MoMA's magic mesmerizes as we visit a fabulous New York museum

Expect the unusual at New York's spectacular Museum of Modern Art.  Here is Salvador Dali's "Retrospective Bust of a Woman," created in 1933.  It features painted porcelain, bread, corn, feathers, paint on paper, beads, ink stand, sand and more. It is one of many treasures at the museum.  

NEW YORK'S MUSEUM OF MODERN ART HONORS LEGACY TO EMBRACE THE NEW

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie"
Meyers near Van Gogh's most
famous painting. 

STANDING NEXT to "Starry Night," one feels the genius of Van Gogh.  The darkness that overtook him, the talent that sprang from his tortured soul, the beauty of his timeless art. It's all there. That and much more, in an astonishing array of 200,000 works of art from around the globe.

You'll see works by Van Gogh, Matisse, Dali an array of other spectacular artists at  New York's great and grand Museum of Modern Art, "MoMA," as it is affectionately known.

There are museums and galleries, and then there's MoMA.

The museum is a beloved treasure trove of beautifully displayed art through the ages. Its founders insisted that showcasing the new and modern be the focus at MoMA.  And so it is, with modernist masterpieces including works by Picasso and many others considered ahead of their time.  

Picasso's "Lady in Mirror" is among
the exquisite bounty at MoMA.

THE MUSEUM debuted in 1929, during the heights of the Great Depression, opening just days after the infamous Wall Street Crash.  It was a gift of deep-pocket visionaries and philanthropists, a trio of progressive and influential patrons of the arts.  Lillie P. Bliss, Mary Quinn Sullivan and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller -- challenged the conservative policies of traditional museums by establishing a gallery devoted to modern art. The three were a "Who's Who" of New York then and wanted a place to showcase new work. The museum is front and center in  midtown Manhattan, filling an expansive block on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.  Many patrons have donated their personal art treasures to MoMA.

Henri Matisse's famous "La Dance" was a gift of Nelson
Rockefeller.  The Rockefeller family has long ties to MoMA.

THE MUSEUM was originally located in the Heckscher Building on Fifth Avenue where it was America's first museum to devote itself exclusively to modern art.  At its helm were A. Conger Goodyear as president and Abby Rockefeller as treasurer.  Through its early years, the museum moved to several temporary locations. John D. Rockefeller Jr. eventually donated the land for its permanent site. 

A new sculpture garden by Philip Johnson was designed and the museum moved to its current location on West 53rd Street in 1939.

Modern art sculpture
plays a major role
in MoMA galleries.

Besides Van Gogh's famous "Starry Night," created in 1889, you'll find many other masterpieces including these two most viewed paintings:

Bruce Keller points the way to imagination
in an intriguing piece, "Bingo," by Gordon
Matta-Clark, 1974. The museum's wide ranging
 exhibits include changing installations. 

 "The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dalí, that intriguing melting clock created in 1931, and Pablo Picasso's

"Les Demoiselles d’Avignon," which revolutionized contemporary art when it was unveiled in 1907.

You'll also see Andy Warhol's famous Campbell’s Soup Cans, Andrew Wyeth's evocative "Christina's World," Rene Magritte's "The Lovers" and masterpieces by Chagall, Cezanne and other groundbreaking artists.

New York's Museum of Modern Art remains in a
league of its own, with a collection of 200,000 works.

LAST YEAR, the museum welcomed nearly 2.7 million visitors to its galleries for more than 35 exhibitions. The range of changing exhibits included An-My Lê’s photographs exploring conflict and human connection, a reunion of works made by Picasso during the pivotal summer of 1921, and more.

MoMA makes a visit a pleasure with excellent maps and guides, helpful docent volunteers to point you to the places you desire, and a delightful albeit pricy restaurant with among other treats, caviar hotdogs. The museum shop is one of the best in the world. What's not to like at MoMA? 

More information: MoMA is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., except Saturdays, when it is open until 7 p.m. Tickets may be reserved in advance through the My CityPASS® moma.org

ON TAP: Hold on to your hat and duck your head! We'll explore wonders of our world as Earth Day approaches, and follow the theme of "great art" -- both man made and created by nature. Come with us to caves, museums, off the beaten path wonders and  unexpected pleasures on a road trip.

The Crystal Caves in Bermuda are a famous attraction
in Hamilton Parish. They're formed over millions of years and
were discovered by a couple of kids playing cricket in 1907. 

We're hopping about the globe, with a look at two fabulous caves in Barbados and Bermuda, a study of Salvador Dali's three museums in northern Spain, a visit to a favorite city, Barcelona, where we examine the influence of architect Antoni Gaudi, and a look at a Montana museum devoted to the work of renowned western artist C.M. Russell. Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live, and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, performance, nature, art, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com

Gaudi's Guell Park invites visitors into his world of wonder and magic

With a rooftop view of Barcelona, our road trippers visit Park Guell, on Carmel Hill in the Gracia district of Barcelona. It was designed by famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi and is considered a masterpiece of imagination and modernist architecture. Gaudi is also known for his inventive homes and apartments and his lifelong project, the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world and a wonder to behold.

