Jazz Hands

I just spent a week grapevine-ing down Madison Avenue singing "New York, New York" while a crowd followed. I spent most of my time in East Hampton at the artist's studio and museums (which is right where I wanted to be) but  I did these things in my spare time:
-drugs
-got kissed at the top of the Empire State Building at midnight on Valentine's Day
-ran through Central Park like Pheobe
-swam in the East River
-bought some fabric at Mood that really impressed Nina and Heidi
-got abused and murdered on an episode of SVU
-started singing with Patrick Dempsey and his daughter, inspiring a musical mob in the Park
-lived in the Plaza and wrote down my fun-filled adventures
-attended NYU and spent four years trying to decide between Ben and Noel
-became a Rockette, but then decided that I'd rather just work as a freelance kick dancer
-was featured on a fashion blog

Ok, I didn't really do drugs.

I've decided New York is pop culture. You can't visit in the way you can other places, because if you've watched enough Seinfeld, Friends, etc. you already know the city. I knew the street names and landmarks so well, that walking around the city felt a lot like wandering around a museum does for an art historians; you walk into a room and see a painting (or NY landmark) and even though you've never seen it before you think, "I know you."

I was so busy singing and such, but I did manage to fit in the Whitney, MET, MOMA, Guggenheim, Jewish Museum, and the MAD. Curve ball: the Museum of Arts and Design was my favorite. I don't usually like design museums and often think that furniture, etc seems thrown in to the gallery space, but this museum was great. I might be biased though, because it was the first time I got to see one of the sculptures I'm researching. After an hour, the guard asked me if I'd like a chair, since I'd been chilling on the floor. So, we moved a bench and he sat down next to me and told me about the time that Elizabeth Taylor visited. I told him about how my degree qualifies me for...his job, and that's about it. I had a great time, and I'm so glad that my research was based in New York.

 Central Park, choker-bock full of pretzel stands.

 Madison Avenue, I seemed to be the only person who wasn't shopping for diamonds. Also, fur coats? Really, people? Really?

 

Hey, I was there too. Not the most successful picture, but it's proof.

 

 Slightly disturbing installation. I met Art Vandelay there.

 Metropolitan Museum of Art. I saw the new Islamic wing, seemed worth the ten years construction to me. 

This was a random cathedral next to my hotel. I walked in on a handbell concert. Okey-doke.

 I went to East Hampton to visit the family of the artist that I'm focusing on for my thesis. They live next door to the Pollock/ Krasner House, so I went to check it out. Got some great gossip about the Pollock movie and about all of JP's girlfriends. It was like an art historical soap opera. I walked down to the cemetery, I felt like I needed a star map since there were so many artists buried there.

 I told you that you that you had to wear little booties. 

I was impressed that you could pick out individual paintings, there's Autumn Rhythm. I got to see the big version a few days later.  

 I learned about welding. Turns out that that one time I (kinda) took AP Chemistry helped me out-- metallic salts you know?

 This is my artist's studio. It was amazing to see many works in one place, and stay with his daughter and widow. It's always a little strange to work with artist's families since they tend to be a bit defensive about their family member's "legacy," but they were particularly gracious and I enjoyed hearing some of their crazy artist stories. 

 I figured I had to see the Atlantic while I was in the neighborhood. 

Here are my hosts. The lady on the right wakes up every morning and makes breakfast, drives to the post office to check the mail, and then walks a few miles on the beach collecting rocks and shells. At night she does Tai Chi while watching the Antique Roadshow (to see if anyone brings in one of her late husbands' sculptures). She's 98 years old. What an inspiration.

I had a lovely trip, but I'm happy to be home for Christmas and such. I think I was most excited to see the puppies, probably because they seem so stoked to see me. Also, isn't it nice to not have a schedule?