6. A Colorful Bench Pays Homage to the History of Little Italy
Amid the weathered stone sculptures of the Elizabeth Street Garden, a multi-colored bench stands out with its vibrant colors. The bench was designed by Color Factory and is a site-specific piece that pays homage to the historic Little Italy neighborhood. The three colors of bench reflect the colors of the three rowhouse buildings on Mott Street that you can see from the Garden.
A plaque on the bench has a phone number that visitors are encouraged to call to learn more about the colors. When you call the “Color Hotline,” a voice describes where each color can be found in New York City. For example, purple can be found on “FedEx slips and sunset clouds. It’s the color of the 7 line.” For this site-specific piece, the hotline also explores the color green. When you press extension 4, Ella, the Creative Director of the Elizabeth Street Garden explains just how important green spaces are for New York City.
