By A. E. Colas, ZEALnyc Contributing Writer, January 9, 2017
New Year's resolutions are a great idea. You say to yourself, "It's going to be different this year -- I'm ready for a change!" We're now a week into the new year and you're finding yourself falling back into old patterns and nothing new is happening. Well ZEALnyc understands your dilemma and we're offering some very simple ideas that can still get your 2017 off to a terrific start.
Resolution 1: In 2017, I'd like to dress better.
Head on over to The Museum at FIT (the downtown fashion institute) and see Black Fashion Designers, an exhibit that will give you just the inspiration you need. This exhibition, which is curated by Ariele Elia and Elizabeth Way, may also keep you from making some mistakes in judgement before hitting the post holiday sales. The exhibition runs through May 16th. For more information click here.
Resolution 2: This year, I should really learn something more about New York City.
Through February 26, you can learn about the city's role in creating a place for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities during the 20th century. The Museum of the City of New York's exhibit Gay Gotham explains how much of the work in the arts of the United States we accept as classic examples today were created by these visionaries who also just happened to be non-heterosexual. For more information click here.
Resolution 3: I want learn how artists make work that is relevant to the world around them.
In the 1970's many artists chose to focus exclusively on social issues of the day. The Studio Museum in Harlem has a powerful exhibit called Circa 1970 displaying these pieces in various media. Consider how this past year has looked in terms of artistic achievement and compare it to that earlier time. The exhibition runs through March 5, and if you haven't been before, it affords a great opportunity to take in this museum, founded in 1968 "...for the dynamic exchange of ideas about art and society." The Studio Museum in Harlem is on 125th Street, just east of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. For more information click here.
Resolution 4: I should waste less and recycle more.
Through April 16, see how designers and business owners handle the issues of waste and reuse at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Scraps: Fashion, Textiles, and Creative Reuse shows that through innovative thinking and practice, waste at all levels of production can be reduced to near zero. It will definitely help you remember to take your own worn out textiles to the recycle locations at farmers' markets around the city. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is on Fifth Avenue at 91st Street. For more information click here.
Resolution 5: I want to appreciate the finer things in life.
Visit the Frick Collection's exhibit of Pierre Gouthière: Virtuoso Gilder at the French Court through February 19 and marvel at the skills used to create objects that decorated the court residences of the kings of France. Then go home and look at your chipped Ikea furniture. For more information click here.
Resolution 6: I need to do more to support conservation issues.
Anybody can go scuba diving and see coral reefs in all their glory. But it takes a creative mind to actually make a coral reef replica (in crochet, no less) and get it displayed in a museum. Visit the Museum of Arts and Design at 2 Columbus Circle to see Crochet Coral Reef: TOXIC SEAS and admire the craftsmanship. This exhibition, a product of sisters Margaret and Christine Wertheim and their Institute for Figuring, runs through January 22. For more information click here. Then text a few bucks to a reputable conservation charity.
Resolution 7: I should travel.
Then start your journey at The Rubin Museum of Art and their exhibit Masterworks of Himalayan Art. Among other things, you can go on a virtual pilgrimage to Mount Wutai, a sacred site in Buddhist teaching, located in Northern China. Start a bank account for travel with automatic deposits from your paycheck. The Rubin Museum of Art is off Seventh Avenue at 17th Street. This exhibition runs through February 6. For more information click here.
Resolution 8: I want to learn from the best.
Take a trip out to Queens to see the exhibit Martin Scorsese at the Museum of the Moving Image. The memorabilia from childhood to his work on such classic films as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Gangs of New York, to name just a few, is impressive and gives insight into the creative process of this giant of American cinema. After you're done, go see his new film Silence. The museum is at 36-01 35 Avenue in Astoria, and is easily accessible by the R/M and N/W subway lines. The exhibition runs through April 23. For more information click here.
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A. E. Colas, a Contributing Writer for ZEALnyc, writes about art and museum exhibits, as well as lifestyle features.
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