I-95 Highway Becomes Art at The Greenwich Historical Society

This April, the Greenwich Historical Society and Untapped New York plan to turn a stretch of the I-95 highway into a masterpiece with a new interactive installation by Untapped New York's Artist-in-Residence Aaron Asis.

The Mianus River Railroad Bridge

When the Mianus River Railroad Bridge was constructed to bring trains over Connecticut's Mianus River in 1904, it was much to the chagrin of artists at the Cos Cob Art Colony. Housed inside the historic Bush-Holley House, now part of the Greenwich Historical Society campus at the river's edge, American Impressionist artists like Childe Hassam, Ernest Lawson, and John Henry Twachtman taught and created art—often inspired by the serenity of their immediate surroundings. The bridge was going to ruin their view. 

One day, another frequent houseguest of the art colony, journalist Lincoln Steffens, heard Twachtman bemoaning the bridge's installation. Steffens allegedly quipped, "You're an artist. Use it."

And so the Cos Cob Bridge, as it's commonly known, eventually became part of the art produced by local painters. One hundred and twenty years later, the bridge has earned itself a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, and another piece of transportation infrastructure now dominates the view of Cos Cob Harbor. 

I-95 Arrives

I-95 is an interstate highway that runs from Florida to Maine. In 1956, construction began on the Mianus River Bridge, which brings I-95 directly in front of the Greenwich Historical Society campus. It can’t be ignored. So artist Aaron Asis has decided to take Steffens’ advice and “use it.”

The new installation, Re-Framing 95, repositions this inescapable piece of infrastructure within the narrative of the larger Greenwich community, moving it from a pesky footnote to the center of the frame. Literally.

Re-Framing 95

Re-Framing 95 will open to the public on Saturday, April 5, and will be on view through June. The activation features a series of floating frames throughout the Greenwich Historical Society campus, highlighting historic elements of the campus and vistas that may be considered “ruined” by the presence of the noisy highway.

By shifting the viewer’s attention to a piece of the scenery we might otherwise consider mundane, the installation inspires us instead to look at it as an important piece of history and recognize that history isn’t done being made. Informational placards accompanying the frames will add context to each tableau.

The empty frames work two ways. You can look out of them towards the water or towards the historical society campus in the opposite direction. Visitors can position themselves in the frames, becoming a unique piece of art and Greenwich history. Guests are encouraged to share their photos on social media with the hashtag #ReFraming95.

Inside the Greenwich Historical Society Museum galleries, visitors can see what Impressionist paintings of the scene might have looked like if the I-95 overpass had existed in the early 20th century. Asis has taken works by Cos Cob Art Colony artists and digitally manipulated the images to include pieces of the I-95 bridge. After examining these images, you can see the original paintings in the Greenwich Historical Society’s Permanent Collections Gallery.

“When we expand our understanding of the past, we gain a greater appreciation of the present, and this is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate both within the particularly relevant context of the Greenwich Historical Society campus,” notes Asis.

Re-Framing 95 expands beyond the immediate Greenwich Historical Society campus. On the opening weekend, April 5th and 6th, the experience will start with unique guided walking tours along the waterfront across from the Greenwich Historical Society’s Cos Cob campus, focusing on how the I-95 corridor and transportation infrastructure, including the Metro-North train tracks, have changed the landscape over the years. The tours give guests a taste of the site's history while simultaneously inviting them into the conversation of what makes something art worthy even if it’s as unsightly as I-95.

Re-Framing 95: Untapped New York Member Preview

Meet the artist and be the first to see the new interactive installation!

Registration Opens March 22nd at 12 PM ET

Led by Untapped New York Chief Experience Officer Justin Rivers, these tours are $15 for the general public and free for Greenwich Historical Society members. Tours will take place four times each day on Saturday, April 5th and Sunday, April 6th, at 12 noon, 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm. Capacity is limited. Those interested in joining these free public tours can sign up at online, here.

The activation weekend of Re-Framing I-95 marks the launch of a new partnership between Untapped New York and the Greenwich Historical Society called Rediscover Greenwich. This innovative year-long campaign seeks to reshape perceptions of local history by inviting the public to experience the Historical Society campus and the town of Greenwich in exciting new ways. In addition to Re-framing 95, the two organizations will present “Rediscover Greenwich Avenue” on May 1st in collaboration with the Greenwich Arts Council and their 28th annual Art to the Avenue.

Rediscover Greenwich Avenue will run through the months of May and June and will feature large-scale murals on key buildings on Greenwich Avenue that showcase how the streetscape looked throughout history. Walking tours of Greenwich Avenue will also be offered on May 3rd and 4th.