Tag: Museum of Modern Art

Day Three Hundred and Ninety-Three Private Members Night-Halloween at the MoMA October 27th, 2026

It is the week of Halloween in New York City and the Museum of Modern Art opened its door for a Members get together.

The MoMA was haunted on a pre-Halloween Night and members of the museum were looking for a fright!

On October 28th, the Museum of Modern Art held their annual Members Night with a Halloween theme “It’s Alive”. They asked members to dress up and carried the Halloween theme throughout the museum with entertainment, refreshments and art lectures on spooky looking art. It was a fun evening out on a warm October night.

The Costumed guests at the Museum of Modern Art

The guests were greeted at the museum with a DJ playing and a pumpkin carving display being created. On the second floor, there were arts and crafts for adults and children, while a spooky silent film played in a darkened hall. The theme of the evening was “It’s Alive” and the museum came to life with each member arriving.

Members mingling among the ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night

The sign welcoming us for the Members Evening “It’s Alive”

https://www.moma.org

https://www.moma.org/calendar/programs/193

https://www.moma.org/calendar/events/11748

Many of the museums were having their Members Nights before the start of the holidays but nothing beats a night at the MoMA before Halloween night. This was no ordinary night of Trick role Treating at the museum. There was a costumed DJ spinning tunes as we entered and the whole lobby was filled with people in costume.

The lobby was the heart of the party

I love the art in the lobby

There was a pumpkin carving demonstration on the first floor when we walked in

The museum planned an array of activities to enjoy from the DJ spinning to the to the dancing and music on the first floor. Pumpkin carving and artwork to enjoy with our creative side to a spooky silent film to watch and then tour the haunted halls of the museum looking for sinister art. Movies and music on the patio as the sun set and the moon rose in the night sky.

Our directory of the evening

My first stop was the outside patio and it was just beautiful this evening with the weather warm at 65 degrees and such a pleasant night to be outside. The cool weather finally gave way to a warm week leading into Halloween. Surrealist movies were playing on the screen while the Beauty of Midtown lights gleaned in the background.

The patio was busy with people chatting and enjoying the nice weather

My video on the patio

The patio fountains were lit for the evening

I then made my way to the second floor to watch a silent horror film, ‘The Cat and the Canary’

The beginning of the film

The movie in full

The silent film “The Cat and the Canary”

Watching the silent film

The silent film “The Cat and the Canary”

While we were watching the film, the tables were set with play dough and paper to create what inspired us. I created my version of Mr. Bill. It was fun being a kid again!

The table setting our spooky instructions

The spooky instructions

My version of Mr. Bill doing the scream

My creative artwork

After my time with the arts and crafts , I sat down to watch the full film which had lots of twists and turns on it.

I needed a drink after the film was over and with it being Midterms week at work, I really needed one to relax me. I eyed the Blood Orange Margarita and watch it get mixed. They even put a small gummy eye at the bottom of the drink.

The Blood Orange Margarita sounded good after a long week of running around

The margarita looked cute but not for $17.00. I thought it was a bit small with too much ice. The candy eyeball was cute though.

As I was enjoying my drink and listening to the music, the museum laid out trays of Halloween candy like M & M’s and Tootsie rolls, which got devoured quickly. As I walked around the lobby, the main floor turning into a dance floor of witches and ghosts and many costumed characters.

The make shift dance floor on the first floor

The party continued on the first floor

I continued the evening walking the galleries of the Fifth Floor looking for Halloween art. There were talks and tours all night and I joined other members on the Fifth Floor and I found many ‘haunting’ objects in the halls of the MoMA.

Artwork on the Fifth Floor

The spider like Alexander Calder piece

The colorful surreal pieces of the Fifth Floor

A missing mysterious magician

A headless Spector rooming the halls

Colorful art dominating the Fifth floor

The party continued into the later evening with the dance floor going strong.

The costumed characters on the dance floor on the first floor

I took a break from the festivities and relaxed on the patio enjoying the warm night and admiring the lights of Midtown. With everything going on in the world today, the MoMA tricked us in for a real treat at the museum that night.

Relaxing in the patio at the end of the evening

The haunted pools of the patio relaxed me that evening.

All good things come to an end and the museum started to close down by 9:00pm. I could tell many of the party goers did not want to leave but out into the darkness we went only to be treated by the array of lights to Midtown Manhattan.

Looking at the MoMA from a distance down Seventh Avenue

Decorating for Halloween has become a big business and all signs of the Fall were around us. Unfortunately with Halloween on Saturday I was already seeing the signs of Christmas lurking in the background. Designers were putting up pine displays and decorations you could see just waiting for Halloween night to end. Still for tonight, Midtown was a haunting display.

Pumpkins lining an office building on Sixth Avenue

The Fall leaves are falling along the sides of West 55th Street

Looking down 8th Avenue at night

It was fun to walk around the City on this warm October night and enjoy the pre-Halloween festivities. Trick or Treat everyone!

Boo!

Day Three Hundred and Sixty-Five Artist Party-Ruth Asawa-Member’s Night at the MoMA November 22nd, 2025

The front of the Museum of Modern Art on 11West 53rd Street

https://www.moma.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d105126-r1040038069-The_Museum_of_Modern_Art_MoMA-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

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.

