The Institute of Italian Culture has a small gallery in it that several times a year hosts small art gallery events that are open to the public. This one caught my eye when I saw the picture of Sophia Loren looking back at me when I passed.
I thought it might be interesting and I stopped to see “Italians: Italian Women who changed the World” by artist Salvatore Catalano. The gallery held about fourth pictures of Italian women from all over the world and of different time periods who influenced art, fashion, politics and business.
There were many names I recognized and a few who I did not know. The works were very interesting and engaging.
The sign that welcomes you to the gallery
The main gallery at the Instituto Italiano di Cultura for the “Italiana: Italian Women Who Changed the World” exhibition
The exhibition Italiana: “Italian Women Who Changed the World” by artist Salvatore Catalono highlights the many impressive achievements by Italian women over the course of the last few centuries, until today.
(From the museum website):
These formidable women all greatly impacted the world in one way or another, often also against the odds imposed by a “male-ruled” society. The selection of 22 portraits includes scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs, artists, humanitarians and writers. These women all accomplished incredible feats and have contributed to the world in ways that still continue to resonate nowadays.
The Institute of Italian Culture exhibition sign:
The show Italiana: Italian Women Who Changed the World”
These were my favorite sketches from the show and women I most admired in the show.
Miuccia Prada, of the Prada fashion empire
Catherine de Medici, who revolutionized French Culture
Sophia Loren, the famous Italian actress
Lidia Bastianich, the Chef and restauranteur
The sketching’s represented different eras.
(From the museum website)
They are not all household names, but they are all at the top of their professions and exemplify the spirit of Italy. Salvatore Catalano uses his art as a vehicle to transmit these stories and to highlight the lives of these incredible Italian women.
(from the Italian Cultural Institute of New York website)
Salvatore Catalano is an artist, illustrator, and educator. Catalano works in all forms of visual communication. His art has appeared on everything from postage stamps to billboards and his work is in many private and corporate collections. He is an educator at the college level, teaching in New York City and Florence, Italy.
Catalano has worked with The United Nations, U.S. Government, Department of The Interior, National Audubon Society, The New York Times, The New Yorker, ABC, CBS, NBC, American Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, N.Y. Zoological Society, Merck, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola, Seagram’s, General Foods, Sony, Panasonic, Citibank, Scholastic, Harper-Collins, Bantam-Doubleday, Dell, MacMillan, DuPont, Exxon, State of New Jersey Children’s Television Workshop, McGraw-Hill, Ranger Rick, among others. He has also worked on more than thirty books for children.
The History of the Instituto Italiano di Cultura in New York City:
(from the Instituto Italiano di Cultura website)
The Italian Cultural Institute in New York was founded in 1961 by the Italian Government. Its mission is to promote Italian language and culture in the United States.
Under the guidance of its trustees at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its advisory board, and its staff, the Italian Cultural Institute in New York fosters cultural exchanges between Italy and the U.S. in a variety of areas, from the arts to the humanities, to science, and technology.
Central to the Italian Cultural Institute’s activity is its collaboration with the most prominent academic and cultural Institutions of the East Coast. The scientific exchanges, the organization of, and support to, visual arts exhibitions, the grants for translation and publication of Italian books, inspire and nourish the Institute’s initiatives.
In particular, we focus on the relationship between memory and innovation, and the multiplicity of identities in the Italian civilization. The Italian Cultural Institute in New York, therefore, provides an “open window” on main cultural and social aspects of past and current Italy.
One of the things I love about being a member the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the private Member’s Night ‘Met After Hours’ they hold about four times a year. The museum is open after the closing hours and it is a night of wondering the museum galleries, great music and entertainment and wonderful tours and talks in the galleries. You really experience the museum at its best and it does shine.
The lines move very quickly to get into the museum and with traffic getting into the City that night, I arrived about twenty minutes after opening and there were no crowds to face and I got right in. There’s always a sense of excitement on these nights.
The Grand Hall in the front of the museum decorated with Spring flowers
The beautiful Spring flowers lined all the urns around the Great Hall
The museum welcoming all the members of the museum at ‘The Met After Hours’
I started my walk around the galleries in the Greek Wing touring the main hallway. It still boggles my mind how old these statues are and I am looking at something almost two thousand years old.
