New York City Arts Round-Up #2

I have often wondered, as I wandered around many an art gallery’s modern art wing, how it was that curators of exhibitions could tell which way was the right way to hang paintings that had no obvious clues to their orientation. Should they be hung vertically or horizontally? In the video embedded below, MoMA curator Sarah Meister and master framer Peter Perez analyze several photographs by Brazilian artist Gertrudes Altschul to determine how they should be oriented for the upcoming exhibition Making Space: Women Artists and Postwar Abstraction.

The exhibition (April 15—August13, 2017), shines a spotlight on the stunning achievements of women artists between the end of World War Two (1945), and the start of the Feminist movement (around 1968). Learn more here.

For MoMA’s latest videos, and invitations to live events Subscribe here…
Explore MoMA’s collection online…
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Judith Leiber: Crafting a New York Story

Now through August 6, 2017

Museum of Arts and Design

2 Columbus Circle, Manhattan.

Judith Leiber’s jeweled, embellished and patterned clutches are the subject of this exhibition, which highlights Leiber’s skillfully crafted handbags. These works of art are influenced by both art deco style and techniques Leiber learned in Europe. Her bags are known for their boundary-pushing qualities from Swarovski crystal–covered pieces to those made with fabrics and material from India, Asia and Africa. Read more here…

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The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s

Now through August 20, 2017

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

2 E. 91st St., Manhattan.

In the 1920s American style of dress came to define the jazz era. This is the first major museum exhibition to focus on American taste during the creative explosion of the 1920s. The Jazz Age will be a multi-media experience of more than 400  examples of interior design, industrial design, decorative art, jewelry, fashion, architecture, music, and film. Giving full expression to the decade’s diversity and dynamism, The Jazz Age will define the American spirit of the period. Read more here…

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Storming the Gate (detail). Elizabeth Mateer and Alexander Peters

Dancers Among Us: A Celebration Of Joy In The Everyday

Now through May 5, 2017. Free to attend.
Brookfield Place, Level 2.

230 Vesey Street, Manhattan.

Jordan Matter’s Dancers Among Us presents one thrilling photograph after another of dancers leaping, spinning, lifting, kicking—but in the midst of daily life: on the beach, at a construction site, in a library, a restaurant, a park. With each image the viewer feels buoyed up, eager to see the next bit of magic. Organized around themes of work, play, love, exploration, dreaming, and more, Dancers Among Us celebrates life in a way that’s fresh, surprising, original, universal. There’s no photoshopping here, no trampolines, no gimmicks, no tricks. Just a photographer, his vision, and the serendipity of what happens when the shutter clicks. The exhibition at Brookfield Place (230 Vesey Shops, 2nd level) features twenty large-scale aluminum and vinyl prints, and an incredible video compilation of behind-the-scenes film.

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Not Only — But Also…

Best April Events in New York City From NYCGO

Along with the first real taste of spring, April in New York City means the return of Mets and Yankees baseball, the Tribeca Film Festival and premieres courtesy of Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Hispanico and the New York City Ballet. New art exhibitions celebrate the photography of Irving Penn and Henri Cartier-Bresson and the colorful blown-glass creations of Dale Chihuly. For details on these happenings and many more, read on…

More April Events From the Village Voice

Since it is impossible for one website to list every conceivable event in New York City, here are more listings from the Village Voice… 

New York Times Op-Docs: 10 Meter Tower

Photo: Screenshot from the film

Would you jump? Or would you chicken out? Good questions. This short film by Maximilien Van Aertryck and Axel Danielson (documentary filmmakers based in Gothenburg, Sweden), offers a fascinating glimpse into human behaviour, when a group of people are challenged—and who challenge themselves—to jump from a ten metre swimming pool tower into the water below. Filmed with six cameras and several microphones, all of which can be clearly seen in the footage, the film captures the participants as they voice doubts to themselves and in some cases to friends who have joined them on the tower. Aertryck and Danielson say:

Our objective in making this film was something of a psychology experiment: We sought to capture people facing a difficult situation, to make a portrait of humans in doubt. We’ve all seen actors playing doubt in fiction films, but we have few true images of the feeling in documentaries. To make them, we decided to put people in a situation powerful enough not to need any classic narrative framework. A high dive seemed like the perfect scenario.

Through an online advertisement, the filmmakers found 67 people, none of whom had ever been on a 10-meter (about 33 feet) diving tower before, and had never jumped from that height. Participants, who ranged in age from late teens to late 60s, were paid the equivalent of $30 to participate — which meant they had to at least climb up to the diving board and walking to its edge. Jumping from the tower was not a requirement of the project.

In our films, which we often call studies, we want to portray human behavior, rather than tell our own stories about it. We hope the result is a series of meaningful references, in the form of moving images. “Ten Meter Tower” may take place in Sweden, but we think it elucidates something essentially human, that transcends culture and origins. Overcoming our most cautious impulses with bravery unites all humankind. It’s something that has shaped us through the ages.

Reading through the comments from people who had watched the film makes for an interesting study in human behaviour of a different sort:

Cynthia New Hampshire > I loved this! Absolutely riveting. I could feel my own anxiety mounting as I internalized their anguish. Not only is this an observation of human trepidation but it's an exercise in empathy. By the end, I felt wrung out!

ronnie.and.peter victoria bc > i did it one time only, when i was 13 yrs old, and I am 64 now. It remains one of my most searing memories.

Then of course, there are those who think that just because they may have jumped into water from a great height, everyone else should be able to do so as well. The implication being that if you can’t you are some sort of wimp.

Laurie Cheshire CT > Have none of you cliff dived as a kid? jumping into a pool with no obstacle sticking out is a piece of cake!

Bill Daub NJ > Of course I would jump! Where do I go to try it? People do this all the time with great form and beauty,

Oh, and for the record, I have never jumped from a three metre tower let alone a ten metre one. Would I do so? I will never know unless I try, and at this stage in my life—I have no intention of trying!

Ten Meter Tower appeared at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. It is part of a series produced by independent filmmakers who have received support from the nonprofit Sundance Institute. Maximilien Van Aertryck and Axel Danielson are documentary filmmakers based in Gothenburg, Sweden, who have worked together since 2013.

Op-Docs is a forum for short, opinionated documentaries, produced with creative latitude by independent filmmakers and artists. You can see more films in the Op-Docs series here at the New York Times website.

Of All The Books In The World...

"Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport."

New York City Round-Up #3

NYCGO.COM Releases Official Guide to Spring 2017

New York City’s official website has just released its Official Guide to Spring in New York. This 254 page pocket guide to the city has pretty much everything you need to get you through a long, or short stay in the Big Apple.

The guide is divided into numerous sections. After in introductory section focusing on the city’s five boroughs; The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, there is a roundup of Must-See attractions, Fast Facts, Calendar & Free Events, and This is New York City.

From there the guide provides valuable information on Transportation, Hotels, Shopping, Sightseeing & Tours, Arts & Culture, Museums & Galleries, Dining, Nightlife, Sports & Wellness, and finally, Services. Of course, the obligatory map of the New York subway system is also included. All in all it is a great resource, especially for first-time visitors to the city, and I’m sure visitors returning for their second or third trip will also find the guide useful.

You can download the New York City Guide as a free PDF (24.5Mb), here, or you can order print copies of the guide here.

Watercolor of Collect Pond by Archibald Robinson, 1798,
via Wikimedia Commons

Artifacts From Foley Square

Razi Syed, writing for Our Town Downtown, has an interesting article about some of the historical artefacts unearthed at Foley Square, which was once the heart of the notorious Five Points section of Lower Manhattan, and one of the most poorest and most dangerous neighbourhoods in New York City.

Five Points was built upon the remains of Collect Pond, which provided much of Manhattan’s water until the early 18th century.

“It was this gorgeous, freshwater pond that we jokingly call ‘The Hamptons of 17th century New Amsterdam.’” said Seth Kamil, who runs Big Onion Walking Tours, which provides tours of the city’s historic districts and ethnic neighborhoods. “There were farms and summer cottages.

“It was this 60-foot deep lake, and then it was drained and became Five Points,” Kamil said.

By the late 1800s, the city acquired and razed many of Five Points’ worst buildings. Urban planning resulted in the construction of city, state and federal buildings over the early to mid-1900s.

Read the full article here…

Tony Danza Laments Closure of UWS Starbucks

Holy Moly! I have heard about the sky-high rents that people living in New York City have to pay for apartments that are often so small they would have trouble storing Kim Kardashian’s shoe collection!

However, when I saw a story in the West Side Rag about an Upper West Side Starbucks outlet that had moved due to a rent increase, I was gobsmacked by the monthly rent being demanded by the landlord. Here’s the opening part of the story:

Upper West Sider Tony Danza called into WNYC on Friday to speak to the mayor about all the mom and pops that have been closing in the neighborhood. And he mentioned one particular store that’s not a mom and pop — the Starbucks on 67th and Columbus that closed last year when the landlord hiked the rent to $140,550 a month.

No, that is not a misprint. That figure again: $140,550 each and every month, until the landlord feels he can get away with raising the rent even further. Man! That’s a hell of a lot of Decaf Cappuccino’s, Skinny Latte’s and Espresso Macchiato’s needing to be sold each month. And that’s just to cover the rent, add to that wages, restocking, insurance, and much more, and it’s a wonder that anyone is able to open a business in New York let alone keep it up and running for many years. Read the full story here…

5 Tips for Your Next Visit to Central Park

Douglas Blonsky has been a Central Park regular for more than 30 years. In addition to being an Upper East Side resident who walks in the Park every morning (and often many more times throughout the day), he is also the Conservancy’s President and CEO and the Central Park Administrator. That means he oversees all aspects of park maintenance, operations, and management.

