Please join us for the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative (LESPI) illustrated lecture, Mom & Pop Storefronts and the Art of Vernacular Design: NYC's Lower East Side and Chinatown

Wednesday, May 18, 2016 6:30-8:30 pm at the  Neighborhood Preservation Center 232 E 11th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues

Small mom-and-pop businesses are the very soul of the Lower East Side and Chinatown.  In the jostle of NYC's commercial “battlefield”, these establishments often compete with louder, brasher, and more exuberant storefront and storefront signage design, much of it a vernacular art.  The event features speakers Thomas Rinaldi, author of New York Neon, and James and Karla Murray, authors of  Store Front II: A History Preserved, New York Nights, and Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York.  Their beautifully illustrated lectures will explore the history and aesthetics of mom-and-pop signage and storefronts in these most iconic neighborhoods.  Signed copies of the authors’ books will be available for purchase.

General Admission: $12  LESPI members: $10  Tickets can be purchased here from nycharities.org The lectures will be followed by an informal reception.   Light refreshments will be served.  Contact info@LESPI-nyc.org or 347-827-1846 with any questions.