Jeanne-Claude, known as much for her constant, nurturing presence at art and cultural events around New York as for the ambitious, ephemeral art projects she took on with her husband and constant companion, Christo, died today in Manhattan, the New York Times reports. She was 74. The cause of death was complications from a brain aneurysm, her family told the Associated Press.

"Christo is deeply saddened by the passing of his wife, partner and collaborator," a statement on the couple's Web site read, "and is committed to honor the promise they made to each other many years ago: The art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude will continue."

"Christo is dedicated to completing their current works in progress: Over The River, Project for the Arkansas River, State of Colorado, and The Mastaba, Project for the United Arab Emirates, as Jeanne-Claude would wish."

Born Jeanne-Claude Danat de Guillebon in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1935, Jeanne-Claude, as she is universally known, attended school in France and Switzerland, earning a degree in Latin and Philosophy from the University of Tunis in 1952.

When she met Christo Javacheff, a Bulgarian refugee, in Paris in 1958, he was already wrapping small objects, according to the Times, and she was engaged to another man, who she would eventually marry and then leave right after the honeymoon. She and Christo had a son, Cyril, shortly thereafter. The pair, which shared a birthday (June 13, 1935) collaborated on their first project, wrapping oil drums and rolls of industrial paper in tarpaulin, in Cologne, Germany, three years later, launching a collaborative career that would last more than five decades.

Until 1994, the pair worked under the name Christo, only then officially changing the name to "the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude."

In New York the pair is most discussed for their ambitious 2005 project The Gates, which installed 7,503 vinyl structures draped with "saffron" fabric quite close in color to Jeanne-Claude's characteristically bright hair, along 23 miles worth of paths in Central Park in the cold gray depths of February.

But their work also extended to Berlin, where they famously wrapped the Reichstag in fabric in 1995, created a lasting symbol of Germany's conflicted history, and beyond, to places like Japan, where they installed The Umbrellas in 1991.

The couple have been criticized both for the possible environmental impacts of their work and the high production costs, which could extend well into the millions of dollars. But they raised the costs of each project themselves, usually by the sale of preparatory drawings and other materials. And, as in the case of The Gates, which reportedly drew more than a million viewers in its 15-day run, their work could have strong economic impact on its location.

Some projects took many years to be implemented, both because of fundraising and obtaining necessary permits and permissions. Wrapped Reichstag, for example, was conceived in 1971.

As-yet unrealized endeavors include Over the River, which would hang six miles of translucent fabric panels over a 34-mile stretch of the Arkansas River in Colorado. The project, like many of the couple's endeavors, has met with criticism from local residents; final approval is expected in 2011. Installation would occur in 2013.