MOMA, MACIUNAS ETC.

As an ex-New Yorker I have experienced a Nostalgia attack for the last two
weeks.  Yep, I have lived in Chelsea, moved to SOHO before it was SOHO and
ran into George Maciunas looking for housing.  George to my knowledge or so
we thought, was a Cooper Union trained architect. He sold us a loft at l6
Greene St. The co-op rules were non-existant so they were culled from a
farmers co-operative.  If we were in the first or second co-op was always a
toss-up with 80 Wooster St.  Someone once told me that George ran into a bit
of bad luck before his death. That among his many freewheeling adventures he
went on a trip to some island and slept under a poisonous tree and became
blind.  What is the truth?                                    I was a member
of the SOHO Artists Association, which we coined out of South of Houston
Street.  We worked  on the legalization of SOHO and the Cast Iron Landmarks
status for the area.  I was also a member of Community Planning Board 2.
This past sundays front page article in the New York Times was a very
interesting interpretation  on zoning changes in NYC conducted in an
unauthorized way.  I always thought we had to move heaven and earth to get
our foot into the front door of loft living.                       As to
MOMA in the sixties, I thought it was the jazz concerts, happenings and the
theme shows (ie op art for instance) that brought fame/infamy to MOMA and
not the rich patrons.  But, then again, I was very young and probably naive.
Now that time has speed merrily along its way it is intereting to note that
some issues never change.  Thanks a lot guys.      Silvi Pruitt Lawrence