FLEET FEET

Comfortable. Light. High tech. Just a couple of ways of describing these cool new shoes being developed by Unbelievable Testing Laboratory and being made of Tyvek!! Given the amazing properties of Tyvek—a construction material—the shoes promise to be long-lasting, breathable and water-resistant. Sweet!

What are you up to this weekend? I am going home to Connecticut and contemplating a quick trip out to Cape Cod to hang out with some friends early next week. So, just in case I don't make it back to the blogosphere until late last week, here are some fun things for you to check out:

The Summer of George.

275,000 dominoes.

This would be perfect for a NYC-themed party.

If You Give a Mouse Rat a Cookie; ha!

Speaking of Parks & Rec, I love Aubrey Plaza and think this could be hilarious.

I stopped watching this show a while ago, but boy is this performance impressive.

Beautiful tumblers.

An interview with my grad school professor on his new exhibition at MoMA.

Well, don't these look tasty.

Montage and Chevron look really pretty.

I would like to own this.


Have a great weekend!



(Tip about the Tyvek from here)

WEEKEND RECAP: MoMA'S RAIN ROOM

Have you heard about the latest sensation in the museum world? It's an installation piece called 'Rain Room' on view at the Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition consists of a dark, beautifully-lit room with rain streaming down from the ceiling. Here's the kicker though: step under the rain and sensors note your presence and—magically—stop the rain around you. But only around you. It's like an invisible umbrella is hovering over your head! The effect is surprisingly glorious.





Clearly you can tell from the massive amount of photos posted above that I loved the exhibition. Even though I had to wait in line for five hours to see it on Friday (no joke! check out this story), I highly recommend a visit before the installation closes on July 28th. If you can't stand to wait that long you can opt for the short 'viewing only' line (which lets you see but not enter the installation) that's averages a 30 minute wait.

Read more about the installation on MoMA's website here and see more of my photos from my visit here.


p.s. I hope you like the video I put together. I don't often manage to edit and put the scraps of video I take together, but I couldn't resist this time. Leave me a comment if you like it and I will make sure to do more in the future!

NOW ON VIEW: MoMA, MET, NEW, SRGM

What are you all up to this weekend? I am going to try to catch up on some museum exhibitions, since I am woefully behind on seeing all the coolest things that the incredible New York arts scene has to offer. Here are some of the top exhibitions on my 'to see' list. Have you seen any of them? What did you think?

A look into the full career of the most famous Abstract Expressionist sculptor, John Chamberlain: Choices  traces the artist's output from the early monochromatic metal work to his iconic car-based constructions. It should be absolutely beautiful in the Guggenheim's gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright spiral building. On view at the Guggenheim until May 13.







From what I have read, the long-awaited Cindy Sherman retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art promises all the drama and excitement one has come to expect from an artist who has spent her career adopting countless different personae and a museum that has delivered one blockbuster after another for the last several years. On view until June 11.







A look into the extensive and impressive collection of Gertrude Stein and her family, The Steins Collect features work by all the modern French masters like Degas, Manet, Renoir and many more. On view at the Metropolitan Museum until  June 3. 







The New Museum always seems to have a knack for bringing to light young, interesting artists. The Ungovernables, the latest installment of the museum's triennial, has apparently continued this tradition by focusing on how a new generation of artists has rejected incorporation and embraced self-awareness and individuality. Sounds suspiciously similar to an artistic version of the Occupy movement and the 99% percent, but I am intrigued. On view until April 22.




Also, don't forget to enter the Baggu giveaway! It's only open until Tuesday morning, so head over here to have a chance to win!

WILLEM DE KOONING AT MOMA

       




       


Yesterday a unprecedentedly major retrospective of Willem de Kooning's artwork opened at the Museum of Modern Art. If you are not a crazy art history nerd like I am, de Kooning is a famous mid-century abstract expressionist painter who worked in New York and pretty much revolutionized painting as we know it for several decades. So basically an exhibition of this magnitude—which is the first to show the true breadth of the artist's work, as it progressed over nearly forty years—is a big deal!

I have already been scoping out the lovely website that MoMA has created to accompany the exhibition while I try to figure out when I can sneak away and see the show. Would do you think? Do you like de Kooning's work? Will you go see the show? Or buy the huge tome of a catalogue?

