The Guggenheim Museum: The Jewel in New York’s Artistic Crown
The image of New York in art and popular culture has long been cemented as one of timeless universality. In the world of painting and photography, among a host of other art forms, New York has been one of the central muses of the art world: from the controversy over Diego Rivera’s Man at the Crossroads mural in the Rockerfeller Center in 1936, to Jonathan Hyman’s post-9/11 photography exhibitions, art has been an important component of the shaping of New York. Amidst its host of world-renowned galleries are the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), The Metropolitan Museum and, perhaps most interestingly, the Guggenheim Museum.
In terms of both its art and architecture, the Guggenheim is one of New York’s most interesting landmarks; as such, it’s an essential stop-off point for any culture vulture in the city. Originally established in 1937 as “The Museum of Non-Objective Painting” the Guggenheim was established with the primary aim of showcasing the work of early modernists; to this day the museum continues to maintain ongoing exhibits of the art of Wassily Kandinsky and Jackson Pollock. Its more recent exhibitions have included eclectic collections: Robert Mapplethorpe and the Classical Traditions, the work of Iraqi-born artists Zaha Hadid and an exhibition of photos showing sculptor David Smith at work.
This wide-ranging selection of exhibits simply proves that while the Guggenheim still adheres to its primary principle of showcasing early modernist art, it also goes a long way in championing post-modern art. Moreover, the Guggenheim has also played host to a distinct selection of commercial art by including seasons of motorcycle exhibitions, as well as a display of Giorgio Armani suits.
The Guggenheim is not only notable for its excellent art collections, but also for its fundamental architectural beauty. Situated at the corner of 89th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan, the Guggenheim museum was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most influential American architects of the early twentieth century, whose works also include the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Hollyhock House in LA and the Illinois mile-high tower in Chicago. Wright’s avant-garde design was devised for the specific purpose of making the Metropolitan Museum of Art resemble “a Protestant barn”. Looking somewhat like a coiled-up white ribbon, the building was widely reviled at the time of its establishment, but is now generally recognised as one of the defining features of New York’s diverse architectural landscape.
New York’s Guggenheim Museum is part of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, a non-profit body founded in 1937 by philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim and artist Hilla von Rebay. Since the foundation of this original Guggenheim Museum in New York the organisation has gone on to open up other Guggenheims across the world. Today, Guggenheim Museums can be found in Bilbao, Berlin, Venice and Las Vegas. Many cultural tourists who are intent on soaking up the delights of the art world across the globe embark on world tours visiting each Guggenheim Museum in turn. Taking advantage of air miles and reward schemes like the Hilton Honors rewards system can makes this sort of round-the-world travel easier – and less expensive – than many might think. So art fans yearning to travel will find that they can visit each Guggenheim Museum in turn without busting their bank balance.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Pen Collection
Museum as defined by Webster; an institution devoted to the procurement, care, study, and display of objects of lasting interest or value. I grew up in Chicago and throughout my childhood I spent many hours in these fine establishments: The Field Museum of Natural History, The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, and The Art Institute. I have also been lucky enough to travel the world and see other museums: The Vatican Museums, the Louvre Museum, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo, The Tate Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
I love museums, I love the long dimly lit hallways, the smells, the massive amount of objects found. I love the buzz felt by the crowd as they take in the beauty and a part of their past! However, when I have visited these monstrous structures, throughout my life, I have taken them for granted. As I walked down aisle after aisle, year after year, I failed to appreciate all the efforts of the many amazing people who made these wonderful institutions possible!
Take for instance one of my favorites, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the Met. “The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of American citizens – businessmen and financiers as well as leading artists and thinkers of the day – who wanted to create a museum to bring art and art education to the American people.”…..How great were these people! These and many other individuals responsible for the magnificent museums all over the world today, who had the foresight and vision to create such wonderful institutions in which generation upon generation of world citizens could enjoy the treasures accumulated over thousands of years of the earths existence. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, started by a handful of clever people, has turned into one of the finest museums in the world with over “two million works of art spanning 5,000 years of world culture”.
While we’re talking about the Met, if you’re a museum fan like me, you should check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art Pen Collection. There are three collections including the Met Collection Pens, the Met Accessory Pens and the Met Experience Pens. These pen collections include a fountain pen, rollerball pens and ballpoint pens. The Metropolitan Museum of Art pens are beautiful pens that mimic some of the Met’s most spectacular artwork including beautiful frames, textiles, books and even shoes. These fabulous pens come in a lovely box with a brief description of the art the pens are modeled after. The pens included in this fine collection are: the Tiffany Pine Bough Fountain and Ballpoint Pens, the Shoe Ballpoint Pen, the Art Deco Ball Ballpont Pen, the Astral Ballpont Pen, the Color Magic Rollerball Pens and the Klimt Ballpoint Pen. If you are as huge of a Met fan as I am you might like the Logo Ballpoint Pen, based on the award winning design by Rudolph de Harak.
Another great thing about these pens, a portion of the sale will go back to help support the museum! Whenever possible we should give back, even in a small way, to these places that have given us so much! I am very thankful for all the time I have spent and will spend in my lifetime, as well the time my children and grandchildren will be spending in their lifetime; and I would just like to say thank you to all who were responsible in the beginning, over time and those who continue to support these incredible world treasures, museums.
National Archaeological Museum at Naples
Italy is a land filled with many treasures of many kinds. There are the wonderful delectable cuisines, cars, the fashionable boutiques and brands, home to the Vatican and also many museums which portray the wonders of world history. One of the most beautiful museums in the world is the National Archaeological museum which is one of the best archaeological beauties in the world. It has one of the most renowned collections of artifacts from Rome and Greece. It is world famous and people come from all over to see the collection it houses time and again.
The Italian National Archaeological Museum was first born in the late sixteenth century and served through history as a University and as stables. The region of Naples which has had Greek and Roman rulers has had a rich collection of antiquities from both these civilizations. It was in the year 1777 that the building acquired its present status with numerous classical antiquities from the Royal collection being housed here. It has seen many important additions being made since its State ownership was established in the 1860′s. One of the foundations of the collection here are the classical sculptures which forms the Farnese collection.
Excavations that were done in Herculaneum and Pompeii also added to this magnificent collection with numerous mosaics being transferred to Italy. It is also well known for being the first museum to have a collection based on Egyptology.
There are of course a number of ways to reach the museum, by metro, bus or the funicular. There is of course an entrance fee, but a good thing to do is to buy an Artecard which will provide access to multiple museums and also give concessions on transport. There are many collections to be seen here and the museum is often being reorganized so take care to inquire that all the exhibits are open when you visit. There is a unique adult’s only collection as well here and rooms full of heads and sculptures of Greco- Roman times. There is also an interesting coin collection for visitors to see. The museum has some of the best restorations portraying life in early Greece and Rome and one of the oldest collections in Egyptology. Make sure you inquire with the information office before your visit so you know to pick a day when all the exhibits are accessible and you can have a complete experience of the riches and wealth of Naples portrayed through the museum.
A problem you may face in high season periods is the long queue to purchase tickets… In certain periods it is also possible to spend more than an hour just to get the tickets from a book office… So, keep in mind that this would be a problem if you are planning to visit more than a museum per day!
We suggest you to search online for websites that offer online booking for Italian museums: this will save you countless hours in queues, to spend better in your holiday time!