New York Museums, Art Centers and such
By stepping off the plane when arriving to New York, you are entering
another culture.
New York is, or at least has always been a self confined planet within
the American galaxy. Upon walking the streets of Manhattan you will
feel how the force is with you in a very different way, compared to
most cities in the world. Maybe with the exception of the thousands of
years old Istanbul that also lays on a rock based energy center.
Manhattan was ancient holy ground for the native indians, before the
white man arrived and many souls roam the streets and subways of the
city. This made Manhattan a great place for artists to channel the
strong energy into their work, that then would reach out all over the
world with their messages. These days the best thing about the New
York art scene is the many museums and galleries that exhibit and sell
the best art in the world, as art is a safer investment than most
stocks. It is still most artists biggest dream to exhibit their work
in New York and be adored by the New York Art Scene and media.
European artists go to New York and lend inspiration for the often
more twisted and up-front American artists. Since USA is running the
show in the rest of the world, the sensitive artists pick this up and often react to it by creating art that represents the state of the world.
In the same way that Bush and Britney Spears are representing or mirroring the human state of America,
the artists role is to represent the state of the world with the messages in their art.
New York has been the center for this, after Berlin and Paris went through the 2nd world war, even if Berlin and London had their moments
in the turn of the millennium.
Below is mentioned some Museums and Art Centers that will give you a
basic insight to what has happened up until now. For the galleries, it
is suggested to just stroll up and down the streets of Chelsea and
hunt for a show at random. It is also important to give yourself
enough time to be able to take these excursions, as they are very
exhausting and draining of energy.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Just for the architecture itself, is worth visiting the Guggenheim.
Frank Lloyd Wright built it in 1959 and also got his own stamp with
him and the building on it. There is not alway great shows up, but it
is still worth walking up the inside rotunda for the marvel of the
idea behind the space originally called "The Museum of Non-Objective
Painting".
1071 5th Ave
Website
International Center of Photography
ICP is both a school and exhibition space. Many great photographers
came out of this place, earlier located on the Upper East Side in a
very modest building. There are always a show worth seeing and if you
can find a reason or way to visit the school department, you will
understand what the kids are doing with photography these days.
If you want, it is possible to take a weekend course with world
renowned photographers, if you book in advance.
1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street
Website
MoMA
This is "THE" Museum of Modern Art. Not many come close. The permanent
collection of both art and design will upgrade your art & culture
education in a jiffy. Also check what films screenings they are
currently showing, as it is here you see film that is rarely screen in
cinemas anywhere close to you.
11 West 53 Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues
Website
PS1 Contemporary Art Center
Even if is located in Long Island City, just take the 7 or E train and
you arrive into Queens. There is not much to see other than PS1 that
is the most contemporary of the larger art institutions in the New
York area. It hosts both a solid permanent
collection as well a always changing internationally important
exhibitions. In the summertime they hold outdoor Warm-Up dance parties in the
courtyard with the cream of the international DJ and chill-out live
acts for the cool kids of the city who are still in town over the summer.
22-25 Jackson Avenue (at the intersection of 46th Avenue)
Website
The Whitney
It is The Museum of American Art and they might be most know for
hosting the Whitney Biennial showing what is the hottest art in
America, every other year. Most of the permanet collection is based on
purchases from artists in the Biennial's, and here they have found you
striving artists such as Mike Kelley, Matthew Barney, Louise Bourgeois
and Jasper Johns. They also have the largest collection of Alexander
Calder in any museum, ranging from the ever-popular Calder's Circus
and Surrealist-inspired pieces of the 1940s to large-scale mobiles and stabiles.
945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
Website
Brooklyn Museum of Art
Inside of a great Beaux-Arts building, looking a lot like The
Metropolitan Museum or any other American Cultural institution built
at the turn of the century. The permanent collections range from
ancient Egyptian masterpieces, contemporary art and feminist art
center. It is in a genuine Brooklyn neighborhood with several other
interesting places to see, once you took the time to go in the subway
for 30 minutes from Manhattan. It might be most famous for the time it
exhibited "Sensation" from the Saatchi collection with work that was
so offensive to the then mayor Rudolph "Guillotine" Giuliani (now wanna-be president)
that he wanted it censored. He even shut down the train station stop
close to the Museum and got the funding to the Museum from New York
City stopped.
200 Eastern Pkwy
Website
Dia Center for the Arts
Going here is a whole day out of you calendar. But its worth it. Go to
Grand Central Station and take the commuter train to Upstate New
York's little town of Beacon.
The ride is nice and you will get a perspective of the actual nature
and rivers that surrounds New York City. They have some of the best
and largest collections of minimalist art by for example Sol Levitt,
Agnes Martin, Dan Flavin and Donald Judd. A wide ranging collection
of Andy Warhol, including a whole wallpapered room with the original
Brillo boxes (not the fake Stockholm ones).
There is the remains of some classic Joseph Beuys performances,
Richard Serra's ballsy sculptures and a whole basement with strange
interactive projects. For anyone with a deeper interest in Warhol, the
opened "Time Capsules" that are on display are are crucial for your
understanding of Warhol's mind. Especially take note of a letter
written to Warhol by Billy Name in one of the glass boxes.
Dia:Beacon & Riggio Galleries
3 Beekman Street
Beacon, Upstate New York
Website
EXIT ART
Exit Art might be the best example of an art space in the front-line
in creating exhibitions that give artists challenges to respond to
curatorial themes set by relevant contemporary curators wanting to
give an overview of the artists state of mind in relation to current
issues.
475 Tenth Ave
Website
The Armory Show
The Armory Show (The International Fair of New Art), is the world's
leading art fair only showing contemporary art. Basically, it is the
best, biggest and most commercial galleries in the world that rent
space in the gigantic Pier 94 complex to show, sell and trade the
cream of their stable horses production. Here an artists can make a
career if the right person form the international art world spots
their work.
Check out their website and pre-book a way of entrance to get on the
inside of the international art scene.
Pier 94
Website