Posts Tagged ‘Metropolitan Museum of Art’

How to Celebrate the Year of the Ox in New York City

Lunar New Year begins on February 12 this year, continuing for two weeks through February 26. This year is the Year of the Ox signifying strength and honesty, characteristic attributed to this highly valued animal. The Lunar New Year is a festival of unity, a way for friends and family to come together whether virtually or in-person to enjoy traditions that will bring good fortune for the coming year. Traditional red lanterns, dragons, wishing trees, lion dances, and, of course, food, mark this important holiday. It’s a time when families celebrate the transition between zodiac signs.

On the Waterfront

Courtesy Westfield World Trade Center

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey celebrate Lunar New Year all week, in partnership with Westfield World Trade Center and the China Institute, with a weeklong series of activities at the World Trade Center. Instruction in virtual dumping making, watercolor calligraphy and paper cutting are highlights. Register online where you can also view the schedule of events. And, don’t forget to look up — the Oculus, Goethals Bridge, Bayonne Bridge and JFK Tower will shine in red and gold to commemorate the Year of the Ox.

Lunar Ice - Courtesy Brookfield Place

Brookfield Place is holding its annual Chinese New Year celebration in person, adapted this year to meet all safety procedures. On the shopping center’s Waterfront Plaza, Lunar Ice showcases ice sculptures by New York City-based art collective, Okamoto Studio on February 12 and 13. Turn your smartphone’s camera to selfie mode to use the new Transform Yourself! Instagram Filter, made especially to commemorate Chinese New Year. Warm up indoors where you can participate in another  Lunar Year tradition, receiving a red envelope. Red is regarded as the symbol of energy, happiness and good luck. If you spend $200 or more in the shops, you’ll be rewarded with a Lucky Red Envelope with a gift card inside with an amount including a lucky Chinese 8.

Virtual Celebrations

Lunar New Year Festival - Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art

A family favorite, The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Lunar New Year Festival goes virtual this year beginning with pre-recorded videos on February 12 and virtual programming on February 13. The celebration of the Year of the Ox is filled with performances, interactive activities and artist-led workshops for all ages.  Highlights include a sketching session for teens with inspiration from The Met Collection, and a dance and musical performance by the New York Korean Performing Arts Center in The Met’s Astor Court. Teaching artists will provide instruction in making a nature-inspired confetti popper, a zodiac animal charm and a puppet of a dragon, an important symbol in Chinese culture that possesses great power, dignity and wisdom.

Courtesy Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company

Music, dance and acrobatics are featured in Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company’s special production for the Chinese New Year.  The company, a favorite among New York and New Jersey audiences, presents a series of events online for a colorful and vibrant celebration on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, February 11, 12 and 13. Programming highlights the Company’s repertory along with special guests including the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York, the Renaissance Chinese Opera Society, toe tip acrobat Lina Liu, and Master Balancing Acrobat Yang XiaoDi. You won’t want to miss the spectacular Dragon Dance, Lion Dance and performances by two Chinese rappers.

Courtesy Watson Adventures

NYC-based Watson Adventures is hosting a virtual scavenger hunt for people to virtually celebrate New Year in Asia with Around the World Scavenger Hunt:  The Asia Pacific Game. After watching giant panda Xia Qi Ji frolicking in the snow this week at Washington, DC’s National Zoo, everyone will enjoy a look at these adorable animals in China’s Wolong Grove and more. The one-hour hunt is scheduled for Saturday, February 13 at 4pm for teams of 2-6 people.

What to Eat and Drink

Courtesy Mansa Tea

NYC’s Mansa Tea invites you to a traditional tea ceremony led by Ashley Lim, certified tea sommelier and company founder. According to Lim, enjoying tea re-affirms ties of kinship and friendship. Observed differently this year, you can enjoy this tasting event with your friends and families in a socially distanced setting. Tasting kits with a variety of aged teas are sent to your home in advance. If there’s a range of ages in your group, it’s traditional for tea to be served to the oldest person first who then passes it to the youngest.

