Gingerbread Bake-Off 2024 November 24, 2024
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: Art exhibit, Gingerbread five borough bakeoff, Museum of the City if NY, NYC, photography
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Once again, the Museum of the City of NY brings us the five Borough Gingerbread Bake-Off. I have come to adore these creations even though I am not a gingerbread fan. I am always amazed by the detail and loving presentations from these fabulous local bakers. The Museum invites bakers from across the five boroughs to create gingerbread displays on the theme of “Iconic New York”—creating distinctive buildings, places, or things that represent their neighborhood, community, or borough. This fun exhibition is on through December 25th. The Museum is open seven days a week.
A Cultural Icon November 17, 2024
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, Barbie, Black Dolls, Icon, Ken, Museum of Art and Design, NYC, photography
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The Museum of Art and Design has once again delivered a fascinating, fun and informative exhibit. Barbie®: A Cultural Icon charts the 65-year history of Barbie and the doll’s global impact on fashion and popular culture through an expansive display of more than 250 vintage dolls, life-size fashion designs, advertisements, and other ephemera, along with exclusive video interviews with the doll’s designers. On two floors you can trace the evolution of Barbie from a child’s toy to a global icon, exploring the style trends, careers, and identities that Barbie has embodied and popularized since her debut in 1959. I was in High School when Barbie was created and was way past playing with dolls – after all, it was the ’60’s and we were doing other things. The opening section relays the Barbie origin story and presents all twenty-two original ensemble outfits, while subsequent areas consider the influence of the Space Age; the creation of Christie™, the first Black Barbie doll; the arrival of Ken™; and the creation of the Barbie Dreamhouse™. You will also see Barbie in the iconic fashions of the 1970s, including Groovy Style, beachwear, and disco-themed designs, while sections on the 1980s and 1990s present a selection of diverse Barbie dolls representing a range of ethnicities, body types, and careers, including a feature on the first Black Barbie. The exhibition culminates in the 2000s, spotlighting the continued diversification of characters within the Barbie universe and connecting them to contemporary fashion trends, perspectives, and identities. And yes, that is me, the Octogenarian Barbie at the top the page (you are never too old to be an Icon, right)?This exhibit is on thru March 16, 2025. 
You CAN do it! November 10, 2024
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: Art exhibit, Brookfield Place, Canstruction, City Harvest, NYC, photography
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Canstruction returns to Brookfield Place! The annual design competition challenges teams of architects, engineers and contractors to build sculptures made entirely out of unopened cans of food. The large-scale sculptures are displayed in a free exhibition space open to the public and later donated to City Harvest to help feed those in need. Canstruction is an art exhibit and Canstruction is a fundraiser. There are 23 sculptures that populate the two levels of Brookfield Place. This year’s sculptures run the gamut from fairytales to cartoon characters to movie villains. There’s Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Pokemon’s Squirtle, Perry the Platyus and Remy. They are joined by the man eating plant from Little Shop of Horrors and the scary giant sandworm from Beetlejuice. All of these are made of cans that will eventually be donated to City Harvest just in time for Thanksgiving. Canstruction® New York has donated over 2 million pounds of food to local food banks since 1993, and over 1.2 million pounds to City Harvest since 2006. Since 1992, Canstruction® has raised nearly 82 million pounds of food for hunger relief organizations around the world with its signature, trademarked CanArt. It is a very short exhibition and closes tomorrow November 11th. Perhaps you CAN put it on your list for next year.
Pets and the City November 3, 2024
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, art, Art exhibit, Audrey and Roberta, Flaco, Ming the tiger, Mr. Pepe, nature, NYC, NYC pets, NYHS, Pets and the City, photography
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We went to the New York Historical Society (that has questionably rebranded itself as New York Historical) to see their new exhibition called Pets and the City. Most of us remember when police were called to get Ming the tiger out of a bathtub in the Bronx in 2001, those amazing service dogs at 9/11 and recent history involving Flaco the Eurasian eagle owl’s life after a vandal cut through his enclosure and released him into the wilds of Central Park. The exhibit covers lots of ground and is thoroughly enjoyable. It explores the visual history of New Yorkers and their ‘animal companions over the last two and a half centuries, tracing the evolving relationship between Gotham’s people and its animals as the city grew increasingly urbanized and industrialized.Through a broad spectrum of works of art, objects, documents, memorabilia, and clips from film and television, the exhibition surveys the evolution of pets—from their presence among the Lenape and Haudenosaunee and the hunting culture of settlers through their insinuation into the urban family and onto the pampered pets of today, which enjoy their own public rights. Drawn largely from The New York Historical’s collections, Pets and the City also investigates the reasons for the soaring pet population, especially after 9/11 and during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as issues surrounding pet adoption, the trafficking of exotic animals, and service animals’. The exhibit can be seen through April 20, 2025. Speaking of pampered pets – my Gang of Four can be seen in the bottom photo. If you do not know them already, please meet cats Audrey, Roberta and Pete and our very special dog, Mr. Pepe. Trust me – they are living their best lives.
