#66 Another New York City Blitz
Hurry, Some Great Shows and Exhibits are Closing Soon
When Ronald S. Lauder announced that he was showing most of his private art collection to the public at the Neue Gallery’s Twentieth Anniversary Celebration until February 13, 2023, we knew we had to plan another weekend to New York City. That exhibit is well worth a visit but more on that in a moment.
Amtrak to Penn Station in Mid-town New York and we meet our daughter for a quick lunch at the Empire Diner in Chelsea. It’s looks like old fashioned diner with a farm to table vibe (yum), We retrieved our bags from her apartment and made our way to the Warwick Hotel on 54th and 6th Avenue. At one time Broadway actors and actresses resided in this hotel. They decorate the modern hotel with old-timey photos of the actors and actresses.
The Warwick is one of the best bargain hotels near the theatre district. If one joins their loyalty club, Warwick Journeys, you get reduced rates on rooms and various perks. On this visit, we got early check in and a free welcome drink in the bar. The rooms are spacious and clean. On a previous visit, one of the elevators was broken so there were long waits. On this visit, there were less people in the hotel and no waits at the elevators.
After a little rest, we taxied up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the Tudor exhibit and a few other nuggets. Since the exhibit was scheduled to close that weekend on January 8, the people were there in droves. The Tudors are having their moment in popular culture with the play Six on Broadway and multiple popular novels. They loved to parade wealth and power through their possessions and there were many paintings, tapestries, carpets, and coats of armor on display. I’m sorry to say, that exhibit has moved on.
Maize God emerging from a Flower -Maya 7th–9th century photo by Joan Naidorf
Next door to the Tudors and much less crowded was Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art, which is being shown through April 2. From the Met Website:
“Maya artists, who lived in what is now Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, depicted the gods in imaginative ways from the monumental to the miniature—from exquisitely carved, towering sculptures to jade, shell, and obsidian ornaments that adorned kings and queens, connecting them symbolically to supernatural forces. Finely painted ceramics reveal the eventful lives of the gods in rich detail.
Created by master artists of the royal cities of the Classic period (A.D. 250–900) Maya, the nearly 100 landmark works in Lives of the Gods evoke a world in which the divine, human, and natural realms are interconnected and alive.”
Without the crowds around us, I found this exhibit to be quite entertaining and educational. I have been to several of the Mayan sites in Mexico but had missed the treasures from the other countries. Again, this exhibit is only up until April 2, so hustle over.
If you walk a little too fast through the second floor hallway, you might miss a delightful little exhibit titled: The Power of Portraiture: Selections from the Department of Drawings and Prints. The exhibit features images and the work of several African-American artists who I suspect are very much under-represented in much of the museum. From the Museum’s website:
“Featuring a dazzling selection of prints and drawings ranging in date from the early seventeenth century to the present and including several new acquisitions, the current installation explores themes of artistic lineage and homage with a primary focus on portraiture. At its heart are works by members of Black Women of Print, a collective founded by Tanekeya Word to promote the visibility of Black women printmakers and create an equitable future within the discipline of printmaking. These dynamic images pay tribute to earlier Black women artists, among them Elizabeth Catlett and Emma Amos, whose works are also on view.
Their prints, along with those by Lorna Simpson, Charles White, Fred Wilson, and John Wilson, reveal the expressive potential of portraiture. By depicting both anonymous sitters and well-known figures such as Malcolm X, Lena Horne, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., these artists call attention to the relationship of representation and power. Willie Cole’s monumental works further extend the boundaries of the genre, using steam irons and ironing boards to point to histories of unrecognized labor.”
This print by Elizabeth Catlett, Sharecropper (detail), 1952 (published 1968-70), caught my eye and of course the photo does not do it justice. This exhibit also was closing on the weekend we were visiting.
Sharecropper by Elizabeth Catlett photo by Joan Naidorf
After our first museum visit, we walked over to the B Café on East 75th Street. On this weekend, our weather was in the thirties, which felt like a veritable heat wave. Last year when we were in New York City in January of 2022, it was ten degrees. The B in B Café might stand for Belgian with a lovely selection of Belgian beers on tap and a nice selection of Belgian food for dinner. We met our daughter and her friend as we got a nice table in the covered (and heated) backyard garden. The stew, mussels, and frites were all yummy. I had some Kwak beer but sad to say that they no longer serve it in the distinctive glass flask. They said they could not keep them from breaking.