STEP INSIDE GUELL PARK AND ENJOY ITS MARVELS: SERPENTS, COLUMNS, WAVES

The Dragon Stairway invites visitors to climb into a magical world
 and the Hypostyle Room of 86 columns.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

ONE OF the most popular attractions in Barcelona is Park Güell. The stunning park is like no other, the creation of famed architect Antoni Gaudi.  It is found above the city on  Carmel Hill, which offers a spectacular view of beautiful Barcelona.

We took a bus to within a couple blocks of the wondrous place, and on our third visit we saw new detail.

MOST PEOPLE visit to see the vibrantly tiled Serpentine Benches in the Greek Theatre with its panoramic views. But, there are many more equally engaging things to do and see in Park Güell.

THIS VISIT,

The Laundry Room Portico, meant to resemble ocean waves. 

we explored the Laundry Portico, marveled at the Hypostyle Hall, ascended the Dragon Stairway, visited Gaudi’s House and said hello to the beloved dragon, "El Drac." The first landing offers a variety of capricious shapes including  goblins, while halfway up the steps is the emblem of Catalonia. One must stop to admire the dragon -- actually a winsome salamander -- covered with decorative tile-shard mosaic. This has become the most popular image of the park and we enjoyed watching young and old "pet" the mosaic creature which acts as the symbol of Barcelona.
‘'El Drac'’ is known by other names -- "the dragon"’ and "the Park Güell lizard." Acting as a guard for Park Güell, it was created from brick and is coated with Gaudí’s signature Trecandís technique.

 

Gaudi House Museum is a wonderful, detailed look at
the world, its colors and forms that shaped the artist.

 THE PARK was built between 1900 and 1914, inspired by the "garden city movement" of the 20th century. Gaudi was a visionary and built the park on the edge of the city.  His notion was to allow the park and the self-contained communities within it to be surrounded by both clean air and green open spaces. 

 A famed Catalan architect, Gaudí was also a savvy businessman and named the park after his sponsor Count Eusebi Güell, who loved Gaudi's work and endowed his creativity.

The mosaic salamander statue
has become a symbol of
Barcelona.  

The estate remained Gaudí’s family home until his death in 1926. That's a sad story because he was hit by a tram on his way to inspect his beloved Sagrada Familia, and had no identification on his person.  He was identified several days after the accident in a pauper's morgue, and when people realized it was the great man, he was accorded a massive funeral befitting royalty.
THE SERPENTINE Bench is another favorite of ours, a well loved mosaic tile bench that winds its way along the terrace around Park Güell. It was created by Gaudi using the Trencandís technique, which he invented, and was widely copied during Catalonia’s modernism and surrealism periods 

Mosaic creatures and plants
 deck the halls of the park.

THE AUSTRIAN Gardens and Gaudi House Museum were originally meant to be part of a grand housing estate plan. It was Gaudi's hope that 60 villas would be built 

Guell Park deserves a visit; do
plan to spend several hours.

but the plan failed. So Park Güell was opened to the public, and the Austria Gardens became a plant nursery. Poignantly named, they gained their title through a donation of cherished trees from Austria in 1977. Both houses built on the estate can be viewed from the gardens.  One of them became Gaudí’s home, and is known as the Gaudí House. It's a charming place with personal effects providing insights into the life of a true visionary and genius.

At Guell Park, the stairs are often photographed, and one
may book a tour of the place so as not to miss highlights.

CONSTRUCTED in a slanted shape, the Laundry Room Portico was designed to mimic an ocean wave. Created with textured walls and statues, the pillars at the exterior were put in place in order to secure the road above.
Typical of Gaudí's genius, he cleverly used design to blend his creativity with the surrounding natural environment and meet the demands of the complex construction.

We highly recommend Visit Barcelona tickets. Wonderful way to see the city.

For more about this fascinating city and its rich cultural attractions:

www.barcelonaturisme.com 

"Dance" by Henri Matisse, was painted in 1920
and is among the world's most beloved paintings.
It resides in New York's fabulous MoMA.

ON TAP: We're on the trail of unique museums, art projects and nature inspired wonders around the world. We'll take readers inside the Museum of Modern Art in New York and check out the city's delightful High Line, a public park and walkway built on the site of an elevated historic freight rail line which was in disrepair. That and British trains, caves, craters and Central Park as it welcomes spring. We'll also feature a veteran special effects artist who found success in Hollywood. Catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, the arts, nature, family, performance and more:    www.whereiscookie.com