by David Gura

Jeanne-Claude and Christo.
Enlarge Jonathan Fickies/Getty Images

Installation artists Jeanne-Claude and Christo, in New York City last year.

Jeanne-Claude and Christo.
Jonathan Fickies/Getty Images

Installation artists Jeanne-Claude and Christo, in New York City last year.

Alas, I was out of the country in 2005, when artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude installed "The Gates" — all 7,503 of them — in Central Park, in New York City.

I remember the photographs — of workers installing them, of Michael Bloomberg unfurling the first piece of saffron-colored fabric. There were critics, of course, who thought that the project would look strange, that it was a waste of money. I thought it looked awesome.

A few minutes ago, I learned that Jeanne-Claude passed away today, after a ruptured brain aneurysm. What a loss.