Where are those street artists in lower Manhattan who make children's nameplates?

December 12, 2008 5:09 AM

Manhattan street artist filter: If you frequent lower Manhattan, have you ever seen the artists who create colorful, illustrated nameplates for children on the spot? Please tell me where you have seen them working in recent weeks.

I have one for my two older children, but have not gotten one for my youngest child. I would like to present them as a set, so I need one more.

The finished piece of art is severely rectangular, about 8 by 28 inches. The artists appeared to use pieces of cardboard dipped in an oil paint or similar medium, and used the cardboard as their "brush." One has letters built of dolphins, the other is decorated with pandas and flowers. They cost $15-$20.

I have a person in NYC who will get the piece for me and send it on. But they have not spotted these artists working in the time they have devoted to the search. All the artists I saw working in this fashion were Asian men and women, but it might have caught on with others.

If you have seen these artists at work recently, please say where and at what hour? Thank you, MeFi.

posted by sacre_bleu to media & arts (11 answers total)

almost always during the day at touristy spots, namely Battery Park where people are coming to catch the ferry for the Statue of Liberty, and Central Park South on the sidewalk along 59th.
posted by agentwills at 6:42 AM on December 12, 2008

I work downtown, but I usually see these guys in Times Square and along Central Park South.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:07 AM on December 12, 2008

Agreed, tons of them in Times Square area. Any touristy spots, really. I don't recall seeing them anywhere downtown, like Union Square, except for Battery Park as agentwills mentioned.
posted by rachaelfaith at 7:51 AM on December 12, 2008

Check outside the Met. There is usually a long line of vendors around there.
posted by GilloD at 8:04 AM on December 12, 2008

There's always one of these guys on Prince Street just west of Broadway in SoHo. And I'm pretty sure I've seen them on Broadway a few blocks south of that, too, around Pearl River. I wouldn't go near that area at this time of year though, it'll be completely insane with tourists and shoppers.
posted by bcwinters at 8:19 AM on December 12, 2008

They're also almost always in Chinatown, near the intersection of Mott & Bayard.
posted by milarepa at 8:46 AM on December 12, 2008

what bcwinters said.
posted by cestmoi15 at 9:14 AM on December 12, 2008

Oh, and this time of year there are also tons of really cute, cheap finger puppets there too. I always pick some up for the kids on my list.
posted by cestmoi15 at 9:15 AM on December 12, 2008

FWIW, I've seen these artists in a number of cities, including San Francisco and Chicago.
posted by radioamy at 11:14 AM on December 12, 2008

They are everywhere: Columbus Circle, near the Plaza, Union Square and always for sure definitely outside the Met and in Times Square. (I'd go to the Met personally because there is usually a line of artists outside the museums and you can pick which you like best.) I'm glad you are throwing them some business - I always feel bad because they seem to all be Chinese artists with some real talent stuck doing this and I never see people buying from them.
posted by CunningLinguist at 11:47 AM on December 12, 2008

My associate scored a dinosaur-themed nameplate along Central Park South. Thanks, folks.
posted by sacre_bleu at 7:47 PM on December 12, 2008