New Unforgotten Films Video Gives Viewers a Look Inside the Washington Square Arch

“Washington Square Park certainly is a cultural center and folks will rally either around the fountain or around the arch itself.” “It’s been the site of protests, it’s been the site of incredible cultural activity in a place where you can feel the city’s presence very strongly.” “I think the architecture of the arch lends itself to some of the really large public art installations. It is an object that really appeals to artists as a place of invention.” “The whole idea of Washington Square Park representing artists communities that shaped the identity of the Village and Washington Square.” So begins the latest installment in the Unforgotten film series on the Washington Square Arch.

On June 2 at 12 p.m., join us as we screen the latest installment in the Unforgotten film series. This time, filmmaker Aaron Asis tackles one of New York’s Iconic landmarks. The Washington Square Arch was built in 1892 to commemorate the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration in the heart of Greenwich Village. The arch was designed by architect Stanford White as a permanent monument in Washington Square Park. The Arch is a majestic marble structure and stands as one of the city’s most iconic civic landmarks. This episode also features Untapped New York’s founder Michelle Young.

Unforgotten Films was created by New York-based artist Aaron Asis in collaboration with Green Ghost Studios and with media support from Untapped New York, funding support from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs / Brooklyn Arts Council, and funding support from Likeminds to explore a series of inaccessible landscapes throughout New York City. At the event, see inside the iconic Washington Square Arch. Watch the episode live with the filmmaker, Aaron Asis. Join a discussion with Asis and Untapped New York Founder Michelle Young about the film and the Arch. Learn how the Arch was commandeered by early 20th Century artists to declare Greenwich Village as its own republic. This event is free for Untapped New York Insiders. If you’re not a member, become one now (and use the code JOINUS to get your first month free).

Unforgotten Films: Inside the Washington Square Arch

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The episode, titled “How History, Community, and Art can Define an Iconic New York City Monument,” features Sheryl Woodruff, Deputy Director of the Washington Square Park Conservancy; Nicholas Baume, Artistic & Executive Director at Public Art Fund; Karen Karbiener, Professor in the English department at New York University; and Michelle Young. The video depicts everything from dance and music performances in the park to a public art installation to shots of the Arch’s interior.

The episode captures the diversity and the “greater city” within the park through interviews and B-roll scenes of daily life. The episode gives viewers a bit of a history lesson as well; the park was built atop a potter’s field with approximately 20,000 people buried by 1825. Washington Square Park was opened two years later as a military parade ground, which people used to congregate. The Arch was one of the final additions to the park after the fountain in the 1850s. The Arch has numerous staircases inside that lead to the roof, giving the rare viewer a 360-degree look at Manhattan.

The episode also dives into artist Ai Weiwei’s sculpture “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors,” which serves as a commentary on the increasing hostility towards immigrants nationwide. Ai integrated his sculpture into the shape of the arch, which the episode suggests reinforced the diversity and openness of people from all walks of life, coming together. The park is still an artistic and cultural heritage site, where Marcel Duchamp would spend his days. One time, Duchamp and other Dadaists illegally climbed to the top of the Arch and declared it an independent republic.

On June 2 at 12 p.m., join us as we screen the latest installment in the Unforgotten film series. This time, filmmaker Aaron Asis tackles one of New York’s Iconic landmarks. This event is free for Untapped New York Insiders. If you’re not a member, become one now (and use the code JOINUS to get your first month free).

Unforgotten Films: Inside the Washington Square Arch

BOOK NOW

Unforgotten Films is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by Brooklyn Arts Council.

Next, check out the Top 10 Secrets of the Washington Square Arch!