On Saturday morning, we took our time and walked over to a deli we wanted to try. There are several classic delis still existing in New York City and we enjoy trying them out. This time, we were delighted to visit Sarge’s on Third Avenue. With no wait, no line, great deli favorites and friendly service, this might just be one of our new favorites. The portions are large but not crazy bring half of it home size large. Perhaps we are getting better at ordering.
Photo by Joan Naidorf
We had plenty of time to walk back to our hotel to relax for a while before the matinee performance of Funny Girl at the August Wilson Theatre on 52nd St. This show has gotten great reviews since former Glee actress Lea Michelle took over the lead role several months ago. She and the production deserve all the rave reviews for the jaunty revival of a Broadway classic. Like many recent revivals, the messaging to young women is tragically dated from the last century. Yes, ladies, you can shine bright and be loud and successful, even alongside or in the company of your husband. The wife is in no way responsible for the poor and criminal decisions of the husband.
I would hustle to see this show before Ms. Michele leaves it in May of 2023. The Thursday performances are played by the understudy so may be the only days that tickets are widely available. We got our tickets in a ticket reselling website and had to sweat a little about when the tickets would actually arrive at our house before we left for New York City.
Photo by Joan Naidorf
After our matinee we headed to Greenwich Village to eat at a classic Italian place, Montes Trattoria. It is right there on crowded McDougal Street and certainly lives up to its good reputation. It was a little too loud and crowded for my taste but we certainly enjoyed our dinner.
We slept in a little on Sunday morning before our next scheduled activity. We met our daughter at Café D’Alsace, a stylish and airy café on the Upper East Side (2nd Ave and 82nd St.) The coffee drinks are served in large steaming mugs and the brunch/lunch menu absolutely serve’s everyone’s needs. Plus, the restaurant was just a short walk on that chilly January morning to the Neue Galerie at Fifth Avenue and 86th Street.
Timed tickets for the special exhibit of the Ronald S. Lauder Collection can be purchased in advance online. The prices start at 25$ and lower prices are available for seniors and students. This is part of the description from the Gallery website:
“Developed over the course of 65 years, the Lauder Collection is defined by an absolute dedication to art of beauty, quality, and rarity. Only on one other occasion has the public had the opportunity to explore the collection comprehensively, in a special exhibition organized in honor of the museum’s tenth anniversary, which included artworks dating from the third century BCE through the twentieth century. Now, for its twentieth anniversary year, the Neue Galerie reveals the continued evolution of the Lauder Collection, including masterworks of Greek and Roman sculpture, Italian thirteenth and fourteenth century gold-ground paintings, objects for a Kunstkammer, and Austrian and German painting, sculpture and decorative arts from the early twentieth century.”
One of the highlights of the collection and the gallery is the stunning Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I painting by Gustav Klimt. Also called The Lady in Gold or The Woman in Gold was completed between 1903 and 1907.The portrait was commissioned by the sitter's husband, Ferdinand Bloch-Baue , a Jewish businessman. The painting was stolen by the Nazis in 1941 and displayed at the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere in Austria. The story of the painting’s retrieval is the subject of the 2015 movie, the Woman in Gold, starring Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann, the niece of the Adele Bloch-Bauer. It’s a pretty good movie to watch on one of your favorite streaming services.
The special exhibit will only be on display until February 13, 2023 so I highly recommend that you hurry to make your plans. If you fancy movie memorabilia, the exhibit holds Mr. Lauder’s Casablanca authentic posters and other artifacts. The Lauder Collection is varied and eclectic in its scope. His art acquisition professional surely has had one of the dream jobs of the last half century. Art lovers should not pass up this unique opportunity.
Central Park Skating Rink photo by Joan Naidorf
We walked back through Central Park to where we had our bags stored at the Warwick. This is a nice feature of the hotel since you cannot bring large bags into any of the museums. A few hours to rest and then we hopped on our quick and quiet Amtrak train back to DC. We got to visit our darling daughter and pack so much into three days. I give my husband all the planning credits. Feel free to borrow our suggestions and enjoy!
