The time is now
BY GEORGINA BERN
It’s fantastic having so many opportunities and activities nearby living in the City, and part of why many of us chose to come here. All the culture! All the arts! All the thrills! All the different people! However, the proximity of so many incredible features often convinces us to postpone an immersive outing in exchange for ambulating near West 4th Street – also another peaceful yet riveting experience. We do mean well when we say we can go another time to that museum or stop by that monument or exhibit. But in my case, I spent so much time last semester wanting and saying I wanted to go rather than simply getting on the subway and heading that way myself. True, I still felt as if I was adjusting to the whole college process during that time, and I don’t regret a thing from last semester. Still, I decided to enter spring purposefully feet-first into whatever caught my eye, really going for it this time.
In this change of mindset and pace, I encountered the most bizarre, remarkable, bamboozling, intriguing, captivating, and nostalgic remembrances, performances, and masterpieces I’ve seen in a while. Though I have not yet completed my museum/exhibit-visiting trajectory, I’ve kept these experiences close and will now fangirl for a bit. Whether rotational exhibits or somewhat permanent establishments, here are some of the ones that caught my heart the most (and some you HAVE to continue to keep an eye on before the semester ends).
THE MET
Who doesn’t know or has heard about the Metropolitan Museum of Art? I think this is my favorite museum, if not for the Monet gallery, the gilded statues, and vivid renaissance paintings (my particular favorites), then for the extensive and immersive exhibits they host and the frequent sense of nostalgia that comes with the latter’s themes. At the beginning of the semester, what pushed me to start visiting museums finally was The MET’s Inspiring Walt Disney display, in which animations of French decorative arts came to life. Characters’ backstories and classic tales’ origins covered every wall, and I think I spent a cumulative total of 5 hours poring over the detail in the crafted artifacts. I am a goner for intricate pieces and colorful movement, hence this fangirling paragraph.
Visiting now, the MET lives up to its grandiosity: A Lexicon of Fashion, Crosscurrents, A New Look at Old Masters, Figure Ground, Before Yesterday we Could Fly, and some others are currently on display at the museum. I can wholeheartedly say that these I’ve visited and thus mentioned have ensnared my attention and maybe even changed my way of taking in everyday details. For instance, launched by the Costume Institute, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion unravels a modern vocabulary of American fashion expressed through varying cultural identities and defining emotional qualities, all of which are symbolically embedded in a patchwork quilt. “America is more like a quilt – many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes – all woven and held together by a common thread.” Exploring Nostalgia, Belonging, Delight, Joy, Wonder, Affinity, Confidence, Strength, Desire, Assurance, Comfort, and Consciousness through fashion has impacted how I perceive and associate the colors I wear with symbolic meaning. Though small, I think it brings a new depth to the experience of everyday life. Maybe that’s what museums do to people sometimes.
You can find out more about MET exhibits here: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions
THE MOMA
The Museum of Modern Art is accurately named after all the crafty, curious, rebellious, and historically-connected artwork that reflects the nature of our world today while still upholding some classic painters on its walls. The shock of the colors, the soundless video montages, the intriguing graying hues of aging, the looping shadows of the suspended hoops. A battle cry, art over art, a single blue line, red. The feelings develop slowly at first, starting at the ground floor, increasing as you visit every floor, encountering passion, anger, peace, confusion, understanding, and finally, awe. It makes you see art in places and things you might’ve not seen before, questioning the consistency of the tethers of existence. It’s the best kind of crisis to have. This is a museum to visit (for free! as a student) when you want a refreshing change of pace or a change of mind.
You can find out more about visiting hours and exhibits (ongoing and permanent) at: https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions?gclid=CjwKCAjw9e6SBhB2EiwA5myr9hYbigiAARES4Ek5oKhGLd6Psw9DcSO2iqq5jHEqDb1cGjWrqibqhhoCj8cQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
Aside from being of the most gorgeous study spots in the city, right next to bubbly Bryant Park, the NYPL hosts an impressive collection of artifacts. I randomly stumbled upon the advertisement last semester and finally had the chance to go this time around. From music, theatre, and poetry to childhood nostalgia, national pride, and independence, the exhibit surpasses all expectations of a library, inviting visitors to get a small glimpse of history. In going, you might encounter the original stuffed animals that inspired Winnie the Pooh, Virginia Woolf’s walking cane, and a lock of Beethoven’s hair. Perhaps a Coco Chanel original design will be present. Maybe the revealing love letters and story pitches of some well-known authors will deepen your love and understanding of their literature. In any case, go. Go!
For those interested, this is the first-ever permanent exhibit at the library. More information about the Polonsky Exhibition of the New York Public Library’s Treasures can be found here: https://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions
I know we’re all probably wrapping up on midterms and starting to prepare for finals. My recommendation for much-needed breaks and liberation of the mind is to check out these places, or maybe some others you might’ve had your eye on for a while. One of the best things about living in a city as culturally rich as New York is our exposure to diversity everywhere. Nevertheless, I trust that immersing ourselves in the artistic side of this culture by visiting these designated spaces helps us release our hearts and busy minds from our usual grind and maybe expands them a bit more, too. I hope that with this, you are convinced of the magic of museums and that your next visit to these places transfers whatever you need to your soul.
P.S. If you’re ever in need of company in a museum, I’m more than happy to join you.