Plaque Unveiling at 27 Cooper Square

In the 1960s, this 1845 former rooming house became a laboratory for artistic, literary and political currents, including growing activism among African-American artists. Writers LeRoi and Hettie Jones, their Yugen magazine and Totem Press, musician Archie Shepp and painter Elizabeth Murray all had homes here. The vacant building was transformed into a vital hub of cultural life, attracting leading figures including those from the Beats and the world of jazz. It was also the childhood home of a second generation of East Village artists and thinkers.

In partnership with Two Boots Foundation, VP will salute 27 Cooper Square with a plaque commemorating this important history. A short ceremony will precede the plaque’s unveiling; speakers include Hettie Jones, who still lives at 27 Cooper Square.