 7 feet tall) Mushroom, about 6 cement cast barrels with mosaic designs on top (serving as seats or jumping steps), and 1 small Sleeping Cat and a Fish, made with the leftover cement after a day's work. The following year, a fountain was designed with 5 figures throwing water from their mouths: a Head (a portrait of the artist/teacher Pedro, designed by a 10 year old student), A Turtle, A Snail, a Big Fish, and a Mother Lizard with a Baby Lizard.

All these pieces were designed by the students of the sculpture class, ranging in age from 7 to 12 years old, under the direction of artist Pedro P. Silva. The students made small models and Pedro constructed them in reinforced concrete with the help and significant support of Lilli Ann Rosemberg (ceramics and pottery instructor and the head of the Art Department), and other art teachers of the Settlement, among them Susan Shapiro (pottery), who later founded Cityarts Workshop, Nancy Wells (painting and drawing), Murray Hockman (ceramics), Bess Schuyler, etc. Other participants were Nelson Mercado, a local artist, and some parents and volunteers from the community. These pieces were decorated partially with ceramic tiles, some of them made in the Settlement workshops by the students.

In the summer of 2003, a controversy among the local residents took place. A very small group of residents wanted to destroy the playground and get rid of the sculptures, considering them too "dangerous" for the children. However, these pieces were there for more than 35 years and no serious accidents or lawsuits were ever reported. The majority of the residents, as well as the larger community, loved these pieces too much to allow them to be destroyed. Many of them were the now adult students who had built the pieces, and had grown up to see their own children play on, and become sentimentally attached to the wonderful menagerie. At some point in its long history, local residents had affectionately dubbed the playground "Animal Park." So a compromise had to be struck.

After several meetings, it was decided that five of the pieces would stay on the original site. They were the fountain pieces, but unfortunately the fountain itself would be disconnected. Instead, a garden would be planted around the sculptures. The other pieces had to find a new home. The Settlement took four pieces, relocating them in the neighboring small "Martin Luther King" park on Montgomery and Henry Streets, and another small park by the HS Playhouse on Grand Street. Two other pieces were moved by the Housing Authority to nearby locations on the LaGuardia grounds. The remaining four pieces were rescued by Silva's family, and taken to the property of a good friend in upstate New York. There they were positioned in a very beautiful sculpture garden, which has already become a local attraction. Unfortunately, the Nursing Cat (it may be recreated upstate), the Car, and the Barrels did not survive the ordeal. They were in a very bad state of repair, and it was impossible to save them.

This summer, under the direction of Pedro P. Silva, artists Tony Silva, Rondi Silva, Mark Hohlstein, Corinne Lidy, local artist Adelina Montayer, and several other valued volunteers, participated in the restoration process. After long hours (6 days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day), relentless rain and hot weather being the worst obstacles, the project was successfully finished in seven weeks. The animals look more beautiful than ever and seem to be adjusting, along with the community, to the new arrangement.

For more informaion contact Pedro Silva at silva@pbworld.com