A Salute to Tennis Balls September 13, 2026
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, art, Audrey and Roberta, Benny the dog, fetch, Jack the dog, Mr. Pepe, NYC, photography, tennis anyone, tennis balls, US Open
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I was lucky to be able to work at the US Open for about five years. What did I do there? I was a ‘runner’ for the Associated Press. I essentially sat next to their photographer(s) at court side and when their camera’s memory card was either full or an amazing event happened on the court the memory card had to be ‘run’ back to the media center and given to their editors to send out across the ‘wire.’ It was always fun. It was sometimes hot. It was sometimes rainy. And by the end of my eight hours I was exhausted. I got to see some amazing tennis, talented athletes and probably saw enough tennis in those years to last a life time. I was lucky to be able to get some souvenir tennis balls to take home to my pets. Those years saw a lot of fetching to not only my fabulous dogs…but it turns out my cats enjoyed tennis balls too. Today’s montage salutes those chewed up tennis balls. Here are some photos I took while working at the US Open all those years ago.US Open 2015, the US Open 2014, the US Open 2013 and the US Open 2012 – Game, Set, Match!
Balloon Museum August 30, 2026
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: photography, NYC, art, Art exhibit, Balloon Museum, Southstreet Seaport, Manhatten
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Several weeks ago we went to the Southstreet Seaport’s new attraction, the Balloon Museum – Air Becomes Art, the inaugural exhibition of Balloon Museum’s first permanent U.S. flagship, located at the iconic Tin Building in New York City. From their website “Following exhibitions that have attracted more than 8 million visitors worldwide, DAYDREAM brings together internationally acclaimed artists including Marina Abramović, in a unique interactive experience where visitors become active participants in the artwork itself. Inspired by the moment when reality gives way to imagination, DAYDREAM transforms air, light, sound, and movement into extraordinary artistic experiences. Visitors are invited to move beyond observation and become active participants, exploring environments designed to be touched, traversed, and shared. Suitable for all ages, the exhibition offers a unique opportunity to experience contemporary art through play, interaction, and discovery”. We had a fun time but there were several rooms I dared not enter for fear of falling (ugh). It takes about an hour to go through the installation. For me, this was a ‘one and done’ but there might be braver souls who would be repeat customers.
Make Bagels not War August 16, 2026
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, Cannibus, NYC, photography, Psychedelicatessen: A Powerful Dose of Art, Steve Marcus, Yivo Institute
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The Yivo Institute is a great place to visit and it is free. There are four free exhibits ongoing right now (all interesting) but I focus today on the exhibition called Psychedelicatessen: A Powerful Dose of Art by Steve Marcus.Take a long, strange trip into NYC artist Steve Marcus’ cartoon universe of kosher folk art with a new series of works of Jewish pop art inspired by a parodic fusion of the psychedelic counter culture of the 1960s with Judaism and Jewish culture. Marcus’ hand drawn works on paper and handmade objects are colorful and comical flashbacks that take the viewer on a mystical tour on the magic bus, down an irreverent and insightful road that reveal a quirky sense of humor and a passion for his own roots and culture. Marcus’ new project seamlessly marries his Jewish spirituality with his past work in the counterculture and the cannabis reform movement, putting a modern spin on Jewish topics that create alternative cultural classics for a new generation of Jews. Turn on, tune in, drop in and enjoy, laugh, and space out on Steve Marcus’ kabbalistic Jewish artwork inspired by underground comics, Hasidism, Jewish tradition, and the psychedelic art of the free love era. Shalom and Ahava. Or as we say it in English…peace and love.
Cat and Dog Days of August August 9, 2026
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, art, Art exhibit, Audrey and Roberta, Benny the dog, cats, dogs, Madison the cat, NYC, Pet portraits, photography
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I recently saw some pet portraits on display and began to think about all of the pet portraits I was lucky enough to have been asked to create over the years. I did a deep archive dive into my voluminous photo files and found quite a few portraits that I have created. Honestly, some I remember clearly creating, and others…not so much. Anyhow – cheers to the Dog (and Cat) Days of August. In no particular order I present Turbo, Scoop, Jack (with two eyes), Buda, Amy and Jeffrey, Barney, Beamer, Cuba and Sophie, Benny 1, Benny 2, and of course my Benny. Bernie the Boxer, Binky (the logo for the Binky Foundation), Caledonia, Chaplin, Charlie Brown and Lucy, Coco, Corky, Darth and friend, Elsa, Salvador, Priscilla, Foster, Two German Shepherds, Jpeg, Audrey, Jazzie, Kaiya, Madison, Max, Paloma, Rocco, Dumpling, Susie Q, Tiger and Coco, Ty, Wilma the cat and my very first dog, Donald. Always remember, adopt, don’t shop. The shelters are full and your next pet companion awaits your visit.
For the Win! August 2, 2026
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: American Museum of Natural History, art, Art exhibit, Bling, Brooklyn Dodgers, NY Knicks, NYC, photography, sports, trophy
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Truth be told, I am not a sports fan. When the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to LA, I decided at an early age I did not want my heart broken again. So I never again got head over heels into any sport. Yes, I understand others passions for their team…but it was just not for me. That said, I was delighted to accompany my friend Robyn to the American Museum of Natural History to view the Knick’s 2026 trophy along with a whole lot of other trophies, bling, photos, etc in an exhibit called ‘For the Win’. ‘Highlights include the National Football League’s Vince Lombardi Trophy, one of Jesse Owens’s gold medals from the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, a 2024 WNBA Championship ring from New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart, and Kevin Durant’s 2024 Team USA Olympic gold medal. The exhibition features over 70 objects across more than 15 sports—including baseball, soccer, tennis, boxing, golf, and swimming, revealing how sports prizes have transformed over time from traditional medals and cups into increasingly elaborate symbols of achievement’. Did viewing this exhibit turn me into a sports fan? No. But we did have fun. This exhibit is on through January of 2027
Musical Bodies July 26, 2026
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, Metropolitan Museum, Musical Bodies, NYC, photography
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Musical Bodies is a fun, small exhibit at the Met that I think you should visit. The exhibit is on through September 27th.” From clapping hands and tapping feet to beatboxing and whistling, the human body is a musical instrument. Musical instruments, in turn, often draw their form and decoration from our bodies. Around the world and across time, instruments emerge as powerful vehicles that represent our voices, actions, and identity not only in music but throughout the visual arts, literature, religion, pop culture, and mythology. Musical Bodies is the first major exhibition to explore the relationship between musical instruments and the body by bringing together some 130 instruments, paintings, sculptures, drawings, and more to illuminate how we express who we are, what we value, and what we believe. With works from The Met collection and institutions and collectors around the world, the exhibition explores 4,000 years of art and music history, from ancient Egyptian rattles and musical masterpieces by Titian and Degas to instrument-inspired apparel and one of Prince’s most notable guitars. Musical Bodies will resonate with visitors of all ages, whether you are a musician, a devoted listener, or simply curious about human expression”.
A Doll’s House July 19, 2026
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, Betye Saar’s Black Dolls, NY Historical, NYC, photography
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I returned to this charming exhibit twice to relook at Betye Saar’s Black Dolls. It honors the renowned artist’s 100th birthday and celebrates a landmark promised gift to The New York Historical of her collection of more than 100 Black dolls. Ranging from rag dolls handmade by Black women for both the Black and white children in their care to mass-produced toys and tourist souvenirs, some of which were born of racism, the collection includes Hoo Doo Woman (1974), the only Black doll created by Saar herself. Saar began collecting Black dolls during the late 1960s in Los Angeles, a pursuit shaped in part by absence, as she had grown up in the 1920s and 1930s without owning a Black doll. Curated in close collaboration with the artist and her studio, Betye Saar’s Black Dolls, a selection of 26 dolls from the promised gift alongside 14 doll watercolors and examples of her signature assemblages underscore the imaginative possibilities of play, as Saar reanimates historical objects to endow them with agency, personality, and story. This wonderful exhibit can be seen through October 8, 2026.
Walk on the Wild Side July 12, 2026
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: art, Art exhibit, NY Historical, NYC, photography, Shoe Museum, Stuart Weitzman, Tang Wing
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The NY Historical has opened its new Tang Wing. I went a few weeks ago and was delighted to find this fun, creative Shoe Museum at the entrance. From their website “Everyone on the planet—with few exceptions—wears something on their feet to protect them from the earth. Yet the humble shoe also can be an object of desire, display, and deliberation, transcending its utilitarian purpose. Shoes can be sculptural, serve as historic artifacts, or call up abstract considerations—such as the freighted meanings of femininity, power, domination, and aspiration—for both women and men alike”. Renowned shoe designer Stuart Weitzman and businesswoman and philanthropist Jane Gershon Weitzman have assembled a stunning collection of footwear—from historical examples of workaday shoes to Stuart Weitzman’s own creations to the many “fantasy shoes” that Jane Gershon Weitzman commissioned from artists to display in her husband’s store windows. This extraordinary donation finds a home in our soaring new Weitzman Shoe Museum. The new Tang Wing is now open to everyone and I encourage you walk on over in your comfy shoes and visit.
2026’s Red, White and Zoo July 5, 2026
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, art, blue, July 4, nature, NYC, photography, red, white, Zoos
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Summer is a time for reruns. Accordingly I share last year’s July 4th post. This was a fun montage to create. I didn’t realize how many animals could be included in this red, white and blue themed photo montage. Wishing you all had a safe, happy holiday and kept those pets inside as most are afraid of the noisy fireworks.
Pride Parade 2026 June 28, 2026
Posted by judylobo in Zoo.Tags: animals, art, Audrey and Roberta, Jack the dog, Madison Square Park, Mr. Pepe, NYC, NYC Pride Parade, photography, Pride
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My apartment has a perfect view of the beginning of the annual NYC Pride Parade. It is always festive, colorful, fun and very loud. Hope everyone enjoys the day wherever you are. Stay safe and have fun. My little gang (Mr. Pepe (RIP), Roberta, Audrey and Pete) have gone all out in colors of the rainbow. Most of these photos are from previous Pride Parades but since the Parade doesn’t start for another five hours enjoy my past photos.
While at the Zoo 