The Metropolitan Museum Of Art

January 30, 2024

Major Cycladic art installation opens at The Met

A historic collaboration between the Greek state and The Metropolitan Museum of Art is bringing an installation of Cycladic masterpieces to New York City. Last week the museum unveiled a display of 161 works made in the Cyclades, a group of islands in the Aegean Sea, mostly in the Early Bronze Age, from the private collection of billionaire philanthropist Leonard N. Stern. Objects on display include the major types of Cycladic marble figurines and range in size from a small-scale figure to a reclining female figure that is more than four feet long.
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September 19, 2023

The Met’s ‘Manet/Degas’ exhibit includes U.S. debut of ‘Olympia’

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will host a major exhibition analyzing the friendship and rivalry of two revolutionary French artists. Debuting on September 24, "Manet/Degas" examines the artistic dialogue between renowned painters Édouard Manet and Edgar Degas, pioneers of modernist painting in France. Through a collection of 160 artworks, the exhibition sheds light on the friendships, family relationships, social circles, and historical circumstances that influenced the creative and professional journeys of the two artists. Manet's famous "Olympia" painting, considered one of the most controversial artworks of the 19th century, will travel from Paris to the United States for the first time for the exhibition.
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September 7, 2023

See the Met Museum’s new science and art play space for children

A new play space at the Metropolitan Museum of Art will open its doors to young visitors this weekend. The 81st Street Studio is a 3,500-square-foot art and science playroom located in the museum's Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education that lets children discover the Met's collections through immersive games and experiences. Debuting on September 9, the space is open during museum hours and is free to children and their caregivers.
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August 23, 2023

The Met announces major Harlem Renaissance exhibition

The Metropolitan Museum of Art next year will host an exhibition establishing the Harlem Renaissance as the first-ever African-American-led international art movement. Debuting in February 2024, "The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism" will explore the ways in which Black artists depicted everyday life in the new Black cities that developed across the United States from the 1920s through the 1940s, like New York City's Harlem and Chicago's South Side. As the first art museum survey of the Harlem Renaissance in the city since 1987, the exhibition includes roughly 160 works of painting, sculpture, film, photography, and more.
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July 24, 2023

The best free museum days in New York City

When living in one of the most expensive cities in the country, it’s helpful to know the places in New York City that offer discounts and freebies. Thankfully, many of the Big Apple’s world-class museums and galleries offer free admission on certain days, from the tiny Mmuseumm in Chinatown to the iconic Guggenheim Museum. Ahead, we've rounded up some of the best free museum days in NYC to let you pinch pennies and get your culture fix at the same time.
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June 13, 2023

Met Museum will open a 3,500-square-foot science and art play space for young visitors

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced it will open the 81st Street Studio, a free science and art play space for the museum's youngest visitors, on September 9. The newly-designed space will occupy a 3,500-square-foot area in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education at the Upper East Side museum; children aged 3 to 11 can enjoy interactive play to create new experiences and inspire exploration of the museum's vast collection.
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April 19, 2023

Ancient Egypt and South Central L.A. meet in monumental installation on the Met’s roof

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's latest rooftop commission brings to life the history of South Central Los Angeles with the use of ancient Egyptian architecture. Created by artist and activist Lauren Halsey, "the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture (I)" consists of a cube-like structure that rises 22 feet tall and has more than 750 glass-fiber-reinforced concrete tiles, surrounded by four columns and four sphinxes.  Located on the museum's Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, the towering structure provides a new perspective of Central Park and the city skyline through an open ceiling and large entryways.
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May 19, 2022

Teens take over the Met Museum with free art-making, silent dance parties, selfies, and more

Teens will take over the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday for an evening full of free creative and educational events. "Teens Take the Met!" takes place at the Upper East Side museum on May 20 and offers a jam-packed schedule of art-making, music and dance, theater, and more, including a silent dance party in the Temple of Dendur and dance lessons from Ballet Hispánico. Welcoming teens aged 13 to 18, the event returns as an on-site experience for the first time since 2019.
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December 9, 2021

