Results tagged “queensmuseum”

                            

Who knew Queens would make such an amazing stage for an epic Roman battle? Last night museums from all over the city converged on the mock battleground, fighting with baguettes, watermelon and tomatoes (smooshy and rotten, of course). The artist behind the madness was Duke Riley, who told NY1, "We're recreating a roman naumachia, which is when the emperor would flood an arena like the coliseum or Circus Maximus and create a mock naval battle where they would send condemned prisoners to fight on boats to the finish."

Get ready to groan: "I look forward to 'Phase Two' of the 'blinging up' of the Parachute Jump," said inveterate cornball Marty Markowitz during his recent State of the Borough speech. The 262-foot Coney Island landmark was retrofitted with a lighting system two years ago, but borough president Markowitz and others deemed the effect too subdued and “artsy.” Now the city is soliciting proposals from companies to create a flashier effect.

For the 1964-1965 World's Fair, architect Philip Johnson designed the New York State Pavillion in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Besides the well-known observation towers (think Men in Black) and the Theaterama, he commissioned a "130-foot-by-166-foot terrazzo replica of a Texaco New York State road map."

SHOP: Still looking for that perfect gift? The Brooklyn Historical Society is holding the 4th Annual NY Creates Craft Fair, and they may have just what you're looking for. Check it out today and tomorrow, and it will be back the 22nd and 23rd for the real last-minute shoppers.

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: An armored robbery in Queens, a boat in distress east of the Steeplechase Pier in Brooklyn and a school bus accident in Staten Island. The bids are in for the West Side Yards, and the companies that submitted them are Extell Development Company, Brookfield Properties Developer LLC, The Related Companies, TS West Side Holding, LLC (A Joint Venture of Tishman Speyer and Morgan Stanley), and Hudson Center East LLC...

Diamond asked the residents of New York City's most diverse nabe about their food preferences and solicited recipes. Her project, which is being presented by the Queens Museum of Art, runs through October 14. The goal of "This Is What Eat," is to "unite and empower its readers through food." Based on the diversity of recipes it seems to be a resounding success. The dishes run the cultural gamut from red beans and rice and macaroni cheese to shrimp ceviche and Belgium Chicken Soup.

MOVIE: The new Hairspray has set up special Sing-A-Long screenings! They begin nationwide today, and there will be three right here in New York. If you don't like rowdy theaters, skip this one!

There's a fun NY Times City section article about the Queens Museum of Art's Panorama Challenge. The Queens Museum of Art's panorama is a to-scale model of New York City: One inch equals 100 feet (the Empire State Building is 15 inches tall) and the model was originally designed for the 1964 World's Fair, as a "helicopter" ride over New York City. (And, yes, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses commissioned the panorama in 1964, just as he commissioned the Queens Museum of Art's building, the former New York City Pavilion for the 1939's World Fair.)

THEATER: We could try to describe Neal Medlyn's Coming In The Air Tonight, but why bother when there’s this: “The show features a variety of Phil Collins and Genesis music and is about how Neal is starting to slowly fall apart due to how he's all torn up inside from getting his heart broken into tiny pieces. It is also about how Neal steals a lot of stuff from people. Like their belongings and house wares but also their thoughts and ideas…Over the course of which Neal gets progressively covered in more and more blood. The end. As if that weren't enough, it features special guest appearances by Kenny Mellman (of Kiki & Herb), Bridgett Everett (At Least It's Pink), and Adrienne Truscott (of the Wau Wau Sisters).” Read ye olde timey 2004 Gothamist interview with Medlyn. - John Del Signore

Robert Moses’ legacy may be getting tweaked if organizers of three upcoming exhibitions have their way.

The New York City Journal is a blog about New York... in Sim City. It's author has spent many months laboriously recreating every detail of the five boroughs, from Times Square, to MSG, to Governors Island, to Roosevelt Island, and beyond. It's amazing stuff-- page through his monthly archives for reenactments of major New York events like September 11th and the Upper East Side plane crash.

+ The New York Sun calls the Queens Museum of Art building "fascist" and its redesign renderings "weak." Rare feat.

“American dream” while upholding their ethnic traditions.You may also remember that he won a NY Times Magazine contest last year (here's the slideshow of his photographs) for his 7 line photos. What's cool is that QMA and Liao have been holding a contest for 7 line photos, with three winners getting $50 gift certificate to B&H and QMA memberships. The contest ends on July 27 - see the website for contest details.

It is no secret that one of Gothamist's all-time favorite New York attractions is the Panorama at the Queens Museum of Art (have you not been?). A holdover from the World's Fair, the Pan-to-the-orama is just, well, tubular (that's right, we're bringing tubular back, baby!).

Our absolute favorite Brooklyn blogger Callalillie took a trip outside her home borough to the Queens Museum-- home of the amazing, stupendous model of New York City. Some info about the model:

News that Queens Borough President Helen Marshall is putting her discretionary account towards repairing the Unisphere (regularly working fountains!) reminds Gothamist of another classic, and often forgotten, New York trip: The Queens Museum of Art and the Panorama of the City of New York located within it.

The Mayor gave the full court press for the Olympics Stadium in Queens plan, making him the only mayor of an Olympic bid city to officiate at his daughter's wedding AND come up with a backup plan for the Olympics proposal. And some people, expecting the Olympics to not come here, think the plan could be reworked for a 2016 bid, which actually sounds about right, since Beijing missed out on an earlier Olympics, but was rewarded with them in 2008. Anyway, the Mayor's press release for the new plan is full of the flowery language once used for a Manhattan-based plan, but with a twist:

What is clear is that New Yorkers have come together. They have come together not to do what is in their interests, but what is in the City's interest. They have come together for New York and this show of unity for a common goal is a wonderful message to send to the Olympic community. The same spirit that inspired leading New Yorkers in a last-minute and ultimately successful effort to become the home of the United Nations in 1946 inspires us today. You can never count New Yorkers out. If the IOC wants a City with heart, a City that can overcome its differences, that can pull together during trying times and will do everything possible to host a great Games, we are the City for them.

Nava Lubelski, Artist and Author "The Starving Artist's Way"

After last week's post about the Parks Commission trying to figure out what to do with the 1964 World's Expo Towers, a reader sent us some photographs of the towers and the old Tent of Tomorrow (above and below), taken by sneaking onto the grounds - anything for a photograph. Gothamist finds something really cool in how decrepit the towers and tent look, because they look like this strange thing from 40 years ago, but this past Saturday, the NY Times revealed that architect Philip Johnson who designed the towers "once said that he cringed every time he passed the crumbling pavilion on the way to the airport." The Times says architecture firm, Caples Jefferson, is working on the addition for the Queens Theatre in the Park that will supposedly recall the "va-voom architecture" of the Johnson structures and has conducted "obsessive" studies to make sure the old buildings don't topple.

The wonderful panorama of New York at the Queens Museum of Art will add The Tribute in Light to the panroma. Panorama of the City will replace its World Trade Center replicas with Tribute in the next few months. QM Executive Director Tom Finkelpearl tells Newsday, "The Panorama itself has got a big following and after Sept. 11 we received many calls asking what would happen to it." Two of the artists who helped develop Tribute, Julian LaVerdiere and Paul Myoda, are directing the new addition. Other facts about the Panorama: