The one with the MoMA, banana fritters, Babette’s Feast, the Today Show, and collaboration
Today marks the first full week we’ve been in the City, which has been a challenging, yet blessed seven days. I am so grateful for the community on project, both within and outside the arts track.
The diversity in personality, talents, and backgrounds within the arts track leaves me in awe of the way God’s beauty is demonstrated through each individual. Also, it has been such a pleasure dialoging with other artists my age about the intersection between our faith and art, sharing similar and different experiences, and serving alongside each other in NYC. As we learn more about one another, we are also learning how to work together as a group, which has been quite a humbling process. For our exhibition, many of our works will be collaborative, further expressing intersection.
Here are just a few other snippets of my experience:
MoMA: We had the opportunity to roam the NYC MoMA, during free fare friday, which is home to pivotal pieces in Modern art history such as Picasso’s Les Desmoiselles d’Avignon, Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Jackson Pollock’s One: Number 31, 1950, and Dali’s Persistence of Memory, to name a few. I had a great time witnessing in person works that I have studied so intensely by slide and book back in LA! Of those observed, I was probably most thrilled to see Max Ernst’s Two Children are Threatened by a Nightingale.
Banana Fritters: Proceeding our visit to the MoMA, my “dinner group” (comprised of people from all the different tracks) went out to Indian food! In pursuit of some restaurant we found on Yelp, we were led into one lit up from wall to wall covered in Christmas lights. They strung so low from the ceiling that the guys in our group had to duck. For many of us, it was our first time experiencing Indian food, and we were quite delighted! My personal favorite item was the banana fritter appetizer with its crispy outer-shell and doughy inside, filled with banana. For an appetizer sampler plate (which we all shared), soup, vegetable curry, tea and mango ice cream for dessert, this flavorful, delicious meal sat right under a reasonable $10.
Babette’s Feast: Saturday, we had the opportunity to experience Babette’s Feast, a play adapted from a short story by Isak Dinesen, presented by Threads Theater Company. About Threads: “Threads Theater Company is a New York City based non profit theater company focused on producing plays which start inclusive conversations about faith and contribute to cultural renewal.”
Today Show: While in New York, we each were assigned a mentor who is an artist working in New York and desires to use their God-given gifts to change culture for the Kingdom. My mentor’s name is Ed, who I share with two other members in our track. Ed is behind the cameras for NBC and a professional photographer. Sunday, we went to the recording of the Today Show to be apart of the crowd, and then Ed took us behind the scenes!
Intersection
Today we paired off to share for the first time as a team, and as we came together to debrief, it was interesting to note that the majority of our groups talked with people from other countries, all around the world. New York—intersection of cultures, stories, paths. Later, our directors revealed to us the title of our exhibition in July, which appropriately is intersection. Throughout our time here, we will be collaborating in concept and process, working through this specific theme. Also, we will be critically analyzing the intersection between our art, faith, and personal experiences as a team. I am stoked to see where the Lord brings us as we begin studio time tomorrow!
Top of the Rockefeller
Our project is composed of 5 different tracks: Inner-city (reaches out to inner-city youth and people experiencing homelessness), Epic (reaches out to Asian-American students), Bridges (reaches out to international students), Campus (reaches out to college campuses), and of course, our track, Art.
Today, we spent time all together and in intermixed smaller groups to explore NYC. My group wandered around Little Italy, China Town, and SoHo before meeting everyone at the Rockefeller Center to go to “the top of the Rock” and get a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the city weighing on our hearts.
Along with the other women on project, my roommate and I have a simple, yet comfortable room in Chelsea, from which, we can see the Empire State building! My roommate’s name is Anna Beth, and she is from North Carolina, along with many other people on project. She took me to the top of our building to see the beautiful cityscape lit up at night.
Although we just arrived, already I have experienced a glimpse of the sights, sounds, and smells that have inspired artists here for decades. From the intensifying gusts of wind that disturb the hot, stagnant subway air as the train approaches, to the historical landmarks written into thousands of songs and poems, being in the City has transformed my appreciation for the works that allude to it as the works increased my appreciation for the City!
