Bronx Balcony Dedicated to Mary by Eric Larson

Searching for and finding a religious artifact in New York City was a challenging and rewarding experience. In our daily lives we constantly come into contact with religion and religious objects. Searching for a religious artifact made me realize how many there are, both in New York City and the local Bronx neighborhood. The artifact that I am going to focus on, however, is a statue of Mary that is located on the balcony right above Howl at the Moon right here in the Bronx. This artifact is interesting to analyze both because of its religious meaning and the location of the object.

This statue of Mary is surrounded by several other religious objects, but the main focus of the space is Mary. Numerous times I have walked by this balcony seeing the statue of Mary, but I have never been compelled to stop and observe the balcony as a whole. This balcony does not draw your attention, due to its location, as there are several surrounding restaurants and bars that are focal points of the area. However, the balcony is well decorated, with pink flowers surrounding the edges and festive color lights that illuminate the space. The statue of Mary looks very similar to the images of Our Lady of Guadalupe that we observed earlier in the year. Mary is wearing blue and white robes and looking down with her hands together in a praying position. She is surrounded by Christmas lights and above her is a painting of outer space and the sun. Next to Mary there are a couple small statues and a painting that all appear to also be her.    

Mary and the rest of the objects on that balcony symbolize the feeling of safety and security that comes with religion. Many people in the United States and around the world, place religious objects around their houses to have “God watching over them and their family.” It is a sense of protection for many people as they believe that no matter what happens God and religion will be there for them to help them through the tough times. In addition, many people display their religion publicly to express their beliefs and the moral values that are associated with that faith. For this object it is located above a bar, Howl at the Moon, which depending on the situation, can be a dangerous place because fights can break out, people can drink too much, or a handful of other harmful activities can occur. By placing this object above the bar, it is symbolizing that the owner wants to keep the patrons of the bar safe from any of the harmful things that can occur when people are drinking. Furthermore, religion is a sign of safety and community, and by having this balcony decorated with religious objects it encourages people to come off the streets into the restaurant because of the perceived safeness of the bar.  Lastly, Our Lady of Guadalupe is an important religious symbol in Latin America, displaying it is a show of their commitment and pride to their religion and heritage.