Author: abhayvirsingh

‘Tis the Season: A Community Arts Paper

abhayvirsingh

Large snowflakes illuminate every avenue and turnpike. Mistletoe and wreaths hang outside every shop. People decorate their homes with elegance and joy. The aroma of hot chocolate battles the searing cold air. These are just some of the sights of the holiday season that we are so privileged to experience and take part in every year. But the sight that makes this season a communal holiday season is the joy that is in the air. People are off from work, are going on vacation, taking advantages of the sales, or are most importantly relaxing and getting together with family and friends. People are out and about. This makes it a community art. There is art on the external for our eyes to see, but there’s also art in the internal during this season. People find joy in relaxing after a year’s worth of hard work. As they look forward to the new year, they spend time with those that are close to their heart. This time of the year is not limited to anyone, rather is open for everyone to take part in. This is why I chose this as a community art. What better an art than one that brings internal joy?

Although I don’t have any past relationships with the religious holidays traditionally celebrated in this season, the beauty of the holidays in present day is that I don’t need to have one in order to participate. To me, to take part in the holiday season is to be happy and appreciate life. The year is approaching the end, giving people time for introspection in order to set new and better hopes for the coming year, hence new year resolutions. We all have things that we are proud of and ones that we regret. The new year, in our minds, is a new start with the slate wiped clean. Thus, in the most basic element, the holiday season is one belonging to all humans. One can be working for an institution that causes him/her to live away from family, so for them the holidays might mean going on vacation to visit family back at home. One can be traveling to a new place alongside a loved one. One can be, again, simply gathering with those close by, free from the constraints of time. One can be celebrating the birth of Christ, or can be observing Hanukah. To me, there are no outsiders in this time of the year. The inclusiveness of the time is what makes it as joyful as it is.

My encounter with the holiday markets of this season was not a planned one, but one that, joyful nonetheless, occured prematurely. I was headed out of the Macaulay Honors College’s STEAM Festival and towards the trains at Columbus Circle when I saw masses of people crossing the street towards what appeared to be a holiday market. The market had encompassed the entirety of Columbus Circle and seemed to fit in perfectly with the neighboring Central Park. The market itself was delightful. Items varying from ceramics to chocolates were present. In just the first aisle of stalls, I saw lights, lamps, hot chocolate, scented candles, and skin products. There were also many clothing items, including sweaters, scarves, and mittens. The items were not items expected from the concept of a traditional holiday market that we have formed in our minds. I didn’t notice any Santa Claus hats or ugly Christmas sweaters. Rather I saw an Asian-style ceiling lights and lamps stall that made me feel like, for a brief instance, as if I were in Chinatown! As a result of such efforts of inclusiveness, the atmosphere was more open and accepting. I didn’t realize at the start, but the people next to me could have been from anywhere in the world. I overheard a group of people introducing themselves to another, with the former group coming on vacation to New York City from Alabama. Although my first thought of Alabama was Roy Moore, it was comforting to see people communicating with someone they wouldn’t normally communicate with. For me, this was the essence of the holiday season. People coming together in a spirit of humanity and mankind, common to us all, regardless of faith and culture.

Another aspect of the holiday market that intrigued me was the concept of the stalls. There weren’t any big companies or brands selling the products there. All the vendors appeared to be small businesses that specialized in the products that they bought to sell. How nice is that? Having lived in New York City my entire life, it’s heard to escape the big and recognizable brands and their logos. At the market, the small business vendors contributed to the essential atmosphere of the holiday season, an atmosphere of intimacy. The vendors specialized in the products they were selling. Knowing that, I had a greater appreciation for not only the product but for the small brands as well. I have yet to find better chocolate than Lindt and Godiva, with Lindt ranking above Godiva, but the chocolate at the market tasted surprisingly similar. The hot chocolate, also from an unrecognizable brand, was better than any I’ve gotten from Starbucks. This compelled me to think, was I eating the Godiva chocolate because I liked it or simply because of the brand?

As soon as I entered the market, the big sign with “Holiday” written largely across it stood out to me. Ironically, the next day I saw an interesting social media post of a friend at a holiday market in Birmingham, England. A striking difference stood out to me at once. Instead of “holiday” market, in the pictures of the post, I saw “Christmas” market written largely across the signs. This stuck with me, so I decided to look into it. To my surprise, New York City is the only place where the term “holiday” market is commonly used. Elsewhere, especially, Europe, “Christmas” market is the norm. England, a former cosmopolitan empire that colonized people of all cultures and races, I could see Christmas markets being the norm. With the monarch also being the head of the English Church, England is at its core, is a Christian country. However, I would think that a country largely responsible for the racial disparities we see today would now, in the twenty-first century, adopt a more inclusive approach. Birmingham, on my last visit, did not seem any less diverse than New York City. Yet, they say racial relations are better in the United Kingdom than in the United States. The difference lies in questioning. In this country, we have recently begun to question many things that were once of the norm. Take for example male predatory behavior. At one time, it would be shrugged off as just men being men. Now, thankfully, we feel the courage to speak out and deliver consequences for such behavior. The same theory applies to the statues of the Confederates down in the south. Now, many things that were once in denial and in the back of our minds, are now in our conscience. Isn’t it better to question the norm rather than blindly accept it for being the norm. By doing so can we even attempt to go near equality and build a common culture of inclusiveness, which I belive holiday markets are an example of and are even setting the bedrock for.

