Spring in New York

Spring was definitely in evidence on my trip to the City last week. This time I was headed up for my monthly meeting, timed to coincide with a big program that the museum was doing in partnership with the quadracentennial of the Henry Hudson expedition. The weather was beautiful, and, lucky me, because New York is about 300 miles north of Washington, the tulips were still in bloom.


There's a little park outside the museum, and it's surrounded by these pretty tulips, mostly orange, many with two and three flowers per stalk, but occasionally one of another color and style.


The museum program focused on wampum, and the relations of the area's indigenous peoples before and at the time of this contact period. Artists from Narragansett, Wampanoag, Haudenosaunee, and Shinnecock were there to demonstrate their wampum-making and discuss cultural practices. Upstairs, members of our group held demonstrations and hands-on activities with trade items (furs, baskets, food items) and bead-making and beading.


A traditional loom, of leather and imitation sinew, with acrylic beads. Below, I'm using a more contemporary loom with glass beads.


Here, my colleague demonstrates the traditional manner of drilling the holes in the beads, using a bow drill. VERY time consuming and difficult work.

These demos were done for workshops with school children and with teachers, and also during open public programs. I hope that we can start to do similar things with the group in the Washington museum.

On Friday afternoon, I left a bit early to see an exhibit over on the lower east side. My very good friend had curated a show of work by Native artists living in New York, and several alum of our arts program were in the show, as well as another friend of mine's work. The show is called The Importance of In/Visibility; more can be seen at the sponsor's website, AMERINDA, Inc. It's small, but is a really lovely show. Sorry not to have any images--they weren't allowed.


As I headed out to the subway, I took this quick image of the tulips and the fountain in the park by the museum. The museum banner there is for the dresses show, images from which I took last trip. I hadn't fully realized before the significance of the museum. I knew it was a National Historic Landmark. I knew it was a Cass Gilbert building. But I didn't realize that Augustus St. Gaudens had done some of the sculpture, that the famous and opulent collector's office that we use for festivals and special meetings is a Tiffany room, etc. It's a lovely building but it's also a very important building in U.S. cultural and architectural history.

It was such a beautiful day! I opted to walk for a while, and wandered through Chinatown, Bowery, Little Italy, and on down back to my hotel in the financial district. Sadly, despite all the amazing temptations, I stopped nowhere. My nerve was causing me a lot of trouble, and I couldn't take any Advil because my stomach was so upset. So one of the most beautiful afternoons/evenings I've ever had in New York, and while I did get to spend some time walking and enjoying it, I eventually ended up back at the hotel, early, with ginger ale and crackers for dinner and company. Sad.


The Tenement Museum is one of my favorites! I didn't get there in time for a tour this time, but can't wait to go back again. It's wonderful.



One photo each from Chinatown and Little Italy. Sorry, I just wasn't feeling up to it.