Patty Griffin’s new album, Children Running Through, was released on a bitterly cold winter day in New York City that turned into an even colder night, with temperatures dropping to 9 degrees Fahrenheit as devoted fans huddled together outside the Orensanz Foundation for the Arts for a chance to see Griffin perform songs from the album for the first time. Inside, the historic building’s neo-gothic arches were lit with the warm glow of candlelight as Griffin stepped into the packed room to play a private Artists Den concert, celebrating her record’s release and offering a sneak preview of her extensive spring tour. Griffin’s crystal-clear voice filled the room with newly penned songs (a handwritten lyrics sheet sat perched on the piano when she took a break from her guitar to play it) as well as Griffin classics, accompanied by new band members and longtime players alike. A special treat on some songs was the addition of legendary keyboardist Ian McLagan (Small Faces, The Rolling Stones) – who appeared for this night only – and a 5-piece string section. At the end of the evening, the lucky audience walked back out into the biting cold braced with the warmth of an unforgettable night.
ANGEL ORENSANZ FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS
The Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts was established in 1992 by a group of artists who were inspired by the work of sculptor Angel Orensanz.
In a short period of time it has affirmed itself as a strong anchor of the visual and performing arts in New York.
Well-established institutions such as the PS I Museum; The Goethe Institute, New York; the Italian Cultural Institute; New York University; Columbia University; Princeton University and the National Russian Museum of St. Petersburg, as well as independent artists from all over the world develop here educational and artistic projects.
Over the years the Foundation has been able to forge strong alliances with the music, movie, and fashion industries of the US, Germany, England, and Latin America.
The Center itself is a neo-gothic building, which was designed as a synagogue in 1849 by Berlin architect Alexander Seltzer. He drew inspiration for his design from the cathedral of Cologne and the German romantic movement of Heinrich Heine and Beethoven.
This structure witnessed the birth of the Jewish reform movement in America, but the after the decay of the Yiddish Lower East Side after World War II, dozens of synagogues and other significant structures disappeared.
Angel Orensanz bought this venerable structure in 1986, first for his own studio, and then to make it again a beacon of education and culture in the city of New York.
