art photos and video

A couple of weeks ago I went to MoMA to see the Max Beckman exhibit, Ansel Adams at 100, and the Andy Warhol: Screen Tests. All pretty cool. The Beckman and Adams exhibits stand on their own, and the Warhol screen tests are worth seeing only if you're already out there. Adams' show are mostly small prints, with so many from the early years and a single lone city shot of downtown New York which I happened to really love.

Warhol ends soon on September 1, Beckman on September 29. Adams will be around awhile as it just opened up last month. By the way, don't forget that MoMA offers Pay-what-you wish admission on Fridays from 4:00-7:45 p.m.
Adults $12; Students (with current identification) and seniors (65 and over) $8.50; Children under 16 accompanied by an adult free

soar.

Winged Migration a Jacques Perrin documentary. Just stunning.

Air Family

My sister got married at a food and wine museum. Need I say more?

Two weeks ago, we all went out to Napa, California to celebrate the marriage of Kiki and Emil at Copia - the same place where Julia Child celebrated her birthday. The family all got together in a gorgeous house in Napa Valley, we ate well, drank well, and were awfully merry. Cousins re-unite. Totally fun. Had a Mother's Day Brunch the following Sunday in honor of mom and Joan (Emil's mom), and all the other moms who joined us. Man, I love my family.

Copia

Live webcam of Copia
Here's a live web cam of where the wedding was held (the ceremony took place down on the lower left corner of the web image where those tables and chairs are). The cocktail and photos were taken in the gardens.

Verizon Sucks

I can't even go into it.
But I haven't had a dial tone on my phone for five days now.

wish list

if i had a wish list, the 30GB version of this would be number one:
Apple iPod

snap

look at what i got.
cool.

Easter Sunday

Went to Washington Square Park today and studied a bit of Italian but spent more time with my eyes closed and face to the sun as I sat on a park bench. Saw about two dozen different breeds of dog walk by including an albino doberman. Kind of like that scene in Disney's 101 Dalmations, the owners generally appeared to match their dogs. Walked around the neighborhood just a bit but many of the shops, owned by Italians, were all closed for Easter Sunday. Was an especially beautiful day in the city and pretty peaceful actually.

it's been a long month

this last month has included such events as
a trip to DC
buying a digital camera
housing a vietnamese stranger for ten days in my 150 sf apartment
a visit from the parents (and the doheny's)
a serial play
two trips to matisse picasso at MoMA
a birthday dinner
a visit with a cousin whom I hadn't seen in years
two trips to Carnegie Hall
a three-hour wait to get into the Met's Da Vinci drawings exhibit
a visit with another cousin
a visit with Uncle Mike
seeing Katy Pfaffl play twice
and a helluva lot more.
which makes me too lazy to write.

Been out

Kathy, Maxine and I went to see the Transport Group's production of Requiem for William, seven short plays by William Inge (who won the Academy Award for his screenplay for Splendor in the Grass). We went to see the plays at the Connelly Theatre in the Lower East Side mostly because Matt Yeager, who temped at the firm with us was performing and we think he's pretty great.

Starting up the week was the HBO taping of DEF Poetry, with fabulous performances by so many including Saul Williams, Georgia Me, Lou Reed, and Smokey Robinson and hosted by the affable Mos Def.

Middle of my week I went to Theatre Row and caught Dirty Story at the Clurman Theatre with Stuart, an allegorical play that really makes you think! Ben Brantley reviewed it in the Times.

The BLUES

Went to see the unbelievable concert, Salute to the Blues at Radio City Music Hall, presented by Martin Scorsese for a five hour show representing the best in Blues with renowned artists B.B. King, Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Lyle Lovett, Aaron Neville, Keb' Mo', Dr. John, David Johanson, Vernon Reid, Mavis Staples, Gregg Allman, Chuck D, Aerosmith, Macy Gray, and Mos Def. The year 2003 has been declared "Year of the Blues" by the U.S. Congress. The concert was also being filmed for theatrical distribution and was executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
More on the Blues
Year of the Blues
Martin Scorsese & The Blues
Scorsese's PBS Documentary
Newsday review
Vulcan Productions press release
Another press release
Marshfield News Herald

Don't throw it away!

Before you throw something away, consider donating it.
New York City's Department of Sanitation encourages you to reuse, recycle, repair, or donate items you may have thought about throwing out to help reduce the amount of garbage in NYC. Start here for an alphabetical listing of items you want to throw away, and what to do with it, beginning with "A" items such as appliances, autos, air conditioners, and continue down the alphabet.

