iggy realizing we are not outside

One thing that can keep me up at night(aside from coughing) is taking a bus load of students to New York for the day.  It’s different if it’s just me on no time frame at all, but to make sure 60 of my peeps adhere to a time schedule and don’t leave any behind completely freaks me out.  And pretty much, my worrying is all for naught because they are just as freaked about being left behind as I am about leaving them behind so I guess its a wash.

I do have to say though, a day taking in art in NYC is just what the doctor ordered.  I feel like perhaps I have fallen into a rut and getting out and seeing some stuff was invigorating and inspiring.  We first took the group to the MOMA where I personally met Merissa and Iggy.  Iggy has been looking forward to seeing Monet’s waterlilies for a while and today was the day.  After perusing the collection around the second floor we headed to that gallery.  Iggy seemed very confused and a bit uneasy.  He then questions, “outside?”  and Rissy responds and explains that yes, these waterlilies were outside.  But then Iggy gets a little miffed and says “outside!” and Rissy now catches his drift.  Iggy knows that Monet (in Iggy speaks pronounced “Nonet”) painted outside so when he heard he was going to see Monet, he thought we were going to see paintings outside.  This led to huge disappointment even though the expanse of the work was quite impressive when all swallowed up in it.  We then however, had to head out to the sculpture garden so that Iggy could be outside.

In the sculpture garden, Iggy’s favorite had to be Picasso’s goat.  He hung off of that guy, monopolizing it against other tourists.  My favorite however was the Giacometti… but he already is a favorite of mine.  While we were in the garden, we hung out, wished in the pond, and they ate dried peas (I, of course, have enough sense not to touch such vile vegetables).  We walked around a while, enjoying the Calder and Matisse and then headed to for a snack in the cafe.  Not before Iggy stated he didn’t like Matisse anymore because his bronzes do not look like his paintings of goldfish.  We have a young discerning critic on our hands!

beth cavener stitchner

From there, I was back on the bus and off to Chelsea.  I have to say Chelsea was the biggest score.  It seems every gallery I went in had lovely pieces of artists I’ve been reading about recently.  We(me and my colleagues- Lyn, Rick and George) first hung out in a Bill Viola show entitled “Bodies of Water” which was absolutely mesmerizing and hypnotic.  As we walked down the street, toddled in and out of galleries seeing Beth Cavener Stitchner, Matthew Ritchie, and ending it at Richard Serra.  We then needed to sit at an outdoor cafe and drink some coffee… we were totally enjoying the moment only to be followed by browsing a lovely petite bookstore.

matthew ritchie

Onto SoHo where we soaked in the amazing examples of design throughout the stores.  One, in fact, had floorboards that begun flat only to stretch themselves apart into steps that led to the second and third floors.  Sorry no pics on that… I was hungry for some Thai.  I told my Mom that SoHo is not the same place we used to visit when I was a kid (don’t I sound old saying that).  I used to love SoHo for its flea markets, offbeat boutiques, great furniture, little galleries.  It’s so weird that Prada and Chanel are now in the mix (and how snotty the salesclerks were to us).  But whatever… it’s just different now- not to say worse.  I had a great time just taking it all in.

And that was that… we hopped a bus after some pad thai and a glass of pinot noir and off we were for home (with all 60 of my students!)

richard serra (inside)