Dear New York October 8, 2025
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: Art exhibit, Brandon Stanton, Grand Central Station, humansofny, Julliard, NYC, photography
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Another October Surprise! I walked to Grand Central Station yesterday to see this unique exhibition of photos of New Yorkers, by New Yorkers, including 600 students. It is a delight for the eyes. The 750,000 people that travel through Grand Central each day have a wonderful opportunity to stop, look and read about some of their neighbors. Humans of New York (HONY- ) is a photoblog and book of street portraits and interviews collected on the streets of NYC by photographer Brandon Stanton. For the next two weeks Grand Central Station will undergo the biggest transformation in its 112-year history, as it becomes a living, breathing celebration of the people of New York. All advertising has been removed from the building and replaced with portraits and stories from Humans of New York. There is also continuous music from the students at Julliard. When I was passing through I heard a wonderful pianist. Stop and smell the roses, as they say. You can follow him on Instagram at humansofny. This exhibition will only be on view until October 19, 2025. 
October Surprises October 5, 2025
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, art, Bats, Flying mamals, Halloween, nature, NYC, October, photography, wildlife, zoo babies, Zoos
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I love October. I love pumpkins, the crisp fall air, the changing leaves, bats and Halloween. Since I always love art, I decided to combine art and bats for this Sunday’s photo montage. Enjoy! 
Bully! September 28, 2025
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, Bully, Mt Rushmore, National Historic Site, NYC, photography, President of the US, Teddy bear, Teddy Roosevelt
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I live two blocks from Teddy Roosevelt’s birthplace which is part of the National Park Service and a National historic site. I must have passed by this house 1,000 times and told myself ‘you should go visit.’ Well, after 28 years of saying that we finally did visit this very special place. Wikipedia tells the complicated story best. This is a replica of his boyhood home. Teddy Roosevelt was the first U.S. president born in New York City. Raised in a townhouse at 28 E. 20th St., Theodore Roosevelt would grow up to be our 26th President and become immortalized on Mount Rushmore. We learn on the one hour, fact-filled tour that he started life as a sickly yet bright boy who exercised to improve his health and began a lifelong passion for the “strenuous life.” There is a separate room with loads of photos, artifacts and even the original ‘Teddy’ bear. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour but I must say that the house needs a real sprucing, dusting and a general upgrade. Pretty sure that in this political time there will not be any funding for this much needed work. Go visit. It is free.
June Leaf: Shooting from the Heart September 21, 2025
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, June Leaf, New Bauhaus, NYC, NYU's Grey Gallery, photography
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Every once in awhile while arting we come across a major talent that nether of us had ever heard about. How does this happen? Well, for too many years art history books, museum retrospectives, articles, etc have focused on either European white males or white males in general. We have been enriched in recent times by museums and galleries opening their eyes, minds, hearts and doors to all. June Leaf if one of those major talent who was blessed with a 75 year career and a long rich life (1929–2024). NYU’s Grey Gallery is now exhibiting a remarkable body of work that revels in the human experience in all its banality and sublimity. Armed with indefatigable energy, an inventive mind, and a wry, closely observing eye, Leaf nimbly navigated the planes of the real and the imagined, holding a mirror up to essential truths while reminding us of our shared humanity. Born in Chicago and trained at the New Bauhaus, Leaf experienced two formative stints in Paris before relocating to New York. The artist’s career took off here in 1968 with her carnivalesque, breakout exhibition Street Dreams at Allan Frumkin Gallery. In the 1970s, living part time in a remote fishing village in Nova Scotia, Canada, Leaf began creating the densely layered drawings and paintings and the expressive tin and wire figurative sculptures for which she is best known. I encourage you to experience her work which is on exhibit thru December 13, 2025.
More Birding While Arting September 14, 2025
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, art, Art exhibit, Arting, birding, nature, NYC, photography
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As I said in a Sunday post about two months ago ” My friend Donald and I have been ‘arting’ about once a week in the museums and galleries of NYC for the past 18 months. I thought I had made up the word ‘arting’ but recently searched its roots. It turns out the term ‘arting’ is not a standard English word, but it is sometimes used to refer to the act of creating art, or the process of using art to understand oneself and the world. Anyhow, it’s a good word and serves our purposes. From the beginning, whenever I saw a bird in a work of art, I would text that photo to one of my bird nerd friends. There is never any context in the text – I just send it to her. Sometimes she responds and other times she laughingly asks if I can buy it for her”. So today’s montage once again features a number of these past texts. This was a fun montage to put together. Hope you enjoy today’s beautiful birds.