Presidential Pets October 20, 2024
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: AKC Museum of the Dog, animals, Art exhibit, photography, Presidential Pets, White House
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It is said that President Harry S Truman uttered “If you want a friend in Washington DC – Get a dog.” Not sure if that is true but it still gets a laugh.The Museum of the Dog has a timely exhibit called ‘Presidential Dogs’. Most United States presidents have kept pets while in office. Only James K. Polk, Andrew Johnson, and Donald Trump did not have any presidential pets while in office (however, Johnson did take care of some mice he found in his bedroom). Outdoorsman Teddy Roosevelt was known for his love of animals had the most pets owned as a president at 48. He owned a few strange pets including a black bear, a badger, a hyena, and even a three-legged rooster. President Abraham Lincoln allowed his sons, Tad and Willie, to keep as many pets as they wished. The result was a menagerie that included rabbits, turkeys, horses, and even two goats. According to legend, John Quincy Adams kept an alligator in the White House for several months. More than 30 hounds were listed in George Washington’s journals, including Sweet Lips, Drunkard, Tipler, and Tipsy. Billy, was a pygmy hippopotamus, given to United States President Calvin Coolidge. Thomas Jefferson owned two grizzly bears. William Howard Taft had two cows. President Calvin Coolidge owned two raccoons, a donkey, a bobcat, lion cubs, a Pygmy hippopotamus, a wallaby, a duiker, an antelope, a black bear, and 13 Peking ducks. John Quincy Adams owned silkworms and an alligator, which some posit may be a myth. However, Benjamin Harrison did own two alligators who lived in the White House conservatory. He also kept two opossums as pets during his presidency. Nothing screams American pride like owning a Bald Eagle, which President James Buchanan had as a pet. Martin Van Buren had two tiger cubs, but Congress ultimately forced him to donate them to a zoo. Founding Father Thomas Jefferson owned two grizzly bears. George W. Bush had a longhorn cow. President Woodrow Wilson owned 48 sheep and a ram at one point during his time! While all the previously mentioned presidents had a wide assortment of weird pets, most of them also had dogs, cats, and what most consider to be other “normal” pets. 
Byzantine Bembe’ October 13, 2024
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, Byzantine Bembe, diaspora, Manny Vega, mosaic, murals, Museum of the City if NY, NYC, photography
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The Museum of the City of New York is filled with wonderful exhibits year round and I make it a habit of going several times a year. This last visit introduced me to the colorful, musical, artistic world of Manny Vega. He is an American painter, illustrator, printmaker, muralist, mosaicist, set and costume designer. His work portrays the history and traditions of the African Diaspora that exist in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America. His mosaics and murals adorn street walls, subway stations, cultural centers, and business facades throughout East Harlem. Many of these works celebrate important figures—particularly women—in the history of the Puerto Rican and Latinx communities. His style has been dubbed “Byzantine Hip-Hop” for his uncompromising technical command that encompasses ancient Mediterranean mosaic-making and the electrifying lines of hyper-detailed Sharpie pen-and-ink drawings. As part of the Museum’s centennial year celebration, Byzantine Bembé: New York by Manny Vega explores his visual storytelling as it interweaves community stories with themes that range from African deities to urban mythologies. Deeply rooted in an idiosyncratic understanding of the diaspora experience, which in his case includes communities in El Bronx, El Barrio, and Bahia, Brazil, Vega’s worldview is colorful, danceable, passionately spiritual, complex, yet accessible. The show marks the Museum’s commitment to its thriving neighborhood as it looks ahead to its next one hundred years. Vega has been their artist in residence for this calendar year. This beautiful exhibit is on through December 8, 2024.
Flowers Make Us Happy October 6, 2024
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, Artiste, Fleurs de Villes, flowers, Hudson Yards, nature, photography
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Flowers make us happy. We expect to see flowers in the spring but there is a special joy in seeing them pop up in fall. Hudson Yards once again presents the flower show Fleurs de Villes. This year the theme is ARTISTE – a floral series paying homage to remarkable artists spanning various disciplines. Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE features 15 fresh floral mannequins, each created by a different florist and inspired by accomplished artists from disciplines such as ballet, impressionist painting, literature, culinary arts, opera and more. From contemporary visionaries and trailblazers, to Masters throughout history, Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE celebrates art in all its forms. This beautiful display is on through October 13th on the first level at Hudson Yards. Go and smell the roses! 