Especially useful is this list of places to donate in or around New York. What can you donate? Eyeglasses, hearing aids, clothes, food, electronics, furniture, autos, computers, construction materials, office supplies, just about everything. It's a slightly greater effort to donate than to set something on the street corner, but consider that you may be helping someone see better, hear better, be warm on the streets of New York, or have a bed to sleep on. You'll also reduce the amount of garbage in New York City, of a greater reaching impact than you may presume.

Also, NYCDS has a hotline: "...try the NYC Stuff Exchange hotline (1-877-NYC-STUFF or 1-877-692-7883) to locate businesses or organizations in your area where you can donate, buy, or sell quality second-hand goods, and repair and rent goods instead of spending money on new items. The hotline is toll-free for callers within the City; outside callers may dial 212-509-4850."

Matisse Picasso at the MoMA QNS

Picasso Self-Portrait with Palette, 1906. Matisse Self-Portrait, 1906 from MoMA.
A blockbuster exhibit in the making, Matisse Picasso, will be at the MoMA QNS from February 13 through May 19. The extraordinary show was previously at the Tate Modern in London (over a half a million visitors!) and the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais in Paris. I was lucky enough to buy tickets early through my firm and prefer going in April or May as I can skip the coat check (the MoMA QNS at 25,000 square feet has a smaller lobby much less equipped than the 85,000 square foot home in Manhattan, where it is currently under renovation until 2005.). The enormity of the collaboration can't be understated. So seldom are shows of this caliber available. And so close to home! Even my friends will be traveling from out of state just to get to this exhibit.

See:
Matisse Picasso about the exhibit and an excellent chronological timeline
Museum of Modern Art Matisse Picasso exhibit information at the museum
MoMA home
Matisse, Picasso and Concerns About the Crowds from the New York Times, January 27, 2003, by Robin Pogrebin

Also, to note, from MoMA: "One Monday of each month during Matisse Picasso, the Museum will remain open late, with pay-what-you-wish admission from 4:00 p.m. through 7:45 p.m. This reduced admission is available on a first come, first served basis."
Dates are: February 17, March 24, April 21, and May 12

Cook for the Cure

About every three minutes, one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. Every thirteen minutes, a woman dies because of breast cancer.
Cook for the Cure was created to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. If you're thinking about buying a KitchenAid, the specially produced pink stand mixers provide a $50 donation to the foundation, and other KitchenAid products contribute too. It's great.

Gastronomic Gourmet shops in Greenwich

Got up this afternoon and felt like a European as I popped around Bleecker Street, running my weekend errands.

First stop, the Laundromat on my block, second stop, Rocco’s (243 Bleecker), the Italian Pasticceria known for its freshly-squeezed cannoli, where I go every Saturday for my cup o’ joe, and last bit before the real food run, the hardware store. I crossed the street to Strawberry Fields supermarket at 311 Bleecker Street for some cupboard basics. Next door at 309 Bleecker is where Thomas Paine spent the last year of his life in 1809.

Crossed back over Seventh Avenue and made for Murray’s Cheese shop at 257 Bleecker, with the country's best cheese selection of over 250 varieties from around the world at great prices (I picked up a ceramic pot of St. Marcellin for $4.99 and nice wedge of cave-aged swiss @ $10.99/lb so I can make grilled cheese sandwiches) and friendly fellows serving. Because they were out of bread, I headed into Zito’s Italian bread bakery, around since 1924, to grab a baguette next door at #259. I crossed the street to Faicco’s Sausage shop at 260 Bleecker where the shelves are lined with marinated Italian olives and artichokes, dried pasta, vinegars, specialty spreads, and cans and cans of tomato products. Alongside are Faicco's acclaimed sweet and hot Italian sausages (I got hot sausage for $4.99/lb and super fresh ground beef for $3.99/lb), ready prepared meals, ground meats, and fresh chops. Plus, adoring and adorable Italians behind the counter. Last stop, Turquacino, my little gourmet grocer’s with just what I need, plus a hot bar and upstairs seating area for quick eats.

Take a trip to this block of Bleecker one Saturday for excellent groceries and you’ll feel like you’re in some little part of Europe. Oh, and a new café called Noi Café (in Italian, it means "Our Café") just opened. I’ll have to check that out another time, but in the meantime, get your creamy risotto at the Risotteria at the corner of Bleecker and Morton - a little expensive, but always perfect for a cold wintery day or John's Pizzeria, according to others, New York's best pizza.

**Note** Murray's cheese has since moved across the street to #254!

catch

Ok, on my return trip on Washington Deluxe, the bus arrived half an hour late, and by the time we actually departed after the bus driver collected tickets and payment, it was a full hour late. If you're not in a hurry, it's really not a big deal, but that's pretty much the only drawback to the price you pay.