It’s another week of craveable art in New York City. Gallerist Meredith Rosen is joining us once again to recommend five must-see art events this week.
Paul McCarthy: Sculptures at Hauser & Wirth in Chelsea
Orly Genger: Iron Maiden at Larissa Goldston Gallery in Chelsea
Orly Genger: Red, Yellow and Blue at Madison Square Park
Sarah Braman Wallace Whitney at American Contemporary in the East Village
Michael Wang: Global Tone at Foxy Production in Chelsea
NYC MEMORIAL DAY ACTIVITIES 2013
Remember the men and women who died serving the United States this Memorial Day weekend with these New York City cultural events:
Attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument. Built in 1902, the Monument pays homage to the New Yorkers who served the Union in the Civil War.
When: Monday, May 27 at 10 AM - noon
Where: Riverside Drive & West 89th Street
Little-Neck Douglaston Memorial Day Parade
When: Monday, May 27 at 2 PM
Where: Northern Blvd in Queens
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
The screening of Top Gun was already canceled due to expected rain, but the museum is planning a weekend of performances, demonstrations, activities and various interactive displays to Celebrate Memorial Day.
Where: Pier 86, New York, NY
The Civil War and American Art and Photography and the American Civil War
There are two Civil War exhibitions at the Met. One explores how American artists responded to the Civil War and its aftermath. The other contains more than 200 poignant photographs of the American Civil War.
Where: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Avenue, New York, NY
When World War II broke out, New York was a cosmopolitan, heavily immigrant city, whose people had real stakes in the war and strongly held opinions. This exhibit explores the impact of the war on the City and looks at how the city was forever changed. (This exhibit moves to Governor’s Island for the summer — from June 15 to September 2.)
Where: New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West
The island, which is a quick, free ride from Lower Manhattan, opens Saturday for the season. If you visit the island, you can visit Fort Jay, which started in 1776, and Castle Williams, which served as a prison. In honor of opening weekend, the Governors Island Alliance is hosting arts and crafts, musical and theatrical performances, and educational activities for children.
Green-Wood Cemetery Memorial Day Concert
Hear the ISO Symphonic Band — featuring talented New York City students — perform in this annual concert. Featured songs include works by “Green-Wood’s permanent residents,” including Fred Ebb, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, and Leonard Bernstein.
When: Monday, May 27 at 2:30 PM
Where: Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn
The New York Philharmonic’s Memorial Day Concert
Alan Gilbert conducts Bruckner’s momentous Third Symphony at the Orchestra’s annual, free appearance at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. First-come, first-served.
When: Monday, May 27 at 8 PM (tickets distributed starting at 6 PM)
Where: The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
A TRIP BACK TO THE ‘80S
Remember when subway cars were covered with graffiti? When street hustlers roamed Times Square? When hip hop was fresh? When phone booths were necessary?
The new photography exhibition, NYC, c. 1985, at ClampArt in Chelsea is a nostalgic trip back in time to that grittier, edgier New York City.
“There seems to be just a certain buzz in the air about the 1980s right now,” the gallery’s director, Brian Paul Clamp, said. “While there were a lot of terrible things going on at the time, there’s also a certain romanticism to that era before the whole city really got cleaned up and changed into what it is today.”
The exhibition is part of a definite moment for the 1980s, represented by the Punk: Chaos to Couture fashion exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; I, You, We at the Whitney; Broadway’s Lucky Guy about the 1980s tabloid newspaper business; and even The Americans on FX, which is about two Russian spies living in 1980s Washington, D.C. Mr. Clamp suggested that our newfound fascination with the ’80s might stem from some sort of “collective consciousness” or from a desire to remember a time when the city had a “cultural energy that doesn’t exist today.”
The exhibition contains portraits of 1980s legends: there’s an Amy Arbus photograph of Madonna before the debut of Like a Virgin; a Janette Beckman portrait of Run DMC from 1984, the year the influential hip hop act release its eponymous album; and a series of Jeanette Montgomery Barron portraits of celebrities and socialites — from Warhol and Basquiat in 1980 to Cindy Sherman in 1986.