The Museum’s collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than thirty thousand works ranging in date from the Neolithic period (ca. 4500 BCE) to the time of the Roman emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity in 312 CE. It includes the art of many cultures and is among the most comprehensive in North America. The geographic regions represented are Greece and Italy, but not as delimited by modern political frontiers: Greek colonies were established around the Mediterranean basin and on the shores of the Black Sea, and Cyprus became increasingly Hellenized. For Roman art, the geographical limits coincide with the expansion of the Roman Empire. The department also exhibits the art of prehistoric Greece (Helladic, Cycladic, and Minoan) and pre-Roman art of Italic peoples, notably the Etruscans (Metropolitan Museum of Art website).
One of the statues that stood out that evening
I spent some time admiring the statues and the craftsmanship of the works along the hallway. The only problem is that most of the Greek and Roman Galleries were closed for the evening so I headed off to the Renaissance Wing. I love the luxury objects in the collection of silver and gold and again their craftsmanship is still unrivaled today. To make these objects takes intensive work and talent.
The timepieces show how advanced science had become and the importance of it in not just measurements but in beauty.
The lobby of the American Wing with the facade of what was a former bank and a Wall Street private mansion. I love the quiet elegance of this building and to think they moved it here piece by piece. The American Wing Cafe was open for the evening and the area was busy throughout the evening. It is nice to just sit and enjoy the views by the fountain. The artwork is beautiful.
Visitors to the American Wing will experience in more than 75 galleries on three floors varied art, design, and culture from the mid-seventeenth to the mid-twentieth century, with some contemporary expressions, by a diverse array of artists from across North America. Since our founding in 1924, this curatorial department has evolved its collecting to include some 20,000 artworks in many mediums by African American, Asian American, Euro-American, Latin American, and Native American makers, affirming ever more inclusive definitions of American art and identity. These dynamic holdings include painting, sculpture, drawing, furniture, textiles, regalia, ceramics, basketry, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, as well as historic interiors and architectural fragments, produced by highly trained and self-taught artists, both identified and unrecorded (Metropolitan Museum of Art website).
The evening then moved to the Egyptian Wing and the Temple of Dendur, where the entertainment and the cocktail bar was located.
The Temple of Dendur is the hub of activity on Members Nights
This small temple, built about 15 B.C., honored the goddess Isis and, beside her, Pedesi and Pihor, deified sons of a local Nubian ruler. On the outer walls between earth and sky are carved scenes of the king making offerings to deities who hold scepters and the ankh, the symbol of life. The figures are carved in sunk relief. In the brilliant Egyptian sunlight, shadows cast along the figures’ edges would have emphasized their outlines. Isis, Osiris, their son Horus, and the other deities are identified by their crowns and the inscriptions beside their figures (Metropolitan Museum of Art).
These scenes are repeated in two horizontal registers. The king is identified by his regalia and by his names, which appear close to his head in elongated oval shapes called cartouches; many of the cartouches simply read “pharaoh.” This king was actually Caesar Augustus of Rome, who, as ruler of Egypt, had himself depicted in the traditional regalia of the pharaoh. Augustus had many temples erected in Egyptian style, honoring Egyptian deities (Metropolitan Museum of Art).
The area was packed with patrons enjoying music and talking by the bars. The crowds were so large at the beginning of the evening that I waited until after 9:00pm for the second performance of the group playing. So I headed into the section of the Egyptian Wing to look at the galleries that were open. I love walking around the Egyptian Wing of the Met. It is one of the most extensive collections outside of Egypt and the most fascinating Mummy exhibition.
Admiring one of the Mummy exhibits in the Egyptian Wing
The Department of Egyptian Art was established in 1906 to oversee the Museum’s already sizable collection of art from ancient Egypt. In the same year, the Museum’s Board of Trustees voted to establish an Egyptian Expedition to conduct archaeological excavations in Egypt. Between 1906 and 1935, The Met’s Egyptian Expedition worked at a number of important sites, including Lisht in the north and Thebes in the south, and the objects gifted to The Met by the Egyptian antiquities service form the core of our collection. Over the years, the Department of Egyptian Art has also been able to acquire, through purchase and bequest, several important private collections (Metropolitan Museum of Art website).