Courtesy Baldor Specialty Foods

Making dumplings is a family tradition during Lunar New Year. Dumplings, like other foods chosen for the holiday, embody good fortune and family unity.  Baldor Specialty Foods has teamed up with NYC’s popular dumpling shop, Mimi Cheng’s to deliver a DIY dumpling kit with pork and chive filling, fresh pre-rolled thin dumpling skins, hand-rolled scallion packages, and a bottle of Mimi’s famous “secret” sauce.

Courtesy Milu

For a full Lunar Year culinary experience, Milu, the new casual Chinese concept from Eleven Madison Park, has arranged a Chinese feast for pick-up. Chef Connie Chung’s eight-dish dinner includes whole salt-baked black bass, shrimp spring rolls, wontons, sesame noodles, Chinese chicken soup, blood orange buns and more.

Soogil (c) Lily Brown

Lunar Year is important to Korean families as well. Eaten for good luck, Tteokguk is a beef broth based soup (guk) served with a thinly sliced rice cakes (tteok) as well as seasoned beef, julienned boiled eggs and seaweed. The rice cakes’ round shape resembles coins which symbolize wealth and prosperity in the coming year.  For the holiday, Soogil will include the soup with all tasting menu orders on February 11 and 12. If you’re in midtown, Yoon Haeundae Galbi invites you to enjoy it in their outdoor structure.

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
Print |  0 Comments

Outdoor and Indoor Museum Exhibits to See This Winter

While most entertainment is shut down in New York City, museums provide a welcome diversion that’s both socially distanced and enlightening. Two museums invite you to view their current feature installation from outdoors, free of charge. Four invite you in from the cold to view exhibits that will not last as long.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts

http://www.bronxmuseum.org

#SeeMeBronx

Through May 24

Bronx Museum of the Arts - Installation Image by Becca Guzzo

Celebrating the Bronx Museum of the Arts’ 50th anniversary, #SeeMeBronx is an interactive project about visibility, intersectionality and identity. Visitor participation is encouraged and all you need to do is write a question about any of the three topics on a sign and take a selfie of yourself with it. You then post your selfie and tag @bronxmuseum with the hashtag #seemebronx. The Museum creates a changing selection of submissions, which are then included on the installation on the outside of the museum.

The Jewish Museum

https://thejewishmuseum.org

“All the Stars in the Sky Have the Same Face”

Through February 2021

Lawerence Weiner, All the Stars Have the Same Face. The Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Liz Ligon.

On the museum’s Fifth Avenue façade, you’ll see the building-wide banner “All the Stars in the Sky Have the Same Face” by New York City artist Lawrence Weiner. The two-story red, white and blue banner imparts a plea for shared humanity. The banner was born out of Weiner’s many years of reading messages on walls all over New York and he views these walls, like the walls of the museum, as a canvas for communicating important messages. The sentence itself derives from a Yiddish saying that Weiner has reconceived in response to anti-Semitism, xenophobia and racism, writing the words in English, Hebrew and Arabic to emphasize inclusiveness.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

www.metmuseum.org

“About Time: Fashion and Duration”

Through February 7

The Metropolitan Museum of Art - About Time: Fashion and Duration

In a sleek serpentine display of black silhouettes, mirrors and a pendulum that ticks off the years and moments of a timeline, two rooms of paired designs show the influence of past creations on later ones. Each creation is displayed in black to emphasize comparability. Contrasts in shape, material and decoration are discussed with many earlier designs looking as fresh as their more recent counterparts. Designers include Cristóbal Balenciaga, Gabrielle Chanel, Christian Dior, Tom Ford, Hubert de Givenchy, Christian Dior, Gabrielle Chanel, Alexander McQueen and other fashion-world cognoscenti. Timed tickets are required, and tickets are limited.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

https://www.guggenheim.org

“Countryside, The Future”

Through February 15

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum - Countryside, The Future

Heavy on text and environmental and cultural references, “Countryside, The Future” lines the entire spiral of the museum, focusing on differences and evolutions in city and country living over the years. Even more relevant today than when the exhibit first opened in February 2020 (and then closed due to the pandemic), the contrasts of country concerns with the problems of the urban life spark a growing contemplation of our current situation. Whereas the movement to the country might have seemed to be gradual and remote, isolationist, or perhaps more of an environmental or political reactiveness last year, the outflow now holds extended relevance and invites closer reading of the dense texts that discuss the forces, ecosystems and other motivators to the present. The exhibit was organized by Dutch architect and theorist Rem Koolhaas with a team of researchers and was five years in the making.

