Visit Dia: Beacon

It is not that I am starved for indoor activities that I thought Dia Beacon was an incredible visit, but more so that it exceeded my expectations far and away. It is worth the hour and half drive for each and every exhibit especially Carl Craig’s Party/After Party. It would be remise not to mention that the museum itself is a site to behold, nearly 300,000 square feet that epitomizes industrial architecture. The natural light that pours in through the skylights of museum is divine. The massive glass pane windows wrapping the building allows the outside foliage to fuse with the exhibits. The shadows that form on the concrete and hardwood flooring is a photographer’s dream. Dia Beacon is open all year-round sans major holidays and I will be closely watching for new exhibits and guided tours. 

John Chamberlain
Mel Bochner
Robert Smithson
Dan Flavin
Lee Ufan
Lee Ufan
Michael Heizer
Dorothea Rockburne
Dorothea Rockburne
Dan Flavin
Carl Craig
Carl Craig

I am not only besotted with the museum, but also with the town of Beacon. Everyone is welcome. As you walk towards the main drag you are meet with homes prominently showcasing Pride and BLM flags. People holding signs facing traffic like “Honk for Justice”. This is 75-minute express train ride from Manhattan, but you could have fooled me into thinking it’s Chelsea/West Village for it’s progressive, yet quaint vibes.

Notable mentions:

Parking for the museum is included with your tickets and parking downtown was hassle free.

Mask wearing was abundant and people were considerate of distancing on the sidewalks.   

The Roadhouse: Incredible meal, great service and a patio that overlooks a waterfall.

Wonderbar Beacon: Tapas and cocktails are worth the wait.

Storm King Art Center: Outdoor Museum

For over fifty years this Art Center has been a welcoming guest from all over the globe. I’ve been to Storm King in the past and in the wake of social distancing norms, this was a must do weekend activity. There are over 100 sculpture installations throughout the property, but the Center’s dramatic landscape of farmed fields, woodlands, lawns, native grasses, wetlands, and water are also a sit to behold. The landscaping is extremely thoughtful and I couldn’t help but be impressed by invitations to enter areas indicated solely by strategic paths, low cut grass or gravel paths, like breadcrumbs. There is something for everyone. If you choose to look at the sculpture from a far you will surely cover more ground, but you can easily walk 20K steps, either way there are fantastic photo opportunities at every turn. There are also designated picnic areas near each parking lot, so you can take a break and enjoy lunch overlooking the scenery.

Currently, tickets are based on timed entry and in turn there wasn’t clustering of people in the parking lots or the lunch areas. This park is opened rain or shine and throughout the fall. I highly recommend reserving your tickets as soon as possible. This is truly a majestic place that beautifully encapsulates the union of art and nature.

Whitney Biennial

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It doesn’t hurt to visit the Whitney museum with beautiful views of NYC, expansive outdoor installations and a stroll along The High Line. Yet, the real gem is the Biennial exhibit.

I am loving this museum at the moment. I can’t remember when I’ve been to modern art museum and said to myself, I get it. I’m seeing the US from all sides. Yes, there were installations that were painstakingly made, but I had no idea the meaning. There were also political, racial and cultural messaging smacking you in the face. It’s jarring, because its real. Damn it was great to see African American art, artists and topics from Harlem renaissance to a simple cook out. The curators balanced it out, with images of an evangelical baptism in Kansas, industrial presence from Pittsburgh and an abstract of George Washington crossing the Delaware river. All of which deserved thought on where American stands as country in comparison to moments reflected off the walls.

 

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Lastly, I must mention that I was completely engrossed with “Harmony of Difference” by Kamasi Washington. The short had a mesmerizing combination of jazz and human imagery.

Comme des Garcons exhibit @ The MET

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“Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between—Gallery Views”

Clothing is art? Not sure, go see this exhibit and then decide. The fabrics, tailoring, wigs and colors fuel this question. If that isn’t enough all of the pieces literally prompt you to decide with titles such as:

Absence/Presence
Design/Not Design
Fashion/Anti-Fashion
Object/Subject
Clothes/Not Clothes

The exhibit is cozy in size and can be viewed in under 45 mins. I love that the exhibit allows viewers to take any route through a maze of pure white massively curved walls, where the clothing peeks through at every turn.

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The Rei Kawakubo exhibit was made possible by CONDE NAST and will be on view at The MET until September 4th, 2017.
#metkawakubo

 

Scenes from: Italian Street Painting Festival

Street painting is a European tradition which dates back to the 16th century.  Beginning in 1999, this art form has been a featured event at Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.  All the Artists use special pastel colors to bring to life photographs, rich in local and national significance.  As you can see, nuanced and bold strokes gave the work fluidity and dimension.

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