Thomas Jefferson Park

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El Arbol de Esperanza

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Artist:	L. Brower Hatcher
Dedicated:	July 17, 1995
Location:	1st Ave & 114th St.; Behind Recreation Center and pool

Artwork History

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

This steel and bronze piece by artist L. Brower Hatcher (b. 1942) depicts an 18-foot-high stainless steel tree trunk topped by a large globe made from steel, brass, and bronze. The piece was installed in 1995 at the northeast corner of the park behind the Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center. The globe features bronze images of birds, fish, reptiles and toys modeled by children of River East School and the Thomas Jefferson Park Recreation Center. The Spanish title means “Tree of Hope,” reflecting the sculptor’s sentiment towards the community youth who played such an active role at artist-run workshops during the design of the piece.

Hatcher’s work is featured in New York at the Chase Manhattan Bank building. Other pieces of his are in a variety of U.S. cities including Philadelphia, Phoenix, Roanoke, Tampa, Birmingham, Madison, and Houston. The piece was sponsored by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ Percent for Art program.

Artwork Details

Description:	Tree trunk figure, globe constructed of a transparent matrix of coated rods with fittings at connecting points
Architect:	Miceli Kulik Williams
Materials:	Tree trunk figure--stainless steel (polished), globe---stainless steel, brass, bronze
Dimensions:	Trunk H: 12'; Globe H: 12' Diameter: 7'6"
Fabricator:	L. Brower Hatcher
Donor:	Percent for Art, Department of Cultural Affairs
Cast:	ca. 1995

Please note, the NAME field includes a primary designation as well as alternate namingsoften in common or popular usage. The DEDICATED field refers to the most recent dedication, most often, butnot necessarily the original dedication date. If the monument did not have a formal dedication, the yearlisted reflects the date of installation.

For more information, please contact Art & Antiquities at (212) 360-8163.