Day Trip and Fall September 15, 2024
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, Four Freedoms Park, Nellie Bly, NYC, photography, Roosevelt Island, Tram, travel, Views
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It was Friday the 13th and my pal Robyn and I were off on another NYC adventure (what could go wrong)? We took the Roosevelt Island Tram and headed to what was supposed to be some type of pop-up flower/exhibit/sale event. I realized I hadn’t been to Roosevelt Island in over 20 years where my NYC Marathon buddies and I would train with its magnificent views. A lot has change in 20 years but the old smallpox hospital was still standing. Lots of new housing and the exceptional Four Freedoms Park dedicated to Franklin Delano Roosevelt had been built. We took our time absorbing the stellar views of Manhattan heading towards the original flower goal. As we got closer to the flower part we realized the line was way too long. Neither Robyn nor I are good at lines so we decided to just circle the island. It was hot, but we persevered. Walking to the northern most part of the island we saw the wonderful Nellie Bly Park, public art and the old lighthouse. Heading back to the tram I somehow got tangled up in a wayward dog’s leash and down I went (just like Frazier)! Collective screams and curses could be heard. After assessing if anything was broken we got me situated and headed back to the safety of Manhattan. It was not exactly the day we had planned but adventures can be surprising in many ways. And really, what was I expecting on Friday the 13th? Enjoy the views.
The Great Elephant Migration September 8, 2024
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, art, Art exhibit, Meatpacking district, NYC, photography, The Great Elephant Migraton, wildlife
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If you watch the CBS Sunday Morning show you probably saw last week’s story about this exhibition and these wonderful animals. Well, they are now here in NYC (in the Meat Packing District) and they are a marvel. Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face as you wander through this life size herd. You get close to — and even touch — 100 life-size sculptures of Indian elephants which are beginning a cross-country journey. The Great Elephant Migration traveling art exhibition aims to spread awareness about conservation efforts. The herd consists of replicas of real-life elephants personally known to The Coexistence Collective — the community of around 200 artisans in southern India who made them. Conceived a decade ago by The Coexistence Collective, a nonprofit that helps protect Indian wildlife, the sculptures were first shown in London and India before coming to the U.S. They were in Newport, R.I., before arriving in Manhattan last week. From here they will head to Miami, the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and finally Los Angeles.The organization is planning to sell the elephants off to raise funds for 22 conservation organizations around the country as the tour progresses. Organizers said 30 sculptures had already been sold off, with prices ranging from $8,000 for a baby elephant to $22,000 for the largest tusked specimen. Sales at each site also help support a local nonprofit organization; in New York, it is the Wild Bird Fund. The enormous, life-like sculptures are made out of lantana camara — a tough, invasive weed that’s been encroaching heavily upon the elephants’ natural forest habitat, pushing the animals onto tea and coffee plantations where they live in much closer proximity to humans. Ruth Ganesh, a trustee of Elephant Family USA hopes visitors will learn more about how important it is for animals and humans to negotiate shared space, as more places become uninhabitable for both owing to direct human destruction and the impacts of human-caused climate change. I am sure I will revisit exhibition many times before they move on October 20, 2024 to their next destination. I included a map to help you negotiate. While in that neighborhood you can easily check out the always terrific Whitney Museum and my favorite walk, the High Line. 
Sleeping Beauties August 11, 2024
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, Costume Institute, Fashion, Fashion as art, Metropolitan Museum, nature, NYC, photography, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion
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If you have been to the Metropolitan Museum in the past few months you have seen the insane long lines to get into the Costume Institute’s spring 2024 exhibition, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion. When I have visited the Met these past few months I refused to stand in those lines. However, when I visited a few weeks ago, I was one of the first people into the museum when it opened. I got their QR code for admittance to this exhibit and scrambled upstairs quickly. Luckily I was the fifth person in line and now I understand why these lines were so very long. They only allow a few people to enter at a time. This goofy protocol does, however, give the visitor a great experience. I was basically alone with one other man my whole visit. Continuous curved white walls give the show the feel of a lab, or a maze. The exhibition features 220 garments and accessories spanning four centuries, all connected through themes of nature, which also serves as a metaphor for the transience of fashion. Visitors are invited to smell the aromatic histories of hats bearing floral motifs; to touch the walls of galleries that will be embossed with the embroidery of select garments. The show is built on a base of 15 pieces from the institute’s collection that have become so fragile over time they can no longer be displayed on mannequins (the “sleeping beauties”), along with more than 200 hardier gowns and accessories reflecting organic themes such as roses, butterflies and beetles (nature also being fragile). Its curators seek to “reawaken” these items with a dash of technology and sensory overload: touch, smell and sound. The exhibition is on through September 2nd. Plan your visit accordingly and you will enjoy the creativity and quality of the curators. Factoid: The fashion industry funds the work of The Costume Institute, including its exhibitions, acquisitions, and capital improvements. Each May, the annual Gala Benefit, its primary fund-raising event, celebrates the opening of the spring exhibition. 
While at the Zoo 