MoMA The Museum of Modern Art

www.moma.org

“Handles”

Through February 2021

MoMA The Museum of Modern Art - Handles - Photo By: Dennis Doorly

“Handles,” a site-specific commission by Korean artist Haegue Yang for MoMA’s Marron Atrium, features six sculptures with a variety of geometries that combine with light and sound. As conceived by Yang, Handles are points of attachment and material catalysts for movement and change. Some clearly represent door handles, some move with tones of bells or rattles. A subtle background of bird sounds recorded in the DMZ between North and South Korea during the 2018 summit adds a haunting soundtrack. The effect is a sensory experience with mixed-in historical references.

Whitney Museum of American Arts

http://whitney.org/collections

“Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art, 1925-1945”

Through January. 31

Whitney Museum of American Arts - Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art, 1925-1945

A striking exhibit of three Mexican muralists alongside their American contemporaries, “Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art, 1925-1945” presents approximately 200 works by 60 artists. Pieces by Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros acknowledge the influence of these painters on art in the United States during the twenty-year period. Of particular note is the reproduction of Diego Rivera’s controversial mural “Man at the Crossroads” removed from Rockefeller Center due to the inclusion of Vladimir Lenin. Also mounted are never-before-shown sketches of this giant mural.

Much like the city that never sleeps, online never sleeps either, so you can tour these museums virtually as well.

Google Arts & Culture

This non-profit initiative by Google Arts & Culture is a compendium of NYC museums and cultural institutions around the world available 24/7 with virtual tours. https://artsandculture.google.com

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
Print |  0 Comments

Learning Vacations in Upstate New York

It’s vacation time and also a very good time to learn a new skill.  For Manhattanites, there is a wide range of options waiting within an easy drive or train ride from the city. As an added benefit, these learning holidays all take place in areas where the scenery will wow you with its unspoiled natural beauty.

Upstate New York’s craft traditions date back to Colonial times and its natural beauty is safeguarded by “Forever Wild” Forest Preserves and State Parks that cover an area greater than Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and Great Smokies national parks combined.

Here are some examples of learning vacations that will challenge you while allowing you to bring home a new skill:

  • Build a boat in wine country. Black Sheep Inn and Spa, in conjunction with the Finger Lakes Boating Museum, will offer a week-long boatbuilding class this summer. No experience is required, and students build a Bevin’s skiff to take home. Packages offering pottery, stained glass, glassblowing and jewelry workshops are also available.
  • The art of glass. In the Finger Lakes region, the Corning Museum of Glass offers glass-making programs for children and adults. Additionally, the Oatka School of Glass in Batavia in the Greater Niagara region offers classes in kiln-formed glass ranging from introductory two-hour Make+Fuse to advanced multi-day workshops.
  • Watercolor and more. Hudson River Valley Art Workshops at the Greenville Arms 1889 Inn in Greenville are offered in a variety of media for diverse skill levels. Whet your appetite by visiting Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s American Wing to see the Hudson River Valley School paintings.
  • Make a rustic headboard. Set in the Adirondack Mountain region of New York, the Adirondack Folk School in Lake Luzerne offers opportunities to build authentic Adirondack chairs and twig furniture as well as learn weaving, pottery, soap making and more. On tap year-round, classes range from half-day sessions to week-long courses. Most are tailored to adults.
  • Write a graphic novel or learn how to make a movie. At Chautauqua Institution, located in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region, workshops include film-making, creating graphic novels and more.
  • Awaken your spirit. Also in the Hudson Valley, the renowned Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY offers classes in dance, writing, music, crafts, and other creative arts.  Practice your downward-facing dog in one of their many yoga classes to help you unleash your inner creator.
  • Cook with a chef. The Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, NY, in the Hudson Valley offers CIA Boot Camp Cooking Vacations with expert chefs. Courses include two- to five-day specialized programs such as American Regional, Italian and Asian cuisine and a classic five-day Basic Training.
  • Make a wooden bucket. Novices and aficionados can apprentice for two days with skilled cooper at Genesee Country Village & Museum, a living 19th-century country village in the Finger Lakes region and take home their own crafted bucket. The living museum also offers classes in tinsmithing, blacksmithing and cheese-making.
  • Weave an Adirondack pack basket. Students can learn to weave a pack basket or door, notepad and other Adirondack-style baskets at the Thousand Islands Arts Center (home of the Hand Weaving Museum) in Clayton in the 1000 Islands region. The center also offers classes in pottery, jewelry making, painting and other fiber arts.
Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
Print |  0 Comments

