To See the City, Escape to the Suburbs
Opening: Oct. 2
Closing: Dec. 31
Price: Free 10 a.m. to noon, Tues.-Fri.; $7 for adults and $5 for students all other times.
Photo by Margaret Fox.
They say that sometimes you need a little distance to get perspective. This fall, you can test that theory out with two exhibits that explore the theme of “city as muse” at Westchester’s Katonah Museum of Art.
Featuring over 50 works in a variety of media, “New York, New York! The 20th Century,” showcases art inspired by the Big Apple. From photographers like Berenice Abbott, Diane Arbus, and Andreas Feininger to painters like William Gropper and Edward Hopper, the collection spans a wide cross-section of eras and artistic styles. The exhibition is divided into themes based on urban environs including the waterfront, avenues and streets, parks and “tall buildings.”
The other exhibit, “Storied City: New York in Picture Book Art,” is meant for both adults and children. Curated by children’s book author, critic and historian Leonard Marcus, the exhibit includes renderings of the cityscape through the eyes of a youngster. Seven of the illustrators featured in the exhibit have won the prestigious Caldecott Medal for children’s literature.
Click the thumbnails below to see images from the “Storied City” exhibit:
This picture of circus elephants crossing the Brooklyn Bridge is by LeUyen Pham. It’s from the book “Twenty-One Elephants,” by Phil Bildner (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2004). Image courtesy of Phil Bildner and Kevin Lewis.
Illustration by Brian Selznick.
From "Wonderstruck" (Scholastic, 2011), a tale told in pictures and words about the interweaving lives of a boy and girl living in two different eras.
Image courtesy of the artist.
Illustration by David Wiesner.
From "Sector 7" (Clarion Books, 1999). When a young boy meets a cloud at the top of the Empire State Building, his new friend whisks him away to a fanciful factory in the sky to see where clouds originate.
Image courtesy of the artist.
Illustration by Amy Schwartz.
From "A Teeny Tiny Baby" (Orchard Books, 1994). With brilliant comedic timing, a newborn baby narrates his daily life and explains how he enjoys ruling over his family with an iron fist.
Image courtesy of the artist.
Illustration by Bryan Collier
From "Uptown" (Live Oak Media, 2000). In bold watercolors and collage, a young boy guides the reader through iconic uptown imagery, from the Apollo Theater to the 125th Street Metro-North station.
Image courtesy of the artist.
Illustration by Edward Sorel.
From "The Saturday Kid" by Cheryl Carlesimo (Margaret K. McElderry, 2000). Leo lives in 1930s New York City with his mother and has two obsessions: movies and playing violin. When Morty, the neighborhood bully, gets Leo kicked out of his favorite theater, Leo seeks revenge in a series of film-inspired fantasies. But Morty's real comeuppance comes in a more unexpected twist of fate when Leo plays his violin for the mayor.
Image courtesy of the artist.