The show also features a refreshing and genuine array of no-name, anonymous 1980s New Yorkers, from Amy Arbus’s photograph of a girl with dramatically spiked hair to Janet Delaney’s picture of a man in a vacant lot overlooking a foggy Manhattan Bridge to Gunar Roze’s photograph of two brightly dressed women leaning into a public phone booth.
Taken as a whole, the exhibition is part history lesson, part time machine. When you exit the gallery, you’re a bit shocked to have entered the graffiti-free, low-crime era of 4G, hipsters, Twitter, and the iPad mini.
WHAT TO DO AND SEE: CULTURE CRAVER’S TOP PICKS MAY 24 - 31
Friday, May 24
Craving a black comedy about a corporate retreat? Thought so! Head to Theatre Row for the start of previews of Gorilla, a new Danish play. For the sake of full disclosure, it’s directed by Culture Craver’s co-founder, Ari Edelson.
Friday is also the start of DanceAfrica at BAM — a Memorial Day Weekend tradition in Brooklyn, which celebrates African and African-American culture with dance, music, art, and film. It runs through Monday.
Starting Friday, you could also check out the New York City Ballet’s All Balanchine program, with ‘Hallelujah Junction,’ New Barber/Wheeldon, New Previn, Bernstein/Wheeldon and ‘Firebird.’
Saturday, May 25
Starting Saturday, see Ellsworth Kelly: Chatham Series at MoMA. The exhibition, which continues until September, celebrates the artist’s 90th birthday this month.
Do you want to impress your friends with facts about the World’s Fair? Head to the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows on Saturday to learn about Historic New York from Urban Park Rangers. The tour starts at 1 PM.
Sunday, May 26
See one of the weekend’s new movies — Before Sunset or the animated film Epic. You could also see The Hangover Part III, but the reviews so far are pretty bad.
Monday, May 27
Starting Monday, explore the Civil War and American Art at the Met Museum. It includes work by Winslow Homer, Eastman Johnson, Frederic E. Church, and more.
Tuesday, May 28
If you’re like most New Yorkers, you’ve been craving Shakespeare in the Park since last summer. The first show of the season, The Comedy of Errors, starts Tuesday at the Delacorte. It stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Hamish Linklater.
On Tuesday, you can also hear from Tom Brokaw, the award winning anchor and author of The Greatest Generation at the 92nd Street Y.
Wednesday, May 29
On Wednesday, see Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana — which has been performing flamenco for 30 seasons — at the Joyce. If you want to learn more about the art form, head to the Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center to see the exhibition, 100 Years of Flamenco.
Thursday, May 30
On Thursday, see 10 Hairy Legs — arepertory company-comprised entirely of men — at New York Live Arts.
Friday, May 31
The Bushwick Open Studios — a celebration of Bushwick’s cultural scene — is Friday through Sunday. The kickoff is the BOS Launch Party at Shea Stadium.
The Muppets Take … Queens!
What a great announcement from the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria today: Jim Henson’s family has donated nearly 400 puppets, costumes, and props — which will be housed in a new gallery devoted to Henson’s creative achievements.
Puppets in the collection include favorites like Statler and Waldorf (pictured here), Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Elmo, Ernie and Bert, Count von Count, and Swedish Chef.
Read the full press release for more detail.
Christie’s auctioned off nearly half a billion dollars of art this week — beating all sorts of art world records. You might not have any abstract expressionist, pop, and contemporary masterpieces on your walls, but what follows are our suggestions of things that might (just barely) ease your art envy.
Roy Lichtenstein’s “Woman with Flowered Hat” went for $56,123,750 and his “Nude with Yellow Flower” went for $23,643,750. You could have your very own Lichtenstein-inspired iPhone case for less than $40.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s “Dustheads” went for $48,843,750. You could get Reebok Ex-O-Fit Plus Hi Basquiat sneakers for just over $100.
