NAVIGATING MANHATTAN
Manhattan is beginning to come back to life and there is something approaching normalcy. But, it’s hard to be spontaneous. Museums require some form of advanced ticketing or reservation, there are usually lines to enter, masks and social distancing are the norm, and you will most likely have your temperature taken.
Unfortunately, some of our favorite restaurants are gone, there are too many empty storefronts, and reservations for dining are almost always a must. There too, they take your temperature, often request contact info, and sometimes require that you sign a health form. Strange times we’re living in, but at least it’s possible to see an exhibit and eat a meal at a restaurant, either outdoors or inside. It’s been a long wait, but we are enjoying both: viewing art and eating well!
CANVASES IN BIG SPACES
Frick Madison
During renovation and expansion of its home building, the Frick has re-located to what was the Met Breuer and is now called Frick Madison. It was both a surprise and something of a shock to see these works, normally hung close together in very decorated furnished rooms, spread out on vast walls. Some works stood out in a new way which I appreciated. I especially enjoyed seeing the four Fragonard pieces on the progress of love in this venue. Another standout was the portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger. And I loved the tiered displays of ceramics—jugs, vases, teapots—arranged by color, one of blue and white pieces, the other works in shades of magenta.
There is a printed guide to the collection, but it isn’t that easy to follow, so I recommend downloading the Bloomberg Connects app before you visit. It includes guides to this museum and others in NY and the U.K. There is a QR code at the museum to do this, but that didn’t work for us.
Although the museum shop is closed, the café is open. With our friends, we enjoyed coffee and cookies before our entry time. Since the Frick doesn’t allow any photos, you must visit to see the art!
BLACK LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Chief Penguin was particularly interested in the special photography exhibit at the Whitney. We got tickets for opening time; the entry line was short and moved quickly.
Dawoud Bey is a contemporary photographer. This exhibit was entitled, “American Project.” Using a variety of different techniques and camera sizes, Bey focused on Black life in several cities, Syracuse, NY among them. He also made a series of portraits of teens from different schools paired with written statements from each. Many of the photos are black and white.
We also spent some time looking at paintings and sculpture from the permanent collection. Some we’d seen before; others were new to us. I particularly liked the larger than life Black woman with a raffia skirt.
OUTSTANDING TV SERIES
Philly D. A. (PBS Independent Lens)
This eight-part series focuses on newly elected District Attorney Larry Krasner’s first term in office. It is excellent! Krasner campaigned on structural change and reducing the high figures for mass incarceration in the city of Philadelphia. Statistics showed that Philadelphia had a very high prison population, many Black or Brown, and sent youthful offenders to reform institutions at a much higher rate than almost anywhere else. Krasner’s goal is to undo 30 years of practices that don’t work and bring about cultural change. It’s an incredibly difficult and complex challenge; watching him struggle to be successful on several fronts is fascinating.
You get to know some key staff, meet several police district captains, follow a long-term prisoner petitioning for early release, and learn about the entrenched and powerful Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police. It’s a study in how municipal government does and doesn’t work for the community and how so often perception prevails over reality.
I worked in Philadelphia for almost twenty years so the attitudes and some players were familiar. But even for those elsewhere, the issues will resonate and are at the forefront of Black Lives Matter. As a footnote, Larry Krasner is being opposed in the Philadelphia Democratic Primary election next week; we will be following his fate. Highly recommended series!
PERFECT LUNCH!
Meme Mediterranean
In the past, we had frequent dinners at this small restaurant on Hudson Street in the West Village. It’s only a short walk from the Whitney. On this day, we had a delicious lunch at a corner table inside, with the door to the outdoors wide open. We shared our favorite fried artichoke, sampled the meatballs with yogurt and mint, and loved the chopped salad with chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, and grilled chicken. To top it off, abandoning noontime restraint, we each had a glass of a refreshing Albarino.
Note: Header photo by Dawoud Bey is entitled A Man at Fulton Street and Cambridge Place, Brooklyn, NY, 1988. Photos taken by JWFarrington.
