Category: travel

I wondered how families and poor people enjoyed museums in New York City as the entry fees are so expensive.  I had written a story in April about New York museums taking donations, rather than the marked price at the door. But MoMA wasn’t having it last Friday.

I told the bearded hipster at the front desk that I wanted to pay $10. He told me that was not possible, that I had to pay the $25 fee. Now I could have probably gotten a free press pass but I just wanted to see if this donation bit was true. I guess not. I paid the full fee and entered and wondered how a single mother of three could do that.

I had been to two other museums in New York City earlier in the week and they both suggested donations at the door, but I paid the regular entrance fees because I do want to support the institutions and I didn’t have the courage yet to try to get in with just a donation.

It does get pricey visiting museums and going to the theater in New York City. It’s a shame that not everyone can afford it. I think the world would be a better place if more people had more and easy access to the arts.

But here is the rub – if you want to imagine being in the New York City subway or CitiField or Yankee Stadium when the game is over and everyone is storming in one direction, that is how you get free access to MoMA! They offer a Free Friday Nights for everyone. And trust me, everyone comes out. Check out my video below. This was 6:00 pm on Friday, inside MoMA. Free Fridays are from 4 to 8 pm. It’s like ants!

I sort of don’t appreciate the attitude at MoMA. When I entered at about 3 pm and tried to pay $10; the hipster with the beard at the front desk gave me a hard time. Rather than explain, “Sir, if you wait one hour, it is free.” But no, he had me pay the full $25 and then witness this mess where the rest of the city entered free. Not cool. I may not be back for a long time (like they care). I’ll miss Starry Night.

I try to mostly write about art in this blog and when I’m in New York City, there is no absence of inspiration for that. My favorite thing this summer is the Jeff Koons “Sitting Ballerina” sculpture right outside 30 Rock. It’s impressive day and night. The light shimmers off of her. Amazing.

She is such a large scale. As you turn the corner, boom, there she is!  She is 45 feet high, made of nylon.

The last time I was here at 30 Rock, there was a hug Christmas tree there. Now in the same space is this elegant ballerina. She almost looks like a shiny Christmas ornament.

The ballarina was to be there until June 2, 2017, but she is still there.

I read an article yesterday about the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC charging mandatory entrance fees. I never knew the $25 entrance fee was a suggestion.

I’m in NY often and I’ve been to so many of the museums. I’ve paid full price all the time – at the MET, MOMA, the History Museums and so on. I never knew the entrance fee was a suggestion and the way they corral you in and “force” you to pay, who knew it was a suggestion. When I think of all the money I have spent over the years, it burns me up. Sure, I am in favor of supporting the arts, but I don’t like the feeling of being forced, when I didn’t have to be forced. I challenge anyone to try and enter without paying, see how that goes. Try to get around the velvet ropes at all the museum entrances. Even at the Museum of the City of New York, one of my favorites on 103rd and Fifth, they are standing at a podium, mere feet from the entrance, expecting to be paid.

Now they plan on possibly making it mandatory for out of city residents, but even though I live outside of NYC, I daresay I visit more museums there than locals do. But I guess it doesn’t matter now, all these years I’ve paid full price when I possibly could have gotten in for less or for nothing.

Not too long ago at MOMA, I think, I saw a sign at the entrance that said there was a flat fee for a one day NY Pass for New York attractions, it was $109.00. This is for one day, which is great if you’re planning on racing through the city, but it really makes no sense if you plan on visiting three or four museums. Three museums at $25 each is $75 and four is $100, so the $109 is more than you would pay if you went to each place and paid one at a time.

I found a site that sells the passes – the one day for $109, two days for $189, three days are $199 and so on. But again, unless you plan on racing through the city and fitting in many museum or other tourist locations, it makes no sense.

They’re selling ice in the winter.

You know those Chinese Terracotta army/warrior figures, the life-sized solders that were burried Emperor Qin Shihuang’s tomb in 210 BC? Well they are going to be on display at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City from April 3 through July 16, 2017 in an exhibit called “Age of Empires: Chinese Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 BC – AD 220).

The warriors were buried with the emperor in hopes of being his army in the afterlife, they were discoved in 1974 by local farmers who were digging a well.

There will be three sections of ancient Chinese art, 160 pieces, including a 2000-piece jade suite, musical instruments, vessels and so much more. A full program of lectures will go along with the exhibit.

I’m hoping the crowds won’t be too crazy. I’ll be in NY in parts of June and July, so I’m looking forward to seeing the exhibit.

I went to the 23rd Annual Lake Worth Street Painting Festival on Sunday. I go with friends every year (that’s me in the top blog nameplate at last year’s event). It’s a great event in the small town of Lake Worth which is in Palm Beach County, Florida.

They claim 100,000 people attend the event and that there are 600 artists participating. It does get crowded. The streets are shut down in the center of town and art takes over the streets. Amazing art. Here are some photos I took.

Classic.

The Joker.

I dream of Jeannie.

Carrie Fisher.

Golden Girls

It’s 3D when you photograph it. In person, it’s flat.