The Gates: Memories from New York City

The Gates. A larger-than life art installation in Central Park, New York City. February 2005

Our first trip to New York City with a baby was a cold and leafless day in February 2005 to see the Gates, a 23-mile-long art installation created by the husband and wife team Christo and Jeanne-Claude, known for similarly massive art adventures around the world.

This week, Jeanne-Claude passed away at the age of 74, according to nytimes.com. To pay tribute, I dug up some photos from our walking tour, which was cut short when we had to return to the car because there’s no place to change a baby’s diaper in Central Park when it’s 30 degrees outside.

More saffron-color Gates near the south entrance of Central Park

Walking 1/100th of the 23-mile-long installation.

The Gates at a Glance
Here are some awesome facts about the exhibit via New York City’s web site.

– 7,500 gates lined up across 23 miles of footpaths weaving through Central Park.
– Each Gate measured between 5 ft. wide to 18 ft. wide  and 16 ft. tall.
– Saffron-colored fabric panels were suspended from the top of each gate and hung down to 7 ft. above the ground.
– The project was funded entirely by the artists and provide employment for hundreds of New York City residents, hired to assemble, install, maintain and remove the installation.
– After The Gates was disassembled, most of the materials were recycled.