In deciding the events of this course, I worked with the mindset of trying to show my students as wide an array of disciplines of art as possible while sticking to the centerpieces of New York’s artistic scene. In terms of the latter, I chose events at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Metropolitan Opera – with a behind the scenes look at how an opera is made – a musical performance at Carnegie Hall, and the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway to begin the semester. These classics will open the students’ eyes and minds up to the basics of what the arts in New York City has to offer. “Club 57: Film, Performance, and Art in the East Village, 1978–1983” at the Museum of Modern Art serves as a counter to these, offering a glimpse into many alternative art forms which exist on a much smaller, but very abundant, scale in New York. In curating this curriculum, I had another specific goal in mind: I want the students to be aware of the social and political questions and concerns which surround the arts, sharpen their critical thinking skills and become active participants in discussions of successful analysis of the arts and their various meanings. I chose “Renaissance: An Interactive Concert” at the New York Philharmonic, “The Body: Fashion and Physique” at The Museum at FIT, and “Beyond Suffrage: A Century of Women in NY Politics” at The Museum of the City of New York which all deal with questions of how to receive and interpret art and how it relates to politics and larger ideas which affect all of society. My hope is that students will walk away from this course having had a taste of many different art forms – theater, opera, music, fashion, visual art – with a newfound understanding and appreciation for the production and meaning behind the arts of New York City.
Wednesday, February 7
“Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer,” Metropolitan Museum of Art – Class Time
I decided to kick off the class with a classic gem of New York’s art scene. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one the world’s landmark sites for many different types of art. I think it is imperative for students who are being offered a glimpse of what art New York City has to offer to come to this cultural center. Regarding this specific exhibit, Michelangelo is one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance. It will offer students both a glimpse into one of the largest art museums in New York and one of the greatest artists in history. Admission the Metropolitan Museum of Art is free with a CUNY ID.
Review: Michelangelo at The Met
Tuesday, February 20
Metropolitan Opera Backstage Tour – 3pm
While the norm is to simply enjoy the arts in their final form, I want to show the students the effort it takes to produce what they see. This information should allow for a greater appreciation for the arts and allow them to consider a career in the arts. This tour shows “what it takes to make operatic magic at the Met!” with visits to where the sets are created, rehearsal and dressing rooms, and stage area1. It will take place a day before the class goes to the Opera! This event will cost $20 per student.
The Subjective Experience of Opera
1. https://www.metguild.org/guild/BackstageTours/BackstageToursDisplay.aspx
Wednesday, February 21
La Bohème, Metropolitan Opera – 7:30pm
With the behind-the-scenes look at the production of an opera at the Met fresh in their 
minds, the students will see the classic La Bohème. I chose this show for several reasons. For one, it is by Giacomo Puccini, the legendary opera composer who also penned Madama Butterfly, which my seminar one class saw together, so the show should be more approachable for me. Opera will almost certainly be the newest art form to the class, and so I want to be able to walk the students through the experience. Secondly, La Bohème is an absolute classic; it has been performed at The Met over 1,200 times, more than any other opera2. Students will enjoy a look at one of the most traditional art forms still alive in New York, a chance they probably would not have otherwise. It will expose them to powerful music and masterful choreography, which are both major components of what New York has to offer artistically.
2. http://www.metopera.org/Season/2017-18-Season/boheme-puccini-tickets/
Tuesday, February 27
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Carnegie Hall – 8:00pm
Carnegie Hall was founded in the late 19th century and was one of the first world-renowned institutions in the city. It began the revolution in New York that changed it from just a business center to a cultural hub. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra will play music by Philip Glass, one of the most prolific and celebrated musical composers of our time. I think a class focused on the arts in New York City should experience this musical sanctum to bear witness to the roots of the arts in New York City. Students will come away with a greater appreciation for music and the history of the arts scene in New York. This event will cost $12.50 per student.
Event Overview: Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
Tuesday, March 13
Phantom of the Opera, Majestic Theatre – 7pm
What is a class about the arts of New York City without a trip to Broadway? A staple of Manhattan’s cultural life, Broadway is home to a level of theater unmatched anywhere else in the world. Now approaching its 30th year, after having won 70 major theater awards, The Phantom of the Opera is a longstanding exemplar of classic Broadway musical theater. I think it offers a perfect glimpse into what a Broadway production looks and feels like, and hope that students who appreciate the show will begin or expound upon a love for theater. This event will cost $29 per student.
The Phantom of the Opera: Prep for the Show
Monday, March 19
“Renaissance: An Interactive Concert,” New York Philharmonic – 7:30pm
This event by the New York Philharmonic demonstrates their “approach to education and how participation deepens the musical experience,” and imparts “how listeners of all ages can respond to great works in their own ways.”3 I think this event is key to new students of the arts. Sometimes an event such as a musical performance or dance can seem too abstract or other-worldly for the modern student to feel connected to it. I hope this important show will open the eyes of the students to what they can get out of any great piece of art. Having been to many different events at this point, my students will have sufficient experience so that they can ponder what they have seen and learned. This event is free.
3. Event Overview: Renaissance An Interactive Concert
Wednesday, April 4
“Club 57: Film, Performance, and Art in the East Village, 1978–1983,” MoMA – Class Time
Club 57, which was open from 1978-1983, was a venue which showcased a wide range of art forms: film, music, fashion, visual art, and new experimental modes. This exhibit at the Museum of the Modern Art examines its history and how it “became a model for a new spirit of interdisciplinary endeavor”4. I think this should be interesting to each and every one of the students, since it touches on many different art forms. Additionally, it will offer something alternative and different when compared to the more classic events they will have attended prior to this (opera, Broadway, Philharmonic), which is key to understanding the nature of the arts in New York, which ranges from the grandiose and traditionally classic to the humble and eclectic. Admission to MoMA is free with a CUNY ID.
4. https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/3824
Wednesday, April 18
“The Body: Fashion and Physique,” The Museum at FIT – Class Time
Fashion is an oft-overlooked aspect of the New York arts scene, despite New York being one of the fashion capitals of the world. This exhibit offers a look at the history of fashion in relation to socially constructed ideal body forms, and “examines the relationship between fashion and body politics.”5 I think it offers students a glimpse into the great world of fashion in New York and opens their minds to the politics behind fashion, and, more broadly, how politics and the arts often are intertwined. Admission to The Museum at FIT is free with a CUNY ID.
Politics and Fashion in Modern Times
5. http://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/exhibitions/the-body-fashion-physique.php
Wednesday, May 2
“Beyond Suffrage: A Century of Women in NY Politics,” Museum of the City of NY – Class Time
This exhibit surveys the role of women in regard to politics in New York and beyond throughout the 20th century6. I chose this topic, with its starkly political content, because I believe it is important for students to realize the effect art has on politics, both in retrospective terms and in terms of changing the present and future. Students should walk away with a better understanding of a very prevalent political topic of the past century and how art can be used as a lens through which to view and affect history. Admission to the Museum of the City of New York is free with a CUNY ID.
Nice planning, Yoni. I like the idea of a backstage tour of the Met before attending the opera. Thanks for the excellent citations, too. And I plan on including a visit to Carnegie Hall the next time I teach this seminar–hopefully Philip Glass’s music will be on the program. There’s an interesting historical bent to the events you’ve chosen as well, which gives this a particular depth. Nicely done.