The opening of the Ruth Asawa Retrospect

Artist Ruth Asawa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Asawa

Home

The biography of the artist and her works

https://www.moma.org/artists/21-ruth-asawa

Biography of Artist Ruth Asawa:

(from the Museum of Modern Art website)

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.

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Four Private Members Night at the Museum of Modern Art ‘Abstraction Unbound’ (MoMA) March 25th, 2025

Day Three Hundred and Thirty-Four Private Members Night at the Museum of Modern Art ‘Abstraction Unbound’ (MoMA) March 25th, 2025

The Museum of Modern Art at 11 West 53rd Street

The entrance of the museum on West 53rd Street

The dazzling works inside its doors

Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies”

MoMA PS 1 22-25 Jackson Avenue Long Island City, New York, NY 11101

MoMA PS 1

22-25 Jackson Avenue

Long Island City, NY 11101

(718) 784-2084

https://momaps1.org/

Open: Sunday-Monday 12:00pm-6:00pm/Monday & Tuesday Closed/Wednesday-Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm

Fee: Adults $10.00/Seniors & Students $5.00/Children Under 16 Free/Free to NYC Residents & MoMA members

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g48080-d107822-Reviews-MoMA_PS1-Long_Island_City_Queens_New_York.html?m=19905

I recently visited the MoMa PS 1 in Long Island City for a private members night and was really blown away by the exhibitions that I saw there. It is all contemporary art but really edgy, probably more innovative than some of the things in the main branch of the museum. Even the clientele was different. I was one of the oldest people there and I am in my early 50’s. There must have been three people older than me.

The museum is built into an old elementary school and with the rooms there some have been merged together for bigger exhibitions and others were smaller and showcased a newer artist or an individual work. The works from current artists are very unusual and I guess you have to like very contemporary art.

Some of the pottery from artist Simone Fattal “Works and Days”

I saw the work from artist Simone Fattal who is from Lebanon. I have to admit her works are eclectic. Her pottery looks like a third grader did it. I was not very impressed even though everyone oohhed and aahhed. It was very unusual.

I also saw the work of artist Gina Beavers whose works have someone always looking at you. Her eye portraits were different but they reminded me of some of Salvatore Dali works of the 50’s. Her works look at you from every direction with a look of judgement.

Artist Gina Beavers works “The Life I Deserve”

One exhibition which was loosely based on the movie “The Shining” by artist Julie Becker. The whole exhibition is made of works that looked like someone just left the room. There were creepy office set ups and hallways. The work was almost surreal itself by trying to confuse you and throw you off balance with her art.

Artist Jule Becker “I must Create a Masterpiece to pay the Rent”

I was able to quickly tour the whole museum which is not as big as its counterpart in Manhattan. It just has a different feel and direction to it.

What was nice about the evening was there was music outside for people to enjoy and there were hammocks that were art of a display at the entrance of the museum. It is a smaller museum that showcases the newer artists and gives them a voice. I have to say one thing is that the museum does fit into the neighborhood as Long Island City is going through a huge building boom and renovation/gentrification of the surrounding area. There is a lot of street art in the area and a lot of residents who look ‘bohemian’ to say the least. It was enlightening night of music and art.

History of MoMA PS 1:

MoMA PS 1 is one of the oldest and largest non-profit contemporary art institutions in the United States. An exhibition space rather than a collecting institution, MoMA PS 1 devotes its energy and resources to displaying the most experimental art in the world. A catalyst and an advocate for new ideas, discourses and trends in contemporary art, MoMA PS 1 actively pursues emerging artists, new genres and adventurous new work by recognized artists in an effort to support innovation in contemporary art. MoMA PS 1 achieves this mission by presenting its diverse program to a broad audience in a unique and welcoming environment in which visitors can discover and explore the work of contemporary artists. Exhibitions at MoMa PS 1 include artist’s retrospectives, site-specific installations, historically surveys, arts from across the United States and the world and a full schedule of music and performance programming.

MoMA PS 1 was founded by Alanna Heiss as the Institute for Art and Urban Resources Inc., an organization devoted to organizing exhibitions in underutilized and abandoned spaces across New York City. In 1976, it opened the first major exhibition in its permanent location in Long Island City, Queens with the seminal Rooms exhibition. An invitation for artists to transform the building’s unique spaces. Rooms established the MoMA PS 1 tradition of transforming the building’s spaces into site-specific art that continues today with long term installation by James Turrell, William Kentridge, Pipilotti Rist, Lawrence Weiner and others.

For the next twenty years, the building was used as studio, performance and exhibition spaces in support of artists from around the world. After a building-wide renovation, PS 1 Contemporary Art Center (now MoMA PS 1) reopened in 1997, confirming its position as the leading contemporary art center in New York. True to the building’s history and form, the renovation preserved much of the original architecture as well as most of its unique classroom-sized galleries.

In 2000, P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center became an affiliate of The Museum of Modern Art to extend the reach of both institutions and combine MoMA PS 1’s contemporary mission with MoMa’s strength as one of the greatest collecting museums of modern art.

A true artistic laboratory, MoMa PS 1 aspires to maintain its diverse and innovative activities to continue to bring contemporary art to international audiences.

(This information was taken from the MoMA PS 1 website and I give them full credit for the information. Please see the web link above for more information).

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