The claims of President Donald Trump in regards to the term “Happy Holidays” are an example of something the holiday season does not stand for. President Trump campaigned on and even today in his rallies, searingly cries to reconstitute the phrase “Merry Christmas” in place of “Happy Holidays.” I even once heard the following: “We will take back Christmas.” If people are finally recognizing that Christmas is not the only holiday of the season, then why would that be seen as something unlawful or wrong? There is Christmas, but also Hanukah, Kwanzaa, and several other micro-cultural holidays. Then there’s the New Years holiday, a secular holiday that is celebrated by the majority of the world. The fact that “Happy Holidays” is seen as inapplicable clearly denotes a racist and xenophobic ideology underlying President Trump’s claims. This would be something that I would want to delve into. It would be interesting to ask people visiting the holiday markets their opinion on this topic. Since the people visiting come from all over the world, I’m interested to know what types of comments I would receive. And although some perceive this topic as divisive and not appropriate for the holiday spirit, it would be an important conversation to have. Are we heading towards cultural inclusivity, or xenophobia? Being at the holiday markets in New York City definitely felt like the former. Seeing people from all over the country, the world even, collectively interacting and appreciating intimate and cosmopolitan items spoke to the essence of the holiday season. This is a season of unity, and whether it be just for a brief moment, we all get to breathe in the air of joy.

STEAM Festival at Macaulay

abhayvirsingh

The STEAM Festival at the Macaulay Honors College was an attempt at bringing together the arts focused first seminar and science focused third seminar. STEAM, of course, stands for science technology engineering arts mathematics. There were students from all CUNY campuses there so it was great to have the time to interact with them and to learn about their experiences in their respective campuses. It was interesting to see how just in the first seminar how students were learning about and experiencing the arts in different ways. Our class’s projects were based off of A Chorus of Stones and each group represented a chapter from the work, showcasing the books contents as well as personal experiences and/or opinions. A class from Baruch had gone around the city taking pictures of art and then put all the pictures in groups. This way, so many different things were able to be seen with a certain commonness. A lot of classes had short videos made on certain topics. For example, another class from Baruch research Astoria, Queens and made a video and brochures on the significance and diversity of the culture of Astoria. Others had made films about topics ranging from their experiences with Macaulay in general to personal relationships in regards to society. Seminar 3 students also had very interesting topics. Although they were science oriented, they were interesting and easy to understand. I remember this one project from Brooklyn College students that studied the relationship between nature and concentration in school work, which was very interesting and relevant. Another project researched the differences in the cafeterias of Baruch College and New York University. They found that although NYU offers more variety, Baruch offers more healthy options. I liked how the ITFs were asking us about what we had learned and they were very engaging with all students. The button making station was very fun. The buttons came out very nice. Overall, I would say that it was a great endeavor in bringing together students of all campuses and of different years with different works to present.

 

Robert Rauschenberg at MoMA

abhayvirsingh

As our first Macaulay seminar trip, the Rauschenberg exhibit at MoMA set the bar for what would follow. The lecture on Robert Rauschenberg that we had prior to visiting came in very useful as it gave some background knowledge into the type of work we would be seeing and from what part of time. I didn’t that a museum guide would be showing us around, so that was great as well. Her commentary on all the pieces of the exhibit was actually very helpful. MoMA stands for Museum of Modern Art and that’s exactly what I felt like it was showcasing. The building architecture and internal layout gave a very modern vibe and it felt more like a building than a museum. The exhibit itself was something I didn’t expect. It consisted of pieces that Rauschenberg made from things he just found on the streets, like cardboard and the goat. Although from afar it would be easy to brush off his work as not significant, once I got closer and actually thought about the work, many different thoughts came to my mind. I started thinking about a lot of different things, things that must’ve came to Rauschenberg or maybe that’s just the beauty of his work. That it’s open to the individual and it’s up to the individual to decide on the meaning of the work that they want to take with them. The center piece in one of the halls, was the preserved goat. I didn’t actually imagine it being a big as it was. I mean how would’ve thought to make an art piece out of that. This unexpectedness and subtle randomness to Rauschenberg’s work is what intrigued me. It forced me to think a way about art that I wouldn’t normally. It allowed me to have a new perspective toward everything I see, which I now all view as art.

