Knights in shining armor, renaissance fairs, gregorian chants, and maidens in distress. What more can one expect from a museum dedicated to the medieval period? This is all that is The Cloisters and so much more. Located in one of New York City’s most under-appreciated hidden treasures; Fort Tryon Park, The Cloisters is a staple of art and culture in New York. An artwork in itself, the museum is surrounded by lush gardens and ornamental foliage, sure to enrapture lovers of horticulture and amateur naturalist. The Cloisters contain some of the best known examples of medieval art including the infamous seven “Hunt of the Unicorn” tapestries, a beautiful example of Northern European medieval art. Actually a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters was established in 1938 as part of an endowment grant created by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.. During the winter, the museum is open from Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30AM-4:45PM. Unlike my previous blurb this is definitely a trip for the whole family.

The emotional pull of modern photography is astounding, as photographers are able to capture the essence of human emotions and present them visually. The International Center of Photography focuses on the use of photography and how it provides a sentiment to major points in our country’s history, such as 9/11. In fact the museum showcases the art of photography and how it has expanded over the years and in several genres. The museum not only houses quality exhibitions but acts as a school for amateur photographers. The ICP School focuses on all realms of photography and acts as a complimentary service to the incredible museum.

This artist’s perspective on visual literacy compares our intake of images and reproductions to seeing physical sculptures and paintings. As an artist himself, the writer of this essay gives an insightful view on how we are affected by the proliferation of flat images through advertising and the media. By juxtaposing such images with 3D sculptures as examples in this essay, Deborah Curtis we are able to physically see the difference between reproductions and actual pieces. Not art bashing, yet preserving the medium, Curtis favors authenticity to accessibility when it comes to art. And so, we get an artists perspective to tell us how art should truly be appreciated.

I’d heard the strains of Mozart’s Turkish March while passing the 14th Street – Union Square Station on the R train before, but it was only this past week that I discovered its source. A small boy, who looked like he wasn’t halfway through elementary school, was magically producing the music. Off to the side, a man with a wooden clapper stood, rhythmically tapping it against the metal posts to provide a live metronome. The performance was not brilliant and the mistakes were detectable even to my amateur ear, but it was definitely astounding and the young performer deserved all our applause and attention. However, the most interesting aspect was after he bowed in all directions, the man watching him came over to review the errors and fine tune the piece. His presentation was a work in progress, and we turned out to be spectators of a class, not a final concert; I hope to listen to the boy improve and perfect his art as I stop by.

There’s nothing like a huge hanging quilt to make you feel at home in a bustling city, right? Well, maybe not and understandably so. However, if you’re into quilting, handiwork, and folk art, it might be worthwhile to check out the American Folk Art Museum’s exhibit “Super Stars”, which runs from November 16 to September of next year. It is called that because the main motif in every quilt is the star, which is a symbol for hope, light, and perhaps warmth and comfort. The quilts are grand in scale and intricate in their execution, and within every stitch lies a part of their creators’ souls, making the quilts shine and come alive.

The Noguchi Museum, located in Astoria, NY, is the perfect place to get a taste of 20th century art. This museum idevoted to the preservation, presentation, and interpretation of the work of Isamu Noguchi. The works of this Japanese-American artist are very artistic and often perplexing. One can get lost in extensive periods of thought while trying to interpret the pieces. It isn’t unusual to find a piece that leaves you confused or puzzled in this museum, but that is part of the appeal of the artwork. Noguchi’s art is inspired by certain events in history, such as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War 2. His thought-provoking and unique pieces make this museum worth the trip.

Libraries are intended to be sanctuaries of learning, but few actually feel like true sanctuaries. Most are a cross between a morgue and an empty high school gym; eerily cold and barren. The New York Public Library between 42^nd and 5^th is an exception. It is a sanctuary. The Stephen A. Schwarzman building is the “star” branch of the New York Public Library. Its marble steps, smooth oak tables, and colossal holdings of literature make it an excellent learning environment. While it’s often seen as more of a tourist attraction than a true library those who take advantage of the great public space can attest that it’s worth more than just a half hour of your time.

