You are what you eat August 20, 2023
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, art exhibitions, Grolier Club, Henry Voight, Menus, NYC, photography
8 comments
This ‘delicious’ show, which was at The Grolier Cub and was fascinating. It idiosyncratically and chronologically told the story of American gastronomy, and the country itself—in menus. It seems menus came into general use n the 1840’s when only the upper class dined outside the home. The exhibit included menus from restaurants, banquets, soup kitchens, private yachts, and even houses of ill repute.“It’s like a 15-degree slice of history,” said menu collector Henry Voigt, who adroitly curated the show. “You’re looking from a different perspective. It’s not just what people were eating, but what they were doing, with whom they were doing it, and what they valued. It’s a mirror of society. Yes, it runs along class lines, but it represents all classes in various ways. They’re minor historic documents that reflect everyday life. The QR codes that one gets in restaurants these days is depressingly dull. The New Yorker did a piece on Henry Voigt, the collector. You can read it here. The Grolier Club is closed in August but I look forward to seeing their upcoming exhibits in the fall. 
Under Cover July 9, 2023
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, art exhibitions, JC Leyendecker, NYC, NYHS, photography
7 comments
One of my favorite spots is the New York Historical Society.A small exhibition examines the work and influence of J.C. Leyendecker (1874–1951), a preeminent illustrator and commercial artist who helped shape American visual culture in the first three decades of the 20th century through captivating advertising campaigns including the legendary “Arrow Collar Man” and countless covers for the Saturday Evening Post. As a gay artist whose illustrations for a mainstream audience often had unspoken homoerotic undertones, his work is especially revealing for what it says about the cultural attitudes towards homosexuality of the period. J.C. Leyendecker’s favorite model was none other than Charles A. Beach—his life partner. This exhibit close August 13. 
Let Me Entertain You February 5, 2023
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, art exhibitions, Entertainment Nation, National Museum of American History, nostalgia, photography, ruby red slippers, travel, Washington DC
6 comments
I assure you we were most definitely entertained by this fun exhibit at the National Museum of American History On my recent visit to DC we were fortunate to be there on opening day. ‘Through the National Museum of American History’s extraordinary collection of theater, music, sports, movie and television objects, the exhibition Entertainment Nation will feature a powerful, ever-changing selection of objects and interactive experiences. Through the objects and their stories, the exhibition will explore how, for over 150 years, entertainment has provided a forum for important national conversations about who we are, and who we want to be’. The museum has 1.8 million objects that document our culture. Next time you are in DC I encourage you to visit. It is lots of fun and filled with nostalgia.
‘Tis the Season December 11, 2022
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: Arsenal Gallery, art, art exhibitions, Central Park Zoo, NYC, NYC Parks Dept., photography, Wreath Interpretation
8 comments
I go to this fun exhibit every year. The NYC Parks’ annual Wreath Interpretations exhibition returned to the Arsenal Gallery (the Arsenal is near the Central Park Zoo). This year’s collection of wreaths was created by artists, designers, and creative individuals of all ages who have used inventive and unexpected materials to re-envision the traditional holiday decoration. Wreaths included in this year’s exhibition use a wide range of unusual materials, including caution tape, traffic light reflectors, safety pins, bath sponges, rulers, Mardi Gras beads, and sugar meringue. They explore a wide range of themes, such as family history, volunteerism, endangered animals, and chemistry. Each wreath is accompanied by a short artist statement that tells gallery visitors about the meaning behind the wreath. The Arsenal Gallery is located on the third floor of NYC Parks’ Headquarters in Central Park, on Fifth Avenue at 64th Street. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., except holidays. Admission is free. 
Analog City – NYC B.C. (Before Computers) July 10, 2022
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: Analog, art, art exhibitions, Museum of the City if NY, NYC, photography
8 comments
Ever wonder how anything got done before computers? I went to see this new exhibit at the Museum of the City of NY with a friend who is 25 years my junior. I recollected more than she did and we had lots of laughs, shared stories and generally recalled most of the treasures in this exhibit. Analog City: NYC B.C. (Before Computers) uncovers the array of tools, technologies, and lost professions that supported New York City as it exploded into a global metropolis in the pre-digital era. Focusing on the period between the 1870s and the 1970s, Analog City examines the technologies that enabled the city to reach its position as the “capital of the world” in an age before the speed and capacity of today’s digital technologies. Set against a contemporary backdrop of 24-hour news cycles and high-speed trading—in which questions about privacy, truth, and the impact of social media are increasingly pressing—the exhibition uncovers this bygone era of paper files and pneumatic tubes, of note cards and telephone directories, and examines how New York thrived as a center of finance, news, research, and real estate in an era before personal computers and the internet’. This exhibit is on thru the end of the year. Check it out and enjoy!
Hello Dolly! March 13, 2022
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, art exhibitions, Black Dolls, culture, history, New York Histrorical Society, NYC, NYHS, photography
4 comments
The New York Historical Society has a fascinating and informative new exhibit featuring Black Dolls. ‘Black Dolls explores handmade cloth dolls made primarily by African American women between 1850 and 1940 through the lens of race, gender, and history. The exhibition immerses visitors in the world of dolls, doll play, and doll making while examining the formation of racial stereotypes and confronting the persistence of racism in American history.’ The exhibit is on thru June 5th, 2022. I encourage you to visit. For those that like tradition…here is my usual post when we Spring Forward.
While at the Zoo 