The Arts in New York City

Like an oasis in the desert lies the Bronx Museum of the Arts. This relatively small structure, a worthwhile hike up to 165th St. E Grand Concourse, currently houses an exhibition by Quisqueya Henriquez. The Cuban-Dominican artist embodies variety and creativity. Her pieces, ranging from installations to drawings, capture our attention and allow us to partake in her vision. From the moment we enter the museum, the experience begins. (more…)

Everyone enjoys going to a concert…right? After all, it is always better when you get to see your favorite artists perform live in a big-time venue like Radio City Music Hall. Unfortunately, this was not the case for me at the Boost Mobile RockCorps concert on October 6th at Radio City in New York City. The RockCorps concert, contrary to the name, was not a rock concert at all; it was a rap concert. I have never had much tolerance for rap, mostly because of the obscene antics and the x-rated lyrics that the artists feel necessary to put in to their songs to enhance their work. Yet, this proved to be the perfect opportunity for me to put aside my bias, explore, and try to create a new perspective on this musical genre.
(more…)

This is my second time visiting Moma. The first time, like most of the visitors there, my eyes were glued to the masterpieces by those renowned first-class artists like Van Gogh, Monet or Picasso. Nevertheless, coming here again, I found it more interesting to compare those classic arts with the ones created by people from this new age. The comparison reshapes my definition of art: Today’s art has transformed its focus from skills to ideas. (more…)

As a student in New York City, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is far from being an unfamiliar place. The iconic institution is an A-Class favorite for students, teachers, and art fans from around the world. However, as strong as the desire to survey the entire museum may be, it is unlikely that even the most devoted art connoisseur could manage the Met’s gigantic and highly impressive collection. Which are why, after a trek and a picnic in the neighboring Central Park, the two attractions that I wandered upon stood out to me as almost opposites in the Met collection spectrum. On one hand, the Met holds classics like the pieces found in the Robert Lehman Collection, a popular gallery with gallery talks led by eccentric old ladies nearly three times a day, and on the other hand, there are more contemporary gems like Depth of Field gallery featuring a much smaller, but equally as significant, collection of modern photography. This eclectic clash is really what makes the Met a unique place and while I can say I have my votes for what I consider art, both collections offered me a new insight to the subject.

(more…)

I have learned a big lesson today: I should not ever go to free museums. While looking up for a list of free museums, I came across the Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria, so I then decided to give it a try. Well, it was not a smart choice. (more…)

Gallery Talk: Across the Mediterranean: Renaissance Sculpture in Spain
Location: Metropolitan Museum

I went to Metropolitan Museum of Art for a gallery talk on Renaissance sculpture in Spain on September 21, 2007. I learned a lot about Spanish sculpture during the Renaissance period from Vivian Gordon, my tour leader. There was lots of information to be absorbed in a gallery talk that only lasted for less an hour. We covered many Spanish art works, such as Orpheus, Saint John The Baptist, and The Holy Family with Saints Anne and Joachim. The Spanish sculpture was a microscope of European’s art history. Sculptors from Italy, Netherlands and other European countries all had come to Spain to work, and had influenced the Spanish sculpture’s style more or less. I noticed trace of the Italian style in several Spanish sculptures as Gordon indicated. Just as I expected and noticed in the title of this gallery talk, Renaissance sculpture in Spain resembles characteristics of art works across the Mediterranean. (more…)

Art that is very interesting to a person and pleasing to the eye is very rare to find. The Guggenheim museum, located in East 89th Street and 5th Avenue, provides such art. This museum contains art from movements such as Post-Impressionist, Expressionist and Surrealist movements, which is more recent art dating close to the late 19th century to early 20th century. Due to construction, only about 3 exhibits were open so the number of paintings was limited but it was enough to be satisfied. The art of the Guggenheim museum allows a viewer to relate to the painting while at the same time enjoy the painting for what the painter intended it to be. (more…)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses one of the most extensive art collections in the world. At the Met, one can find anything from Ancient Egyptian art to European art to Modern American art. There are nineteen separate departments in the museum that include: Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, Greek and Roman Art, The Robert Lehman Collection, etc. Having such a widespread collection, the Met draws in quite a big crowd on any given day.

(more…)

Is science art? That is the question I asked myself as I made my first trip to The New York Hall of Science. I ventured into a large space filled with excited adolescents amused by things I had already learned in high school. However, as I ventured on, I found myself to be enamored by the illusions of what I was seeing in front of me. Were my eyes playing tricks on me? The Hall of Science allowed me to create extraordinary things out of ordinary objects. (more…)

I remember going to the NY Hall of Science when I was in elementary school. I had so much fun there then that I had always wanted to go back. I can still remember running around the place wildly, fooling around more than learning about science. When Eilene, Aniruddha, and I planned to revisit the Hall of Science, I was a little worried that I would not find it an exhilarating experience like I did ten years ago because I am older and more mature now. I also worried that I would not find art there. After all, it is a Hall of Science, not a Hall of Art. However, I found that the Hall of Science contains a variety of exhibits that not only engage visitors in creating their own art, but also is extremely appealing to people of all ages. (more…)