Broadway Malls

Located in the center median of Broadway, just north of 106th Street, this abstract sculpture, made of intersecting welded steel sections with jagged and straight edges, is by artist Cheri Trednari. Selected from over 20 candidates in a design competition sponsored by Art for Our Sake, this artwork was dedicated in 1983 to world-renowned jazz musician and composer Duke Ellington.

Ellington (1899-1974), a Washington, D.C. native, moved to New York City in 1923 and lived on 106th Street. Ellington achieved national prominence when his Cotton Club nightclub shows were broadcast on the radio station WHN in the 1920s and 30s. He created over 2,000 compositions, in various musical styles, and performed annual concerts at Carnegie Hall throughout his life. Ellington is also honored with the Duke Ellington Memorial, sculpted by Robert Graham and unveiled in 1997 at the northeast corner of Central Park.

Installed in 1983, Number 11 Perspectives is on long-term loan to the City, and was commissioned by the non-profit organization Art For Our Sake, which promoted and sponsored rotating exhibits of contemporary art on the Broadway Malls in the 1980s.