Never Forget

Let us remember those who lost their lives this September 11, 2001 and those who bravely risk it all to save others.  NEVER FORGET.

Hundred Best Lists of All Time

It's the time of the year for lists; top ten lists, lists of events, list of what happened, lists of what we will do, and lists of lists.  Venture over to The New Yorker for their list of "The Hundred Best Lists of All Time". It is a diverse list of lists that you will surely find interesting.  

9-11 Remembering

(photos: FDNY)

Please view a wonderful tribute by the FDNY to honor the 343 Firefighters that died trying to save many. Let us never forget those that gave all on this day in 2001. 

The World's Most Photographed Lady

Friday marked the 125th anniversary of the world's most photographed lady, Lady Liberty. Her formal name, the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886. After 125 years she is still a beautiful lady. To read more visit the National Park's Statue of Liberty National Monument.

(images via LOC.gov)

East Coast Blizzard 2010 - Time Lapse

While the West Coast is drying out from a week of rain, this moisture has now dumped a foot or more of snow on the East Coast. Enjoy this from Belmar, New Jersey resident Michael Black who created an amazing time-lapse video documenting the huge snowfall. Let's hope my East Coast friends dig out and stay warm with a nice cup of hot chocolate.

(via AllTop)

Remembering 9-11 - Nine Years Later

For many, the day seems like just yesterday, for others, it is starting to fade from memory. This day, September 11, 2001 changed the modern world in ways did not think of nine years ago. On that tragic day we lost 3,000+ people. Since that day we have started two wars, thousands other have died in serve to our country, millions have been effected from everyday life such as boarding a jet to having love ones abroad serving in the military. Let us not forget how this single day changed the world, let us not forget the 343 brave firefighters from the FDNY plus the many others from the NYPD who ran in to horror to save lives, let us not forget.

The 9-11 Memorial is being build in NYC and slated to finish for next year's 10th year of memorial. The 9-11 Memorial has a site up that is very informative of this day and well worth a visit. They also have created a iPhone app, areas for all of us to contribute our memories and even submit artwork inspired by this tragic day. Please check out the 9-11 Memorial site and let us not forget how this days events changed more then just the skyline of New York City.

MOMA In Your Pocket

Is that the MOMA in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? The MOMA has added an iPhone app that is just wonderful for all lovers of art. The app allows you to view thousands of works from the vast MOMA collection on your iPhone, see and hear about special exhibits, learn more of the artists and hear curators discuss works. For those that visit the MOMA, you can add to your experience by audio touring or checking the calendar for events and times. The MOMA is open to 8 pm tonight, see I found that out in an instant. This is an exciting and FREE app. In the short time I have been using it, it loads info and images very quick, the interface is well organized. I look forward to see how this app expands by adding even more works. I thank MOMA for setting the stage for other world class museum to follow. These types of apps will make our visiting experiences even better and allow us to take home those sweet memories in our pockets.

Shakespeare In The Park - Paula Scher

For the last 16 years, Paula Scher has designed the posters for the famous Shakespeare in the Park. Paula has taken the art of posters for theater to new levels over the years with her unique designs. Above are examples from the 2010 poster created by Paula and her team at Pentagram. The performances this year includes The Winter’s Tale and The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino as Shylock. The plays are performed in Central Park, NYC in the evenings. And did I mention, the shows are FREE, this must make your to see list if you are in town. To learn more about seeing a play, go to this link for the Public Theater.

Below are several examples from years past created by Paula. I would love to find a complete collection of these posters, so if you know of a link, let me know.

Designer of Iconic Coffee Cup, Leslie Buck Dies

Very few people ever design a truly iconic item but Leslie Buck was one. Leslie Buck died yesterday at the age of 87. If you think of getting a cup of coffee, especially in New York City, you will think of the small blue and white cup, with Greek graphics and the words "We Are Happy To Serve You". This cup has become an icon in New York and worldwide through films and TV. The cup designed by Leslie Buck is called the Anthora and has been made by the hundreds of millions annually since it was introduced in the 1960s. Leslie Buck, a Holocaust survivor, came to New York after WWII. He started selling cup for a local company and came up with the idea after seeing how many "Greeks" owned and operated coffee shops. Buck, not trained as a designer, sat down and drew up the cup. The Anthora cup was an instant success and sold upwards of 500 million in 1994 alone. Mr. Buck made no royalties from the cup, but he did well in sales commissions.

The maker of the cup, Sherri Cup Company was bought by Solo Cup in 2005. Solo no longer carries the Anthora as a stock item, making it only on request but other companies still turn out copy versions of the cup. A ceramic version is available at the MOMA store to buy.

Read Leslie Buck's complete obituary at the NY Times.

Today when I have my coffee, I will be thinking of Mr. Buck.