In “The Skyscraper Museum,” there is an exhibit, “Supertall!” that is simply remarkable. As you look around you, you gaze in wonderment about the beautifully engineered skyscrapers around the world. In this exhibit, there are skyscrapers from all over the world that are as tall or taller than the Empire State Building. Worldwide, there are 48 skyscrapers that fit in to this limitation. The world’s tallest building is in Dubai, but it has been estimated that it will be overthrown as tallest for at least 5 years. It is also amazing to see how many new skyscrapers were built after 2001, even though the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks made it seem riskier. Being surrounded with gigantic buildings really shows how amazing the world really is.

The sound of Coldplay’s song “Speed of Sound” echoed through Vanderbilt Hall on 42^nd Street. Upon hearing the unique sound produced by Erik Heger’s harp and coming to the realization that he was playing one of my favorite songs, I was amazed and decided to stop for a listen. After enjoying a few of Heger’s songs, I was amazed by his talent and the unique approach he took when playing rather mainstream music.  Although listeners could definitely recognize what song Heger was playing, he seemed to add a unique element to each song, making it his own. This led me to pick up one of Heger’s  business cards and do further research. Upon viewing Heger’s twitter account, I was excited to learn that he makes frequent visits to various subway stops, including that at Columbus Circle as well as Union Square. For those of you who would like to hear beautiful harp music in a very convenient manner, I highly advise you check out Erik Heger’s music.

On the first cold day of the season, after a blissful week of spring-like weather, I huddled among the masses to witness the lighting one of New York City’s seasonal landmarks – the famous Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. At precisely 7pm, in a moment, bright green tree was bedazzled in blinding, multicolored lights that seemed to have an iridescent glow that could visible from even outer space. The majestic sight officially marked the start of the holiday season and gave way to the realization that this eventful year was about to come to a close. However, as I stood gazing up at the tree I’ve grown up seeing, I couldn’t help but notice that each year it seems as though either I grow a lot bigger or the tree gets a lot smaller.

The 30-minute long mini-musicals gave the four participating campuses a choice between writing an original dramatic or a comedic musical. Brooklyn College’s piece was internet-themed with two teenagers who have been sucked into cyberspace, Mark Zuckerberg as the antagonist and YouTube, Hulu, Twitter and “LOLCAT” as supporting characters. Baruch’s musical was about a hapless college student trying to ask the girl of his dreams out on a date and failing miserably each time. Although Queens College’s musical was about the apocalypse as an asteroid was due to collide with the earth, it drew laughs with how the characters tried to live their last days to their absolute fullest. Ultimately, Hunter’s show stealing musical was about four tourists seeing New York for the first time with the group dwindling gradually as each naïve member is slowly assimilated into the bustling world of business, the society of hipsters and an eastern European culture mecca.

Oblivious to the world around him, an old man sits in the corner of a train station and plays the erhu, a traditional Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, with absolute concentration. Wearing a grey tux, tinted shades, and a fedora, he manages to emit a sense of class and refinement, as he uses the bow of the erhu to release sounds of melancholy music. The audience cannot see the man’s eyes because of his shades, yet they can still sense his sadness and compassion. The music is tear-jerking, creating a sense of nostalgia and wistfulness, as he continues to play with his head bent down. He is not asking for people for money, he is just passionate about his erhu and wants others to be too.

As I was walking through the subway, I heard some very distinctive music. Usually I’d hear the music, think it was alright, and continue with my commute. But one day, as our IDC class and I were going to the Don Giovani performance I heard something amazing. It was none other than the band Mecca Bodega. Even though we were cutting it close to get to the performance, I just had stop and listen. The band uses a motley of percussion instruments and feature what they describe as “a cultural collage of global drumming and melodic sensibilities. Their sound is hypnotizing. If it wasn’t for the help of my fellow IDC students, I probably would’ve stood there listening for the rest of the day. Heres a link to their website if anyone wants more information: http://meccabodega.com/

Heres a short video i recorded of Mecca Bodega performing. It’ll be available as soon as Vimeo allows. Hope you like it!

I think its safe to assume that we are all fairly acquainted with the Opera. We have immersed ourselves with this art form at both the Metropolitan Opera House and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Recently, at the weekly Meet the Artist Event at the Macaulay Honors College, opera singer Alicia Hall Moran uniquely integrated opera singing with lyrics from contemporary songs. Given the small space at the College it was interesting to see Moran sing live and to observe how she projects her voice for the crowd. In between the singing, Moran also talked about her personal life and gave us a few words of wisdom to remember for the future. At the end of the event Moran mentioned that she will be an understudy at an opera and encouraged us to see her perform live.