The Artsy Fartsy Side of NYC

My Travel Diary: New York Series (Part One)

I have always been fascinated by New York City. It has been in countless movies and TV shows. Some of my favorite movies as a matter of fact (Serendipity, You've Got Mail, Sex and the City...the list goes on...).

To quote Alicia Keys... it's the "concrete jungle where dreams are made of". Truly. I feel like I'm IN a dream when I'm there. It may be my dream or someone else's dream...but a dream nonetheless.

The art that abides in this city is on every corner, every street, in the alleys and subways, it's everywhere. All forms of art, the kind you see, the kind you hear, the puzzling kind, and all of it makes you FEEL. I mean really feel. Isn't that what it is for? To make us feel something?

I have been to the city twice now and each time I come home...I feel like I have left something behind and can't wait to go back. It draws me in. I am so inspired by what I see there. Even in my two trips, I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of what is there, just waiting to be found and admired.

There are several (endless, more like) museums as well as street art. The street art is so genuine and unique, it will literally stop you in your tracks. From hand-painted pieces to musicians, to street performing break-dancers who want nothing more than to leap over a line of people and take your money. No, seriously. That's a thing. I wish that I could share with you, the sounds I heard just walking thru Central Park, alone. The solo violinist playing under a bridge... a guitar player in Bethesda Terrace.... just incredible! There was also a swingin' big-band style trio on the street playing song after song, playing like their very life depended on the notes they created.

I may not be able to share those sounds for you, but I can share with you some of the art that I saw...

This amazing, custom piece by Kelsey Montague is one of several that she has across the nation...possibly the world.

This beauty was painted on the sidewalk running beside Central Park. As you can see, it is unfinished but still exquisite as it is. This one stopped me dead in my tracks.

Audrey.

This particular piece of art is one of my absolute favorites that I have found, so far. This is from our first trip, back in April of 2014. Don't you just love her?

A few more random bits of street art that caught the eye.

The big-band style trio that I mentioned..? This is them! Notice the Chrysler building just down the street? Yea, that's probably my favorite of all the buildings in NYC.

This type of art is not only beautiful in it's finished state, but it's also a lot of fun to watch. Using spray paint and random bits of household items ... and trash (such as plastic coffee cup lids) this guy made magic.

And those crazy talented (emphasis on crazy) break-dancers that I told you about... this was them. SO fun to watch!

An entire gallery section of The Met is dedicated to Vincent van Gogh. So incredible to be in the presence of these pieces by such a renowned artist and philosopher.

I have to admit something to you.... some art absolutely puzzles me. We visited The Guggenheim Museum, which is a work of art, itself, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Although it was genuinely amazing to see pieces by Picasso, there were some 'installations' that had me scratching my head. For instance, there was a collection of about twelve tube televisions with non-stop footage of people scratching random body parts. Close. Up. Footage. I apologize...but this one definitely left me confused. That being said... what I observed here that spoke to me on another level was seeing young, aspiring artists there. They were actively working on their own craft while being surrounded by the works of the ones who inspire them most.

Sometimes art & history collide in the most beautiful of ways. Consider this... how would we be able to visually ingest the history we are taught, if we didn't have artifacts like these to show us....

The goddess, Aphrodite, herself.

One of the most iconic of Greek sculptures.

I hope this one didn't make you blush... too much. ;)

All in all, I hope that you have been able to see and appreciate the things that captured my attention. I also hope that it has ignited a fire inside of you, to make a trip to this city and see things for yourself! If you do....I'd LOVE to hear about your experience!

This is part one of a four part NYC travel diary series! Come back next week to taste the city with me.

*All images courtesy and copyright of Bethany May Photography