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POLLYTALK FROM NEW YORK
By Polly Guerin
October 19, 2009
New York’s A Magical Oasis of Culture
All the lions stood a-roaring in the museum mecca, cornered in convenient nooks painters and
musicians showed off their ambitions, while novelists held literary talks and everyone drank it in.
“Have you read about the chocolate show, the Bergdorf windows, Neiman’s catalog and Fashion
at FIT? “Yes, of course,” replied the literary zoo, who knew a thing or two. Here’s the scoop!!!
The Literary zoo was astounded to learn that the celebrated artist, MAN RAY, was born
Emmanuel Radnitzky to Russian Jewish immigrants. In fact, he spent a lifetime suppressing his
background to the point of denying he was ever called anything but Man Ray. He actually grew up
in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. His father worked as a tailor and his mother was a seamstress. No
matter, the genius was introduced to New York art circles by Alfred Stieglitz. But could a man by
any other name be so prolific? His career produced many important and enduring works as a
photographer, painter, filmmaker, writer, sculptor, and object maker. The Jewish Museum
presents ALIAS MAN RAY; THE ART OF REINVENTION with over 200 works on display , an
exhibition explores the deliberate cultural ambiguity of Man Ray who became the first American
artist to be accepted by the avant-garde in Paris. Opens Nov. 15 www.thejewishmuseum.org.
Chocolate lovers have their day to lick it up with gusto when the CHOCOLATE SHOW comes
to town Oct. 30-Nov.1 at the Metropolitan Pavillion, 125 W. 18th Street. The weekend long event
includes lots of chocolate to buy, a chocolate fashion show and lots of culinary demos. Show up
and pay $28 and indulge your chocolate fantasies. www.chocolateshow.com.
Running in Style is what New York’s premiere event, the NEW YORK MARATHON, is all about
Nov. 1. The brand DKNY created a special T-shirt for the marathon for the 40 runners of Team
Free Arts, which is hoping to raise $100,000 for Free Arts NYC, the organization that looks to
bring arts and mentoring programs to children in need across the city. To mark the partnership
DKNY is throwing a party at its SoHo store on Thursday and offering a limited number of the $25
T-shirts for sale with all proceeds going to Free Arts NYC. www.freearts.com.
FASHION and POLITICS come in many different incarnations. The 100-piece show, “Fashion &
Politics,” which runs through Nov. 7th at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
highlights how fashion has often mirrored history over the past 200 years, and in doing so
explores important themes such as nationalism, feminism and class. Historical items touch on
long-forgotten issues. An 1805 reticule bag spells out “sugar war,” an apparent reference to
France and Britain’s struggle for control of the sugar-growing colonies of the Caribbean. A battle
cry for freedom can be seen in a white suit circa, 1914-1916, a popular look with members of the
suffrage movement to show off their unity in parade marches. The museum also features
designer, Isabel Toledo’s ensemble for the First lady wore for the inauguration can be seen in a
separate exhibit one flight below. Free admission. www.themuseumfit.com.
“HAVE A WITTY HOLIDAY” Christmas gets ahead of itself in Barney’s Madison Avenue
flagship windows presenting various tableaux depicting memorable “Saturday Night Live”
moments culled from more than three decades and filtered through the kooky lens of creative
director, Simon Doonan who decided to , “return to humor to get consumers’ acquisitive juices
flowing.”
Talking about Christmas fantasy Neiman’s tops it all. As for whimsy, the lead “His & Hers” gift is
an Icon A5 sport aircraft, an amphibious plan designed for recreational flying and packaged with
pilot training. “Mon Dieu,” I exclaimed, “I’m so glad that they have the training book so they know
how to fly . My choice is dinner for two at $200,000 at Manhattan’s famed Algonquin Hotel with
eight prominent authors, including George Stephanopoulos, Henry Louis Gates, Jr and Malcomn
Gladwell, all to benefit First Book, which provides new books for underprivileged children. Eat
your heart out, there’s even a Willy Wonka Cupcake Car, a four foot wide electric automobile that
looks like a cupcake topped with thick frosting.
Ta Ta, darlings!!! I’m joining the literary lions stampeding to catch up with these amazing
events and offerings. As for me I’ll see you at the Algonquin. Fan mail welcome at
pollytalk@verizon.net. Or visit my website www.pollytalk.com. And check out the latest Art Deco
Diva at http://www.amazingartdecodivas@blogspot.com.