MOMA Acquires @ Symbol

Believe it or not, the symbol we all use everyday, @ is now part of the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art, NYC) collection of the Department of Architecture and Design. Why and how, well MOMA described the addition to its collection as follows:

The acquisition of @ takes one more step. It relies on the assumption that physical possession of an object as a requirement for an acquisition is no longer necessary, and therefore it sets curators free to tag the world and acknowledge things that “cannot be had”—because they are too big (buildings, Boeing 747’s, satellites), or because they are in the air and belong to everybody and to no one, like the @—as art objects befitting MoMA’s collection. The same criteria of quality, relevance, and overall excellence shared by all objects in MoMA’s collection also apply to these entities.

On the MOMA website, Inside/Out, you can read further about this inclusion and the history of the @ symbol which is interesting. Now get @ it.

The Guggenheim Turns 50

This week marked 50 years for the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. First opened on October 21, 1959, the famous building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and modeled after ancient ziggurats of Mesopotamia. The Guggenheim is a wonderful museum to explore and a must do when in NYC. Their collection is great and the exhibits that they show are always timely. The design of the Guggenheim is truly unique and a masterful statement to the skills and vision of Frank Lloyd Wright. Slate Magazine has set up a nice slide show of early images and a more detailed history of this most famous of museums and building as it turn 50 at this link.

Bach at FAO Schwarz

Enjoy this beautiful work of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor performed on the "Big" piano at FAO Schwarz in NYC.

A Park in the Sky

In New York City on the Westside an elevated railway known as the High Line is becoming a park in June. The High Line was build in the 1930's to allow trains to get safely to Chelsea and the Meatpacking districts of Manhattan. In the 1980's the last of the trains used the tracks and in the following years nature began to take over with plants, flowers and trees sprouting up. An idea was born to take this urban blithe and turn it into an urban park. The city of New York finally got behind the project and this June the first 1.5 mile part of the High Line will become a public park. It looks like it will become a wonderful place to stroll, to see the city in a different view and allow the senses to become invigorated. To learn more about the High Line and its progress visit the Friends of the High Line. I look forward to my exploration of the High Line on my next visit to "the city".

(image above by Joel Sternfeld)

Waterfalls in New York City

Today marked the opening of four New York CIty Waterfalls by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. The waterfalls are part of a New York CIty Public Art project and will flow until early October. The waterfalls are build on scaffolding and pump thousands of gallons of water out of the East River and then lets it fall back in. The falls range in size from 90 to 120 feet high. The project was several years in the making and is estimate to have cost around $15 million to pull together. The waterfalls will flow from the early morning until 10 at night. During the evening hours they shine like jewels in the night with lights. To see more images and an article check out the New York Times at this link. Photo by Vincent Laforet for The New York Times

Life and Death by Weegee

Starting in the 1930’s life and death was shown through photography in the daily papers of the day. One of the best at this style of everyday life and death was Arthur Fellig, better known by the name Weegee. Weegee made his mark by being the first on the scene, taking the photo of the crime that had happened moments ago. The photos where honest and in your face. Many of his famous photos showed murders and the police heavy into investigating the crime. Weegee was also active in capturing everyday life and love on the hard streets of New York City. Weegee’s work is presented in numerous books and websites. To read more about Weegee, click here to check out a good article and slideshow in the New York Times.

Statue of Liberty Arrives

Today on June 17, 1885 The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City. The statue orginially known at “Liberty Enlightening the World” was designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to commemorate the Franco-American alliance during the American Revolution. The statue arrived in over 200 cases and was reassembled on a pedestal inscribed with a poem by Emma Lazarus, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. / I lift my lamp beside the golden door." Bartholdi’s statue has become one of the United States most famous icons and a beautiful example of art and friendship.

NYC Transit Museum

One of my passions is visiting cities and taking their subways. I love to observe the public design of the spaces and cars along with the advertising you find. New York is one of the best when it comes to subways. When I was in New York a week ago, I had the chance to visit the New York City MTA Transit Museum in Brooklyn. What a hidden treasure if you are into history, the development of New York and design. The museum is in an old subway station and covers the growth of the largest subway system in the country. As you enter you descend the stairs into the museum located below street level. This level is full of how the system grew and historical artifacts but the real treat is deeper down below. Descend further down as if you where to get an A train and you find a collection of subway cars that spans the last hundred years. On this platform level you can see the details in the designs of the cars. As you enter each car, you can see it as if it was brand new with every detail down to the vintage ads and maps. It seems that prime ad space in subways has been around since the turn of the century. One observation of these vintage subway cars shows the wonderful design of their periods. The next time you are in the area visit the MTA Transit Museum in Brooklyn. Your passion for design will thank you.