Seminar class picture from MOMA.

Fall for Dance Festival

abhayvirsingh

The Fall for Dance Festival at the New York City Center featured dance performances of all styles. It was combination of techniques and choreography; hence festival is an appropriate term describing it. When we got there, the scene was almost chaotic. Crowds were lined up all over the sidewalk, pushing many people onto the streets. The audience was definitely excited for the performance. They all seemed to be in the culture of watching such performances so they appreciated the art. It wasn’t as hectic inside, however. We were all the way in the back so there was a side door for us to enter from that led us straight to our seats. The seats, although in the back, weren’t that bad. I could see everything fairly clearly and the seats were comfortable as well. The first performance was of the Miami City Ballet. This was a more traditional ballet production compared to the rest and the performers wore traditional ballet tights. I was shocked to see the level of flexibility and control the performers had achieved. They made everything look so smooth and easy but we could see how hard it was and the work they must have put in to present it in such a way. Polyphonia of the New York City Ballet was phenomenal as well. It’s just an amazing experience to watch these artists perform their art. Next came the very unique and interesting Vincent Mantsoe. Everything, from his movements to his facial expressions, was the recipient of applause from the ecstatic audience. A dancer from South Africa, he definitely bought a different style to the stage and it was a privilege to watch. After Vincent came the Trisha Brown Dance Company. The use of curtains in this act was eye-opening. At last came what everybody had been waiting for, Dorrance Dance. I still can’t believe that we were able to watch such talented and famous dancers! As expected, Dorrance put all of us on the edges of our seats. They had normal everyday clothes on, that at first seemed different but seemed to blend together in a very interesting way. Their dance style was much loose and engaging, as were their facial expressions. All parts of the performance, from the man that looked like Voldemort to tap dance, the performance was perfect and a privilege to watch.

 

Fall for Dance, October 3, 2017, at New York City Center

Turandot Metropolitan Opera

abhayvirsingh

This was my first time at the Metropolitan Opera and I’m glad it was as part of the Macaulay seminar class. Lincoln center is simply so majestic that speaks volumes to the kind of talent that we find inside on stage. The external Lincoln square is the best, especially at night when the buildings are all lit up. As you walk in the red carpet all over the place and the grand staircase instills in you the level of elegance and professionalism that occupies the halls. I was actually in sort of a panic because I had left my ticket at home and had realized that half way through the commute. Luckily, professor Natov had an extra with her so I was able to get in. we were in the family box so that was all the way at the top of the hall. It was, I believe, four flights of stairs above the ground floor. When I got to my seat the chandeliers ascended, signaling the beginning of the show. That sight is probably one of the best parts of the experience at the MET. It was like we were in a different world, or like a ride, ready to be amazed. My focus was on the audience and I found that the audience was much more diverse than our previous trips. I saw people from all around the world and it really felt like New York City. Everyone, of course, was very fancy and elegant and we all felt underdressed. We were the only teenagers there so our presence was quite noticeable. Apparently, some of the audience behind us was talking about us in their native language. Nonetheless, the best part overall has to be the staging. The level of professionalism and perfection was totally unexpected. Even though the intervals were long, around forty-five minutes each, they went by fairly quick and it gave us an opportunity to explore more of the MET. The staging for the second act was particularly captivating. There was a body of water represented and I remember asking professor Natov if it was of real water. Everything was set perfectly and Turandot couldn’t have been a better opera to see for a first time opera visitor.

 

Turandot

Torch Song at the Second Stage Theater

abhayvirsingh

Torch Song was my first off-Broadway show. It was played at the Second Stage Theater, a famous theater company. The building, to me, seemed very low-key. I couldn’t tell that that was where we were headed. As we entered, it still looked more like a warehouse than a theater. But when I got to the actual stage area, the whole atmosphere changed. The way the seats were arranged was very organized yet felt open at the same time. Maybe because the ceiling was and the seats were sort of organized in a bleachers type of way, it felt like it was outdoors in some open arena. Our seats were towards the back, the second or third from last row, yet when the stage still felt so close and the characters appeared to be much closer than they were for some reason. The stage was set up very well. I could clearly tell the setting was from an older time period. The transitions between acts were extremely smooth and fast. They had the stages already made and they simply rolled them over, it was a very efficient way to do things. The acting itself was phenomenal. I was amazed to see the level of talent and perfection a mere mortal can achieve. Seeing live performances like these are different than watching things on a screen. Sitting in the audience, I could feel the talent which of course made the audience very responsive. There were cheers, groans, laughs, gasps, at every scene. We all felt the disconnect between Ed and Arnold. It was frustrating to see how times force a person to hide himself yet and the was and still is the reality. The murder of Alan was something surely that we didn’t expect but again speaks to the tragedy in which people are forced to live in. The production has been extremely successful and has won the Tony Award. Torch Song was surely a moving experience.