By Polly Guerin
October 19, 2009
New York’s A Magical Oasis of Culture
All the lions stood a-roaring in the museum mecca, cornered in convenient nooks painters and
musicians showed off their ambitions, while novelists held literary talks and everyone drank it in.
“Have you read about the chocolate show, the Bergdorf windows, Neiman’s catalog and Fashion
at FIT? “Yes, of course,” replied the literary zoo, who knew a thing or two. Here’s the scoop!!!
The Literary zoo was astounded to learn that the celebrated artist, MAN RAY, was born
Emmanuel Radnitzky to Russian Jewish immigrants. In fact, he spent a lifetime suppressing his
background to the point of denying he was ever called anything but Man Ray. He actually grew up
in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. His father worked as a tailor and his mother was a seamstress. No
matter, the genius was introduced to New York art circles by Alfred Stieglitz. But could a man by
any other name be so prolific? His career produced many important and enduring works as a
photographer, painter, filmmaker, writer, sculptor, and object maker. The Jewish Museum
presents ALIAS MAN RAY; THE ART OF REINVENTION with over 200 works on display , an
exhibition explores the deliberate cultural ambiguity of Man Ray who became the first American
artist to be accepted by the avant-garde in Paris. Opens Nov. 15 www.thejewishmuseum.org.
Chocolate lovers have their day to lick it up with gusto when the CHOCOLATE SHOW comes
to town Oct. 30-Nov.1 at the Metropolitan Pavillion, 125 W. 18th Street. The weekend long event
includes lots of chocolate to buy, a chocolate fashion show and lots of culinary demos. Show up
and pay $28 and indulge your chocolate fantasies. www.chocolateshow.com.
Running in Style is what New York’s premiere event, the NEW YORK MARATHON, is all about
Nov. 1. The brand DKNY created a special T-shirt for the marathon for the 40 runners of Team
Free Arts, which is hoping to raise $100,000 for Free Arts NYC, the organization that looks to
bring arts and mentoring programs to children in need across the city. To mark the partnership
DKNY is throwing a party at its SoHo store on Thursday and offering a limited number of the $25
T-shirts for sale with all proceeds going to Free Arts NYC. www.freearts.com.
FASHION and POLITICS come in many different incarnations. The 100-piece show, “Fashion &
Politics,” which runs through Nov. 7th at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
highlights how fashion has often mirrored history over the past 200 years, and in doing so
explores important themes such as nationalism, feminism and class. Historical items touch on
long-forgotten issues. An 1805 reticule bag spells out “sugar war,” an apparent reference to
France and Britain’s struggle for control of the sugar-growing colonies of the Caribbean. A battle
cry for freedom can be seen in a white suit circa, 1914-1916, a popular look with members of the
suffrage movement to show off their unity in parade marches. The museum also features
designer, Isabel Toledo’s ensemble for the First lady wore for the inauguration can be seen in a
separate exhibit one flight below. Free admission. www.themuseumfit.com.
“HAVE A WITTY HOLIDAY” Christmas gets ahead of itself in Barney’s Madison Avenue
flagship windows presenting various tableaux depicting memorable “Saturday Night Live”
moments culled from more than three decades and filtered through the kooky lens of creative
director, Simon Doonan who decided to , “return to humor to get consumers’ acquisitive juices
flowing.”
Talking about Christmas fantasy Neiman’s tops it all. As for whimsy, the lead “His & Hers” gift is
an Icon A5 sport aircraft, an amphibious plan designed for recreational flying and packaged with
pilot training. “Mon Dieu,” I exclaimed, “I’m so glad that they have the training book so they know
how to fly . My choice is dinner for two at $200,000 at Manhattan’s famed Algonquin Hotel with
eight prominent authors, including George Stephanopoulos, Henry Louis Gates, Jr and Malcomn
Gladwell, all to benefit First Book, which provides new books for underprivileged children. Eat
your heart out, there’s even a Willy Wonka Cupcake Car, a four foot wide electric automobile that
looks like a cupcake topped with thick frosting.
Ta Ta, darlings!!! I’m joining the literary lions stampeding to catch up with these amazing
events and offerings. As for me I’ll see you at the Algonquin. Fan mail welcome at
pollytalk@verizon.net. Or visit my website www.pollytalk.com. And check out the latest Art Deco
Diva at http://www.amazingartdecodivas@blogspot.com.