The ancient tablets outside of the Mummy Exhibition
The Egyptian artwork outside the Mummy Room
The tablets outside the Mummy Room
When the whole gallery is open, it is a treasure trove of objects and information from each Dynasty. I have been mind-boggled by these galleries since I first visited the museum in the third grade for a class field trip. I remember sketching artifacts for a class project and am still fascinated about how old some of these objects are and condition they are still in after thousands of years. It is my favorite part of the museum.
By 9:00pm, the entertainment was starting again, so I joined other members for a cocktail and enjoyed the music in the Temple of Dendur Gallery.
The Temple of Dendur fully lit for the evening before the start of the entertainment
The signature cocktail of the evening, the Starlight Spritz
Enjoying a Starlight Spritz while listening to the music
The bartenders can mix a drink
After a long week at work, it was nice to relax and enjoy the music. The music that night was performed by artist Jasim Perales and Friends, an Afro-Latin Jazz performance. The music was relaxing and soulful and the crowd had a wonderful time.
The start of the music again at 9:00pm
The trio performing
A clip from the entertainment that night
The Master of Ceremonies that night, Jasim Perales
All good things come to an end and it was time leave. The night was dark and the winter air was crisp creating the perfect Winter evening to set out into for the walk back to Port Authority. The Upper East is so beautiful at night.
The front of the Met that night
The artwork is always so impressive outside the Met
It was in the low 40’s that evening and the perfect night for a walk around the Upper East Side and Midtown. It still surprises me after all these years of walking around Manhattan how beautiful the City really is at night.
It was another spectacular evening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Thank you to the Membership and Special Events Departments for hosting another wonderful evening.
I love the holidays in New York City. There are so many Christmas themed events to go to and decorated homes to visit. One of my favorite tours is at the Met Cloisters for their Christmas themed walking tours that take place from December through early January.
The Cloisters Museum & Gardens: A Branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
To finish my weekend of holiday festivities before the Epiphany, I took the annual Christmas walking tour of the Met Cloisters. The museum hosts an interesting walking tour of the history of the holidays during the Medieval era. Each tour has a different theme to it. There is the history of Christmas in that era, the use of plants and flowers in the decorating of the religious sites and the historic significance of the visit of the Three Kings.
Each tour guide incorporates the artwork, architecture and plants into the discussion. On average you will have about forty people on the tour.
The entrance of the Cloisters decorated for the holidays
The entrance of the gift shop decorated for the holidays
The archways were decorated with seasonal plants and fruits. I read online that the volunteers went into Fort Tyron Park and collected ivy from the wild to decorate the museum. Every day the museum is open during the holidays these are replaced on a daily basis.
The entrance to the galleries decorated for the holidays
We started the tour with a discussion of plants that once decorated churches and ministries
With the change in attitude towards the Christmas holidays during the Middle Ages and its incorporation into church traditions, decorating for the holidays came back into style. The use of holly, evergreen and mistletoe became part of the Christmas tradition and to justify the decorating, they were related to Christian symbols.
The beauty of the life plants in winter
Each of the Cloisters were lined with fresh greens and potted plants giving each of the Cloisters its own special mood.
One of the Cloisters bright with plants
The stairs leading into the chapel decorated for the holidays
The chapel on the main floor decorated for the holidays
The colorful floral displays lining the window sills of the chapel
This led to a discussion about what each plant, flower and fruit meant in the Christian tradition, a clever way to justify decorating and celebrating during the holidays. Ivies, pine, winter flowers and even late season apples not only lined places of worship but gave a festive look and district smell to these buildings. A symbol of life in the cold winter months while they waited for the arrival of Spring.
The plant types that decorated the houses of worship
The flowers and plants lining the chapel
The decorative candle stands lining the walls of the chapel
We then toured the main Cloister, closed for the Winter but was lined with plants, flowers and greens brighting every corner of the building. These were examples of plants and flowers that would have decorated these halls at the holidays.
Walking the halls of the Cloisters
Touring the halls of the Cloisters with flowers and plants to celebrate the season
Walking the halls of the Cloisters
The flowering plants of the Cloisters
The flowering plants and vines that would have decorated churches in Medieval times
We then toured the Tapestry Room and discussed the use of plants in art form and the use of the detail as symbolism in art. These tapestries were meant to cover the drafty walls of palaces and bring in color and decoration to the stone walls.