Learn more about the exhibition here.


Artwork above, top to bottom:
The artist, c. 1950 and unknown date
Father Mother Sister Brother, c. 1937
Untitled VI, 1982
Two Figures in a Landscape, 1967
Door to the River, 1960
Woman I, 1950-1952
Collage, 1950

BAG IT UP (PART 1)

There are not a lot of perks that come with being an intern. The best is usually getting in free to other museums or getting a discount at the gift shop (working at MoMA means I use that discount A LOT). But on Tuesday MoMA employees celebrated Earth Day with a "Green Fair", hosting nearly 20 vendors that sell eco-friendly products or promote environmental awareness. What does that translate to? Lots of great design and lots of free stuff. Today I want to introduce you to my two favorite vendors--both of whom gave me some great freebies and were really friendly and nice. First up: LunchSkins.

LunchSkins is a super cool company that sells reusable, dishwasher safe food "baggies". Meant to replace the countless plastic baggies we all grew up with in our lunch boxes, these beauties are made of durable food-safe cotton, are hand-sewn and double-stitched, and feature a hook-and-eye velcro closure. They come in myriad patterns and bright colors; after all, who said bringing your lunch had to be "brown bag"? I particularly love the shark pattern!

Snack bags run for $7.85 and sandwich bags go for $8.95. You can pick up your own LunchSkins at their website here.

JULIE MEHRETU CAN MAP MY WORLD ANY DAY . . .

Wow, wow, wow, wow!  Last fall I saw a piece by Julie Mehretu in the MOMA permanent collection and was blown away by the palette, energy, and map-based structural systems.  Yesterday, while in Williamstown, I had the privilege of seeing an 11 work show at the Williams College Museum of Art.  The large impressive pieces float on the wall - inviting the viewer into these bright multi-faceted worlds.

Read more about Julie Mehretu's work at White Cube here and the Williams College Museum site here.

MOM VISITS, ADDICTION TO "WEEDS," COOLNESS

My lovely Mom was visiting yesterday, hence no posts.  We had a nice little jaunt to Crate&Barrel (there is only one in my home state of Connecticut and it is about over an hour from our house) and a tasty dinner - all in all a very nice evening.  This morning she had an interview downtown - knock 'em dead Mom!  Also, posts may be slower for a little while as spring hits Boston hard and makes it difficult to be inside.  And, as a side note, I am obsessed with Showcase's show "Weeds".  I love the main character Nancy - she is so neurotic and adorable and real!  Not to mention her son is hot . . . . Watch the episodes for free (though illegally) here.

I love this photo by "fine little day".  Anyone know what this piece is?  I know this is MOMA, but I was there a month ago and they didn't have this up . . . . Yummy!

I love this "hoop.dee.do" bulletin board series from Etsy's littleprettystudio.  decor8 featured them yesterday and, of course, nearly the entire shop has been cleared out.  Grab one here before they are all gone!

MOMA: ASAP

This Saturday I placated my color-loving soul with a visit to MOMA's "Color Chart" exhibition open through May 12.  Not surprisingly, the powers-that-be moved this glorious sculpture, Donald Judd's "Untitled", to the entrance of the exhibition and a huge visual lasso.  There were about 1,000 works both in the show and in the permanent collection that I HAVE TO SHARE, but, alas, they will have to wait until tomorrow.  Sickness takes precedent and I have to get some rest . . . until tomorrow, enjoy Mr. Judd and check out the Color Chart exhibition online here (the website adheres wonderfully to the color purity theme).

MUST HAVE MONDAYS: FOLDING CUTTING BOARD

Oops!  I almost forgot about Must Have Monday!  Thankfully I have found a computer to use for enough time to manage this recommendation: the folding cutting board available at the MOMA Store.  Designed by Mark Sanders in 1989, these cutting boards are made of sturdy polypropylene and feature sides which fold up to form a convenient chute.  Done chopping?  Just pop up the sides and slide your treats into a bowl or onto your plate.  It saves a lot of spilled food and is reasonably (for high design) priced between $16-$24.  Get cooking!