We were lucky enough to convince Jim recently to take a break and sit down with us. Haha, as soon as we asked for a bit of his story he said “first of all I like to work.” Jim’s been working in carpentry and stone & tile work since he returned from the Vietnam War in 1973. Journeying out to California in 1975 he first started interacting with tile working for another veteran, breaking it up to be used in projects. He had seen seen temples in Vietnam that had cups, plates and things added to the walls but he didn’t start to notice the possibilities of tile until he was breaking up Italian tile for that job and using parts of tile flowers and other decoration. He became captivated by the precision of the art and it’s beauty stayed with him as he continued to work in California until he returned to New York in 1981.

As he readjusted to the East Coast and living in New York, he became bored by cab rides up and down Park Avenue. The streets were lacking a spark, filled with dull concrete and utilitarian light posts, and “it was very obvious that anything that could be added out there…would’ve been a benefit.” That’s when he remembered the beauty of tile and an idea came to him. He started messing around with tile on the walls of his apartment and workshop and doing some pieces for friends and clients. In 1985 Jim took his idea to the St. Mark’s Place and added a mix of stone sculpture and tile work around trees along almost two thirds of the block to add some joy to the street. Sadly, when he returned the Monday or Tuesday after Thanksgiving all the work was gone. The sanitation department had come through over the weekend and smashed it all, removing any trace of his work. But Jim was undeterred, rethinking how he placed his work and developing things that were not attached to the ground but instead located on seats, light poles, and planters.

And he’s been doing so ever since. Despite periods of homelessness and struggle, Jim has been tirelessly sharing his passion with the city and winning the hearts of tourists, locals, and businesses. When we built the new location of The Bean, we wanted it to reflect our love for the East Village and feel so fortunate to be able to partner with Jim and have him share his spirit with everyone who passes by or grabs a cup of coffee. If you see Jim and his crew as they finish up, take a few moments to say hi to him and his dog Jesse and you might be rewarded with some memories of the East village and his inspiration for the work living on our walls.