Whitney Museum of American Art
An every two year occurrence, the Whitney Biennial is designed to showcase trends in art and both emerging and established artists working in a variety of genres. Many of the artists in this year’s biennial are under 40 and their work gets at social, political and racial issues in both understated and more direct ways. I went expecting to find most of it too strange or ugly or outrageous for my taste, and some of it was not aesthetically pleasing—at least not to me. But when I looked over the photos I took, I found that there were more pieces I liked than I thought. What follows is a sampling of some of what we saw.
Society of Illustrators/Museum of Illustration
The Chief Penguin and I like to explore small museums and historic homes. The Museum of Illustration, home to the Society of Illustrators, is just such a place, a gem of colorful artwork that transitioned from being a private club to a tiny museum with a most attractive bar and café on its upper floor. Located on E. 65 Street, it sponsors changing exhibits, invited talks and workshops, and an annual student competition along with displaying works from its permanent collection.
The special exhibit was “Masters of the Fantastic,” an array of sci fi and fantasy illustrations, along with a short film about the making of the 1950’s horror film, “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” The range of artistic styles was impressive and I enjoyed it more than I expected. Definitely a museum to re-visit with the perfect spot for a simple lunch!
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt lived in a house on E. 65 Street. Today that house, which FDR’s mother bought for them (she lived in the other half), belongs to Hunter College and is home to a public policy institute. But the house is also open to the public for free. Here, you can read about Eleanor’s connections to the college and her involvement with its students. Also on display is a set of personal letters Franklin wrote to his cousin Daisy Suckley. They enjoyed a warm friendship, and she frequently visited him in Warm Springs, Georgia. There are also public lectures such as an upcoming one by Brenda Wineapple about the impeachment of Andrew Johnson.
Note: Photos by JWFarrington. Header photo is of a work by Japanese fantasy artist, Kuniko Craft.
