'The Gates' Go Up in NYC's Central Park

February 12,2005

Twenty-six years in the making, the Gates debuted on February 12, 2005. The largest artwork since the Sphinx, it consisted of 7,503 curtained stanchions lining 23 miles of pedestrian paths in New York City's Central Park. Not everyone was a fan; one critic likened the 'gates' to 'cheap-looking shower curtains on frames.' The whole affair, which remained in place until February 27, was dreamed up by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude.