the MoMa (with Babe)

Joan Mitchell, "Wood, Wind, No Tuba", 1980

As part of the New York City Challenge, Fiona and I visited the MoMa last Friday afternoon during Free Fridays from 4-8pm.  I haven't been to the MoMa for a while, and we were going to go earlier in the week and pay full price.  But our previous attempts to visit were thwarted by a sick and tired babe so I decided we would just go during Free Friday.  I was itching to go but with Fiona not feeling great I didn't want to pay full price if she was going to be fussy and we would have to leave after a short time.

Free Fridays at the MoMa, can be, honestly, a complete madhouse.  If you really want to have any time and space to look at the art then Free Fridays are not the time to go to the museum.  But for a quick and free jaunt through the galleries and exhibits, it's not a bad way to go if you can handle the crowds.  

It ended up being the perfect way for us to visit the MoMa this time.  With Fiona strapped in our BabyHawk baby carrier, we visited ever floor.  Fiona was quite the sport during our whirlwind tour and I took a few pictures of a some of the highlights for me this time around.   We ended our tour in the sculpture garden where I let Fiona walk around.  She was pretty much in heaven there.

Interesting exhibit on re-imagining suburban space after the 2008 housing crisis. 

Felix Gonzalez-Torres, "Untitled" (Placebo) 1991

Mark Rothko

Mr. Jackson Pollack of course

Baby Carrier Shot

Sculpture Garden

Discovering dry leaves....

the museum of arts and design

Last week, as part of the New York City Challenge, Fiona and I visited the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) here in NYC.  The Museum is located in a newly renovated building on Columbus Circle that used to be a real eyesore but now looks absolutely fantastic.  I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about taking my 11 month old daughter to an art museum.  How long would her attention last?  Would she cry out or yell?  How much of the museum would I be able to enjoy?  Well, with these questions running through my head I bravely wrapped Fiona to me and set off on the subway to find out.

The museum has a great feel to it and uses the location of Columbus Circle as one of it's installations, showcasing the location through the windows inside that act as a frame.  And the feel of the space is airy and open without feeling overwhelming.  It's just a great space to show art.   The permanent collections were nice, but it was the special exhibitions that really caught my attention.   We first visited Swept Away: Dust, Ashes, and Dirt in Contemporary Art and Design, part of a series of exhibitions the museum has had that explore unusual mediums.  The art made with these ephemeral materials introduces many interesting questions about permanence of objects and materials.  Much of the work is grey and has a somber tone which seems to emanate from the nature of the mediums.

This work is called Unfurling Splendor (Adaption IV) by Catherine Bertola.   At first glance it appears to be a lovely damask stencil or wall paper, but the patterns are made with dust over PVC glue.  You can see the dust bunnies as you get closer!  How unexpected to use dust this way to show something so intricate from something so ordinary.

I loved this piece called Murder by Maskull Lasserre consisting of ravens made out of burned wood.
The artist wrote of the piece that "I only make work that I don't understand.  Relationships that are easily harmonized, ideas that have completeness in my mind, don't need my intervention in the material world."  This sentiment really resonates with me - the idea of the artist exploring things they don't understand.  However, I also find I understand things in a new way as I explore them even if I think I have an understanding of the work.

Isn't the view north on Broadway stunning from this window?

Javier Perez's Carrona, 2011. 

The Glasstress New York exhibit had some fantastic glass pieces from the Venice Biennales.

Mike + Doug Starn's Untitled, 2011. 

Jaime Hayon's Testa Mecanica, 2011. 

Beautiful stained glass - but I missed the artist's name!  Let me now if you know who this is by!

Fiona was an absolute angel during our whole trip.  And I think we were there almost 2 hours.  She was quiet and seemed to be engaged.  Once we were done we took a trip up to Robert, the restaurant at the top of MAD to check it out.  Of course, the views were fantastic.  I hope to be coming back for a date night at Robert!!!

UPDATE The New York City Challenge

So, as Patrick, my husband, pointed out to me yesterday, so far I have pretty much failed my New York City Challenge.  It's certainly not for lack of motivation, but we have been struck by one bad cold after another here in the Regan household.  Fiona has been sick almost every week for the last month, and when she hasn't been sick, I have...so...the challenge was a bit too challenging for us to complete last month.  Although we did make it to the Children's Museum of the Arts.  But I am newly committed and Fiona and I went to the Museum of Arts and Design in Columbus Circle today to restart the challenge (post to follow soon) and plan on going to the New York 20th Century Art and Design Fair tomorrow at Lincoln Center.

We have been lucky as the last month has really been the first time since Fiona was born that we have been sick.  But we were hit hard and I now completely understand why parents dread illness!  Not only is your baby sick, which is miserable, but if you and your spouse are also sick, you can't take a sick day from taking care of your baby!  But even if you aren't sick yourself, a sick baby means staying home from activities with a miserable kiddo so your baby can rest and not infect other kids...which, as a stay-at-home-mom, makes me absolutely stir crazy and starved for company!

'Wee Arts' at The Children's Museum of the Arts

Fiona and I met another Mom and her 17 month old daughter yesterday at the CMA for their Wee Arts Morning Drop-in session for kids ages 10 months to 5 years. Fiona is 10 months today so I figured why not give it a try since Fiona has been cruising around like a champ and becoming quite the explorer around the house.

I have a couple of friends that work at the CMA and they have been raving about the newly opened location since it debuted last fall and I can see why. With tons of windows and natural light streaming in, the space is open and bright, providing a blank canvas for kids to create and explore. The Wee Arts area is a special area of the museum just for kids 5 and under. There was a clay station, a magnet station, paint stations and a block play area. We could freely move around to the different stations for the first 45 minutes of the session, with CMA employees assisting. Fiona played with clay for the first time, and didn't even try to put it in her mouth! Very impressive. Is the oral exploration phase ending?

After 45 minutes of free play at the different stations, one of the CMA employees played guitar and sang songs, played drums with the kids, and then read them a story. And after class, we were invited to go play in their ball room (Fiona and I just watched everyone play, since she is still wobbly on her feet and there were a lot of kids). For $22 per family, I think you really get your money's worth. And Drop in classes are my favorite type of class these days! No pressure.