The famous ‘Hunt of the Unicorn’ tapestry
We then took a detour to the outside gardens that are enjoying their winter slumber. These gardens were used by the cloisters for food, medicines and decorative use. They will start coming to life in a few months.
The Cloisters Gardens
The garden terrace over looking the Hudson River
The terrace gardens in the winter waiting to come to life
Then we went back inside for a discussion of the Three Kings and the Epiphany and its symbolism in art at the Cloisters. These are some of the works featured on the ‘Christmas Tide’ tour to symbolize that visit.
Some of the woodwork from that era
The Visitation of the Three Kings
The Visitation of the Three Kings depicted in stained glass
The Visitation of the Three Kings depicted in statuary
We visited the last of the Cloisters and discussed some of the plants in the collection
We were admiring the plants and flowers
A candelabra in the hallway of the Cloisters
As I exited the building that afternoon, there were potted plants at the entrance of the Cloisters. It was a real treat to walk around the building at the holidays.
The potted plants outside the entrance of the museum
On my way down the stairs and out the door to Fort Tryon Park, I took another walk down the stone steps and walked through Ann Loftus Park. This popular playground was quiet this time of year, awaiting the Spring and the wonderful warm afternoons ahead.
I love coming for breakfast at G’s Coffee Shop after a tour of The Cloisters. The food and service of this small ‘hole in the wall’ diner is wonderful. The meals are so reasonable and when you dine at the counter, you can watch the food cooked right in front of you. I had a wonderful Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich with a side of golden pancakes. What a great meal on a cold winter morning.
The Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich
The breakfast sandwiches here are so good
The pancakes were wonderful. The perfect comfort food on a winter day.
It was a really great tour and it was fun to walk around the neighborhood through the parks and seeing all the post Christmas decorations. Inwood is a really beautiful section of Manhattan with lots to do and see. It is the perfect place to spend the Christmas break.
There is always a lot of excitement when a new art exhibition is ready to open. It is even better when the museum opens it to its members first before the public gets a glimpse. It gives a chance to see the exhibitions before it opens to the public.
The long line of MoMA members waiting to get into the museum for the opening night of Artist Ruth Asawa’s exhibition
I noticed this year especially and right before Thanksgiving, all the museums are throwing open their doors for Member’s Nights. I have been invited to five Members Nights at museums all over the City. You can’t attend them all.
The excitement the museum creates for these evenings
Video of entering the museum at the start of the opening with 80’s Japanese Pop Music
I think in an economy like this, these Members Nights are one of the best ways to engage with the membership for both donations and renewals of memberships especially before the holiday season. Plus it gives the members a wonderful night out to see the exhibitions ahead of time and enjoy the evening after a long week at work.
Born on a farm in Southern California, Asawa began her arts education when she was a teenager and she and her family were among the thousands of persons of Japanese descent who were forcibly incarcerated by the US government during World War II. It was at the internment camp that Asawa began taking classes in painting and drawing. After her release, Asawa studied to be a teacher but was unable to get a license because of her Japanese heritage, so she enrolled at Black Mountain College, an experimental art school in North Carolina. Asawa took classes from and worked alongside fellow artists Josef Albers, Robert Rauschenberg, Merce Cunningham, and R. Buckminster Fuller. Black Mountain was also where she met her husband, the architect Albert Lanier.
I loved her wire woven sculptures.
The wire woven sculptures were the standouts of the exhibition
I thought these were a unique design
I liked here colorful paintings, these are of her child’s footprints. I loved the idea that her children were involved with the art
The patrons enjoying the art
The display of the wire art
The displays were impressive and graceful
The colorful faces looked tired
The look of nature in the wire art in the form of trees
I loved her works of food
At the end of the exhibition and the evening, I joined everyone on the main floor where the bar and gift shop were located. The main floor was the busiest part of the museum. I wondered if some of these people even went upstairs to see the exhibition or just stayed downstairs to socialize.
The main floor of the museum is always packed with people
Share in the excitement of the Membership opening
These evenings always get my mind off the stress of life. It is nice to just be in Midtown Manhattan and be in the moment. It is nice to see art, hear music and walk through the museum.
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 