Jim Power and the Mosaic Trail

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(Music by Steve Gunn, Barry London, C.J. Boyd, Lineland)

Jim Power, also known as the Mosaic Man, has been adorning the lampposts of New York City’s East Village for almost thirty years. After giving up his union carpenter job, Jim began beautifying the once rough and tumble neighborhood, supported solely by the donations he received on the streets. His work eventually came to be known as the Mosaic Trail — eighty lampposts covered in mosaics representing significant areas and people of the East Village.

In the ’90s, the Giuliani administration tore down fifty of the lamp posts. Ever since, Jim has been on a mission to rebuild the trail. It hasn’t been easy. Jim has been homeless for over twenty five years, but the neighborhood has come together to support him. A local landlord donated a studio space, friends help with the mosaic works, and he now has a website and an Etsy shop.

Jim’s not out for fame. He makes his art for the community that he loves and that loves him so dearly in return.

To learn more about Jim Power, visit his website.

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