In his 32 years at the Conservancy, Doug has helped transform Central Park from an area of neglect to a beautiful and beloved refuge in the heart of Manhattan. In the process, he has become an expert on the Park which makes him the perfect person to share a few tips for ensuring a memorable visit to Central Park.

1. Don’t let the cold keep you inside 

2. It’s the people who make the Park

3. Make sure to allow for a little wandering

4. Take advantage of events in the Park

5. Find some time for yourself

Read the full post here…

West Side Rag Weekly Events

The West Side Rag publishes a weekly list of each week's forthcoming events running Monday through Sunday that is always worth keeping an eye on if you live, or are staying in that part of Manhattan.

New York City On My Mind

Regular readers of this blog might have noticed a preponderance for posts about America in general, and New York City in particular. I make no excuses for this. I have an abiding interest in that country, and after four extended stays in New York City totalling eight months, I am not done with the city or the country yet. In fact, I am returning to New York once again from mid-June, where I will spend the better part of ten weeks, and if I can’t tear myself away from the city for a couple of weeks, I will end up spending a full twelve weeks in the city this Northern summer.

With a little more than two months before I jet off to New York, you can be sure I am undertaking plenty of research into possible events and activities taking place across the five boroughs. It has always been my practise to pre-purchase tickets to special events well before my arrival in the city I will be spending the most time in. This ensures that I don’t miss out on concert and theatre tickets for performers or shows I particularly want to see. 

For example I have already bought a ticket to see Dweezil Zappa, the son of the great Frank Zappa at City Winery in mid-July. I am also waiting for bookings to open this week for a series of gigs by Michelle Shocked—also at City Winery. The Dweezil Zappa show sold out weeks ago, and I fully expect all three Michelle Shocked gigs to quickly sell out as well, so pre-purchasing tickets makes a lot of sense—or to use popular vernacular: it’s a no-brainer.

Speaking of gigs, it is also my practise to keep a ‘watching brief’ on the websites of a dozen or so favourite acts, to see if they will be performing in New York City (or near by), during my stay. Again, the point is to try and make sure I get my tickets well before I land in the city. Another benefit of doing this is that it helps to spread the cost of the trip over a much longer period, which I also find helpful.

As for pre-booking Broadway shows, this is another no-brainer. With tickets to the most popular shows often being harder to find than teeth in a chicken (the current must see show, Hamilton being a case in point), getting tickets well before the performance date is essential.

Of course, for a long stay like the one I am looking forward to, it is foolhardy to try and preplan too many events and activities. Half the fun of undertaking an extended trip is keeping your options open so as to take advantage of the unexpected, and the unplanned. And in a city the size of New York City you can pretty much guarantee there will be plenty of both.

Oh, and speaking of Hamilton, did I mention (No, Jim, you did not), that currently the cheapest priced tickets are selling for USD$441.00, while tickets for cashed up theatregoers can be had for anything up to USD$3,150.00.

Yes, that really is three-thousand-one-hundred-and-fifty-dollars! And no, I won’t be going to see Hamilton anytime soon. I think I’ll just wait for the movie.

More information

City Winery…

Dweezil Zappa…

Michelle Shocked…

Summer in South Australia

The latest online newsletter from Inside South Australia carried a great story about a local videographer, Elliot Grafton and his latest video which is fast becoming a big hit. At just four minutes in length, Elliot captures some stunning footage highlighting the joys of summer in my home state.

In the piece, Lana Guineay writes:

      “Fun, adventurous, and crazy beautiful!” That’s how 21-year-old videographer Elliot Grafton describes South Australia – and it’s an apt description for his video which has taken off on social media this week.

      The stunning footage captures a summer spent exploring South Australia, and has received an “overwhelming” response online.

      “It’s a bit crazy,” says Elliot. “Of all my videos, this one has gained so much attention – it’s been great seeing South Aussies really get into it, and say they want to get out there and explore.”

The footage just goes to show how much can be done with new photographic technology such as lightweight drones, tiny GoPro cameras, and Digital SLR cameras. Elliott says he wanted to show a different side of his home state, to locals and further afield.

      “Over the last few years I’ve heard people say things like South Australia is boring and there is nothing to do. That’s not what my friends and I thought.

      “I love it here and wanted people to see how beautiful it really is. Growing up, my family has always taken me on adventures, whether that’s camping or out on the boat. Then I found my love of videography, and realised it’s a great chance to show a different side of the state. This video showcases the things that my friends and I love to do in our spare time, we are so lucky to live in such an amazing state. Get off your phone and get outside, explore what’s out there!”

You can see Elliot’s breath-taking video below. Make sure you hit the 'full screen' icon to watch it in all its glory.