Dogs of the New Yorker September 7, 2025
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: AKC, animals, art, Art exhibit, Cover art, Museum of the Dog, New Yorker Magazine, NYC, photography
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We are lucky New Yorkers as we now have another Museum dedicating an exhibition to the celebration of the New Yorker magazine’s 100th anniversary. The AKC Museum of the Dog is now exhibiting a private collection of 44 covers of The New Yorker related to dogs. The collection spans nearly the entire run of the magazine with covers featuring the work of New Yorker notables such as Peter Arno, James Thurber, Charles Addams, and Mark Ulriksen.The exhibition includes commentary on the specific covers with additional background material supplied by the staff and archives of The New Yorker. In addition to the role of dogs in the City, other themes include dog shows, grooming, country life and sports. There is also be a section of covers produced around the Westminster Kennel Club’s annual dog show. This is a fun exhibit (as is the whole museum) and will be running thru December 7th. Woof!
You CAN Get There From Here August 31, 2025
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: Art exhibit, IRT, maps, MTA, NYC, photography, Poster House, travel
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The Poster House is a NYC treasure. They always have fun, informative and unique exhibits. They are closing soon to install new exhibits but the one I share today is on thru November 2. I admit I am a mass transit New Yorker. I haven’t drive a car in over 10 years and do not miss it at all. Our subway system gets all of us where we need to go quickly and cheaply. My earliest memory is paying 15 cents for a ride. The NYC subway token was first introduced in 1953. Over the next 50 years, 6 variations were designed and minted, becoming well-known symbols of the underground transit system. Just after midnight on April 13, 2003, these iconic tokens were phased out and the MTA transitioned to the Metrocard for its fare collection. Now the Metrocard has been replaced by the Omni card which is a tap and go system. This exhibit is focused on The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) which opened New York City’s original underground subway line in October 1904. While the city was one of the most diverse in the country, before the introduction of the subway, most New Yorkers were not in regular contact with people outside their own neighborhoods. Initially extending from the Bronx to Lower Manhattan (with service to Brooklyn beginning in 1908) and forming part of the wider transit system , the convenient and affordable IRT encouraged riders to travel beyond their communities for both work and leisure. This small exhibit features the in-car posters In order to entice people to regularly use the subway. The Subway Sun, highlighted each borough’s unique attractions. Put the Poster House on your regular schedule and visit it often. They also have an amazing gift shop.
Open Wide and Yawn August 24, 2025
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, baby animals, grizzly bears, hippo, lemur, nature, pelican, Scarlet Ibis chick, snow leopard, Tigers, wildlife, wolves, zoo babies, Zoos
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The lazy hazy crazy yawning days of summer are almost over and I am extremely happy about that. It is fun to photograph animals mid-yawning. Enjoy today’s photo montage and try to keep yourself from a yawn.
Dog Days of Summer August 17, 2025
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, Audrey and Roberta, Benny the dog, cats, Dog Days of Summer, dogs, Jack the dog, Mr. Pepe, NYC, photography
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Raise your hand if you think this summer has been stupid hot. (Both my hands are raised). The dog days of summer are those hot and sultry days we are now experiencing. We have officially just ended that period called the dog days of summer— it is that time in August when the humidity is so high that you could cut the air with a knife. This year those 40 days happened between Thu, Jul 3, 2025 – Mon, Aug 11, 2025. I don’t think we are getting out of this weather pattern soon anytime soon. It is historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius, which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, bad luck and curly hair. They are now taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. So I have chosen to share my dogs of summer (both past and present), along with some of my cats to honor this dreaded season. I salute Sweet Benny, One-eyed Jack, Mr Pepe, and some of their walking buddies including Fuego, Conrad, Ivy and Max. Included are my present cats, Roberta, Audrey and Pete. We all await those falling leaves and pumpkins.
Central Park Zoo at 37 August 10, 2025
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: 37th anniversary, animals, baby animals, banded mongoose, big cats, Central Park Zoo, NYC, photography, Red Panda, Sea Ducks, sea lion, snow leopard, Snow Monkey, wildlife, zoo babies, Zoos
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Friday, August 8th, was the 37th anniversary of the Central Park Zoo. I am happy to say I have been associated with the zoo for the past 35 of those 37 years (that is probably how I know most of you). I thought in celebration of the wonderful animals that have crossed our paths (both past and present) I would share some of my favorite faces and photos. See how many you recognize. The zoo began in the 1860s as a menagerie. The zoo or menagerie (as it was called) started inside and around the Arsenal (built in 1848 – which now houses our WCS administrative offices and the NYC Parks Dept). The zoo was modified in 1934 as part of the WPA with the addition of many new buildings arranged in a quadrangle around the sea lion pool. In a contract with NYC, the zoo was completely renovated in the mid-1980s and with much fanfare, reopened on August 8th, 1988, replacing the old-fashioned cages with naturalistic environments. Check out some great photos from the early days of the zoo. Come visit us soon and a very Happy Anniversary!
While at the Zoo 