NYC Trip - May 2010

I love NYC; that is I love to visit NYC. There is so much going on: the crowds (I know I’m not too keen on crowds but...), museums, great restaurants, and exploring different parts of the City. If there be a drawback, it is so expensive!

This trip was made primarily to see Peggy and attend the stationery show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Peggy had several of her new designs on display by Crane & Company, as a result of winning a nationwide contest to find three young designers. In her they found the best! I'm told that they are going to market these three designers under "Studio Stationery Designs" and not part of Crane & Company. I went of the web site and I cannot see it, but maybe later.

Of course we had time to check out some museums and explore the City, again. We went to The High LIne Park in the former Meatpacking district. Check it out! Although not finished, we thoroughly enjoyed the area. Of course what was more important was the dinner at the Standard Grill. Just an enjoyable night. See Peggy’s May 28th blog “Friday Yumminess” post. She really makes you hungry!

Peggy at the Crane Booth with her designs on the top row on the left.

Jenny & Peggy in front of the Crane & Co. display.

Speaking of exploring the City! We went to Flushing to check out the area. I got to see the Mets Citi Field, but no game. The Chinese food left something to be desired.

We checked out the National Academy Museum, but unfortunately they had a special exhibition, so we were unable to see the permanent collection.

Mother and daughter trying to see who is the tallest!They are standing in front of the American Building of the Metropolitan Museum. Oh, the Picasso Exhibition is great! It continues until August 15, 2010, so don't miss it!

A hidden treasure! I saw the Morris Jumel Mansion on a NYC travel show several months ago and wanted to check it out. It is located Upper Westside, but worth checking out if you are a history buff. We also went to the Gracie Manor located on the Upper East Side; but don't go without reservations.

Photo of the Week #21 - South America

Although I have to admit I haven't been very diligent in posting to my blog especially "Photo of the Week" since it has been a number of weeks, maybe months, since I have posted a picture. But tax season is over and now I have more time.

One of the many side streets in Cusco, Peru. Picture was taken in 2006 on our cruise around South America.

National Gallery of Art - DC (NGA)

By Now, all of my readers, six I think, know that Jenny and I are avid museum goers. We have been to so many museums in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, South and North America that I cannot count them. My son, Robby, one day asked how did I become to enjoy art so much and especially going to museums. I had to think on that one for a while!

I don’t remember anything special happening in my childhood that would have piqued my interest in art, so I have to fast forward to when Robby was about ten; we use to visit the Greenville County Museum of Art and I fell in love with Andrew Wyeth’s paintings and have been of fan of Wyeth and the art world ever since. I Also learned a lot from Chester, my brother-in-law, who talked about the many museums he and my sister Joan visited. He told me about many of the smaller museums in the US that he would visit when he was on a business trip. I now think that before he left to visit customers, he would find out what museums were in the area. I will always be thankful for his sharing his love for art with me.

Today I want to write about our recent visit of the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC; I have to say DC because as many of you know there is a great National Gallery in London, which Jenny and I were privilege to visit in 2006, along with the Tate Modern and Tate Britain.

This was our second visit to the National Gallery in DC; we were there about ten years ago and of course we had to go again, especially because of the current exhibition; From Impressionism to Modernism; The Chester Dale Collection. This exhibition presents eighty-three paintings of some of the finest paintings from this era. It also was the first time this Exhibition was shown in over forty-five year.

Dale made his money on Wall Street and in 1962 shared his love for art with the Nation by donating his portfolio to NGA. If you want to see it, you must go to DC because it does not travel.

Just one of the pictures of Jenny and the "Gardens" inside the West Building.

The East Building, designed by I. M. Pei and opened in 1978.

Andrew Wyeth, American, 1917-2009, Wind From The Sea, 1947. The painting was painted in the Olsen House attic in Maine. You can almost feel the wind can't you? This is one of two paintings in the NGA; there are also about fifteen watercolors, prints and drawings in the collection.

Just a note; we took many pictures of the exhibition and the collection because we were told, for the first time ever, that you could take pictures, even with a flash. As many of you know most museums do not allow you to take pictures and NEVER with a flash. Interesting!