Super Bowl Activities in New York City

If you haven’t been over to Times Square and Broadway yet, you’re in for a week of Super Bowl festivities.
Last night saw the testing of the New Jersey-New York Super Bowl Toboggan on Super Bowl Boulevard.

Superbowl ActivitiesA very chilly experience at 41st Street and Broadway. Broadway will be closed to cars from 47th Street to 34th Street so pedestrians can enjoy the shops, merriment and snacks amid the freezing temperatures. You can also register on-location for free access to the NFL Network, ESPN and FOX broadcast sets as well as the Vice Lombardi Trophy display.  Some of the fun activities: take a photo with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, receive free autographs from NFL players, kick a field goal through NFL uprights, ride the 60’ toboggan, and enjoy giveaways and snacks throughout.  Broadway between 47th and 34th streets, Manhattan. http://www.nfl.com/static/content/public/photo/2014/01/27/0ap2000000318290.pdf ; http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/48/events/boulevard

Other activities scheduled for the week are equally fun. Be sure to check out some of these.

Want some culture?  Madison Square Garden will have you calling out and dancing to the 15th Annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration led by Patti LaBelle, Mary Mary, Tamela Mann and the NFL Players Choir at 7:30pm on Friday, January 31 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.  Tickets start at $45.  4 Pennsylvania Plaza, Manhattan http://www.theateratmsg.com/events/2014/january/the-15th-annual-nfl-super-bowl-gospel-celebration.html

Our favorite cultural institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, shows off a more popular form of collection this week: the vintage football card collection of Jefferson R. Burdick.  Burdick, an electrician from Syracuse, NY, collected some 303,000 cards through 1963. On display are 150 football cards in an exhibit entitled “Gridiron Greats.” Through February 10.  1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, Manhattan. http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-museum/now-at-the-met/2014/highlights-of-gridiron-greats

If you’ve missed the football greats making guest appearances at Super Bowl Boulevard on Broadway, you’ll have another opportunity to meet a legend in person… in the Bronx. At the Bronx Terminal Market, former New York Giants running back and Super Bowl XXV MVP Ottis Anderson will do a meet-and-greet and sign autographs between 1pm and 2pm. From Noon-3pm, there will also be a free throwing clinic conducted by local college football players.  Other activities to be announced. “Touchdown at Bronx Terminal Market.” Saturday, February 1. 610 Exterior Street, Bronx. http://bronxterminalmarket.com/pages/events.aspx

If your child is too young for all this but still obsessed with sports, head back to Manhattan to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Here football takes over their myriad hands-on experiences with a play obstacle course, an instant-replay booth, and arts-and-crafts programs for kids to design their own referee flags, puppets and NFL coins.  “You Make the Call: Learn to be an NFL Official” exhibit. Through February 28. 212 West 83rd Street, Manhattan. http://www.cmom.org/

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
Print |  1 Comment

Where to See Art Outdoors This Summer

Artwork in New York City isn’t confined to cavernous interior museum spaces or sterile galleries filled with attitude and silence.  The city is filled with colorful installations in all neighborhoods.  Some even invite you to touch and play.

More on Where to See Art Outdoors This Summer

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
Print |  5 Comments

Part I: Museums and Noshing on the Upper East Side

Museum Mile on the Upper East Side is a destination unto itself.  You can literally walk for miles once you add your steps through all the wonderful galleries at the Met, the Whitney and Guggenheim, and that’s only a start.  Here are some of my favorites pit stops to refuel as you immerse yourself in NYC culture.  Watch next week for “where to eat” on the Upper West Side.  Remember, most museums are closed on Monday, so check the schedules carefully.

More on Part I: Museums and Noshing on the Upper East Side

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
Print |  11 Comments
« Older Entries

Planning a trip to NYC?