Mark Rothko’s “Untitled” (Black on Maroon) went for $27,003,750. This MaxMara dress has a similar palette and feel for $795.
Philip Guston’s ”To Fellini” went for $25,883,750. This colorful weekend bag from Kate Spade Saturday has a similar vibe. It goes for $160 (and it has an interior cell-phone compartment!)
(This is obviously created in jest. A bag or a pair of shoes cannot substitute for an artistic masterpiece. We sincerely hope the Christie’s bidders enjoy their purchases — and we hope they choose to share them with museums so that the rest of us can see more great art in person.)
A CRAVEABLE SUMMER: WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS SEASON’S BLOCKBUSTERS
It’s nearly Memorial Day Weekend. You know what that means: it’s time to head to your local cinema, buy an extra large pail of popcorn, and sit back in a super-chilled theater to take in some crash-bang-boom blockbuster summer flicks. We’ve rounded up the biggest, loudest, funniest, and starriest coming attractions of the summer. And we’ve given you our take on why you should consider going to each.
May 3, 2013
Go because: You didn’t get enough of Robert Downey, Jr. (as a brash billionaire playboy, saving the world) or Gwyneth Paltrow (his girlfriend and associate) in the first two movies about the Marvel comic hero Iron Man.
May 10, 2013
Go because: The costumes (Prada and Brooks Brothers) and the jewels (Tiffany) seem like reason enough.
May 16, 2013
Go because: You’re a Trekkie. You wouldn’t miss the 12th installment of your favorite sci-fi franchise.
May 23, 2013
Go because: You didn’t get your fill of guys doing stupid, embarrassing, possibly life threatening things in Parts I and II.
May 24, 2013
Go because: It’s the newest 3D computer animated movie by Chris Wedge, who directed Ice Age. Plus, the hero is a young girl engaged in an epic battle of good vs. evil.
May 31, 2013
Go because: (1) You’ve loved M. Night Shyamalan since his character uttered the phrase “I see dead people.” (2) It stars real-life father and son Will and Jaden Smith. (3) Post-apocalyptic sci-fi is your favorite.
May 31, 2013
Go because: It’s part Robin Hood, part magic, part caper, and stars some of your favorite actors — Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, and Isla Fisher.
June 7, 2013
Go because: The Wedding Crashers duo is a little older, a little funnier, and engaged in one of our worst nightmares — when the digital age makes their jobs irrelevant, the men land Google internships and must compete against young tech-savvy digerati.
June 12, 2013
Go because: You knew LA would be the first city to go in the apocalypse. Plus, you want to see how James Franco, Jonah Hill, and Seth Rogen cope with the end of the world.
June 14, 2013
Go because: It’s Superman! Plus, Henry Cavill is Superman and Amy Adams is the intrepid Lois Lane.
June 21, 2013
Go because: You didn’t get enough apocalypse yet this summer (between This is the End and After Earth). Here, you can see the heroic Brad Pitt as a UN worker searching the globe for a way to stop a zombie apocalypse.
June 28, 2013
Go because: You can finally answer the question, “What guns does Hollywood think the Secret Service would use to defend the president from an assault on the White House?”
July 3, 2013
Go because: You can reunite with Gru and the crew in the sequel to the beloved 2010 animated comedy Despicable Me.
July 3, 2013
Go because: It isn’t every summer day when you get to see a western, starring Johnny Depp and based on a classic from the 1930s.
July 31, 2013
Go because: You love those little blue guys. And it’s a sequel: who doesn’t love a sequel in the summer?
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
August 7, 2013
Go because: You loved the Rick Riordan book on which this series of fantasy adventure movies is based and/or you’ve always fantasized that you’re the child of a Greek God.
August 9, 2013
Go because: You want to see Matt Damon and Jodie Foster (after that crazy speech at the Oscars, who doesn’t?). You are also interested in what the ravaged earth looks like in 2154.
August 16, 2013
Go because: Masked heroes and sequels make you happy.
WHAT TO DO AND SEE IN NYC: APRIL 17-23
Friday, May 17
Craving contemporary photography? Starting Friday, it’s the ICP’s triennial, featuring photographs by 28 artists from around the world.
Starting Friday, learn about the Eucharist’s centrality to medieval cultural life (religious and secular) through liturgical illuminated manuscripts at the Morgan Library and Museum in Illuminating Faith: The Eucharist in Medieval Life and Art.
Saturday, May 18
At 7 PM, see the Liars perform in the Met’s Temple of Dendur at the Met. It’s a special event, associated with the blockbuster fashion show of the season, PUNK: Chaos to Couture.
Sunday, May 19
See one of this weekend’s new movies. The best options include Star Trek into Darkness; Augustine, a 19th Century period piece about a French neurologist and his star patient; and Frances Ha about a would-be dancer.
Tuesday, May 21
Craving British black comedy? Brits Off Broadway: Botallack O’Clock is coming to 59E59 Tuesday. It’s based on the life and death of the artist Roger Hilton.
It’s also a big day for dance. At Lincoln Center, see either ABT’s Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes or New York City Ballet’s Balanchine/Martins at Lincoln Center. Other options include Fresh Tracks, featuring emerging artists selected through open auditions, or New York City-based Gallim Dance at BAM.
Wednesday, May 22
David Hockney’s first video installation, The Jugglers, opens at the Whitney on Wednesday. It was filmed using 18 fixed cameras.
Good Television — a new play about the perils of reality TV — debuts at Atlantic Stage 2 on Wednesday. It’s a new play by Rod McLachlan.
Thursday, May 23
Learn about Edward Hopper’s drawing and creative process in Hopper Drawing at the Whitney starting Thursday.
Feeling nostalgic for the New York City of the mid-80s? Starting Thursday, go to New York City, c. 1985 at ClampArt to see a group exhibit of photographs of a grittier New York.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Perhaps it’s fitting that the movie about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 look at roaring 20s is inspiring a shopping bonanza. This is a guide to Gatsby shopping opportunities:
Tiffany’s Jazz Age Glamour Collection. Whether you’re in the market for diamonds and pearls or not, be sure to watch the video about the jewels of Great Gatsby, which includes interviews with Tiffany designers and actors from the flim. You can get the Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond Ring ($385,000), The Great Gatsby Collection Savoy Headpiece ($200,000), the Daisy Locket ($800), or other jazz age jewels.
Brooks Brothers’ Great Gatsby Collection is menswear styled from Catherine Martin’s costume designs for the film. To create the collection, Ms. Martin combed through the Brooks Brothers archives. Learn more about the collaboration here or watch a video about the costumes here. You can buy the Great Gatsby Collection Pink Stripe Linen Jacket for $698.00, the Great Gatsby Collection White Buck Wingtips for $598.00, or the Greyhound Walking Stick for $148.00.
Miuccia Prada designed more than 40 cocktail and evening dresses for the film in collaboration with Baz Luhrmann and costume designer Catherine Martin. Here’s a video about the collaboration and here’s a Wall Street Journal article about the “fashion moment.” Here’s Prada’s online feature about the collaboration. (You sadly can’t buy Prada’s looks for the film, but lookalikes are abundant.)
Swiss hosiery brand Fogal created the stockings seen in the movie. You can buy your own fancy legwear. Here’s a video about the collaboration. It turns out that, as hemlines rose in the 1920s, hosiery became a very important part of a woman’s wardrobe.
Beyond the fashion collaborations in the film itself, this season is full of Gatsby-inspired clothes — from hats to flapper dresses to billowing tops to clutches — that are suitable for jaunts to the East Egg or the West Egg (or just sticking around the city). Plus, there are items more directly inspired by Gatsby, including this Kate Spade Great Gatsby Book Clutch ($265).