15 holiday trees in NYC that are not at Rockefeller Center

The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center may be the most popular conifer in New York City, with 125 million people visiting the tree each year, but it certainly is not the only one. Every holiday season, spruces adorned with colorful lights and ornaments pop up across the five boroughs. The city’s many holiday trees each offer a unique take on the tradition, which began in NYC in 1912 when the first public Christmas tree was erected in Madison Square Park. For those looking to skip the Midtown crowds this year, we’ve rounded up 15 of the best holiday trees, from the origami tree at the American Museum of Natural History to the flotilla of trees in Central Park’s Harlem Meer.
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April 15, 2021

The Met’s latest rooftop installation features a swaying Big Bird overlooking Central Park

A 26-foot-tall moving sculpture featuring the Sesame Street character Big Bird has been installed atop the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the museum's annual Roof Garden Commission series. Created by Philadelphia-based artist Alex Da Corte, As Long as the Sun Lasts exhibition includes a blue-feathered Big Bird sitting on a floating crescent moon and holding a ladder, gazing out at Central Park and the massive towers that dot the skyline. The exhibition will open at the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden on April 16 and be on view through October 31.
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February 22, 2021

Petition launches against the Met’s plan to sell art amidst $150M deficit

In early February, the Metropolitan Museum of Art began talks about selling some of its artworks in the face of a $150 million deficit. As the New York Times explained, the Association of Art Museum Directors created a two-year window during which its members could use the proceeds from sales of works in a collection to pay for its own expenses as opposed to just for future art purchases, as was the rule in the past. But a new Change.org petition is calling for the Met's board members, many of whom are billionaires, to foot the bill instead of selling off its art.
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February 10, 2021

The Frick Collection’s temporary home in Madison Avenue’s Breuer building is opening next month

A little over two years ago, the Frick Collection announced it would take over Madison Avenue's famous Breuer building from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Up until 2016, the brutalist landmark was home to the Whitney Museum of American Art, but when the Whitney moved to its new High Line building, the Met took it over as a contemporary wing. The new move allows the Met to ease the burden of some of its debt while providing a temporary home for the Frick while its permanent home--a Gilded Age mansion on Fifth Avenue-undergoes a renovation. The Frick Madison will open at 25-percent capacity on March 18.
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July 16, 2020

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will reopen August 29

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will reopen to the public on August 29, as part of the city's phase four of reopening. The museum closed all three of its locations in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Met's Fifth Avenue building will open its doors five days a week, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. While The Cloisters is expected to open in September, museum officials last month announced that the Met Breuer will not reopen at all, with the building instead serving as the temporary home of the Frick Collection.
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April 3, 2020

All the performances, events, and classes in NYC you can stream online

Although the coronavirus has shuttered most of the city, many museums, performance venues, theaters, and famous New Yorkers are offering free (or low-cost) online resources to entertain New Yorkers throughout this difficult period. From virtual storytime with Brooklyn Public Library librarians to live-streamed performances by the Metropolitan Opera to baking classes with Milk Bar's Christina Tosi to dance lessons from the Radio City Rockettes, support local organizations safely from your home. This list was lasted updated at 10:00 a.m. on April 3, 2020.
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January 31, 2020

16 places to celebrate Black History Month in NYC

February marks Black History Month, a nationwide celebration of African American culture and history. New Yorkers will have plenty of opportunities to honor the contributions made by the black community, with live performances, guided tours, comedy shows, art installations, and more events happening across the city. From the Apollo Theater's open house celebration to spoken word performances at Brooklyn barbershops, pay tribute to the achievements of black Americans this February, as well as all year round.
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August 1, 2019

Katz’s iconic deli fare pops up at The Met this month

Starting August 2, visitors at Manhattan’s venerable Metropolitan Museum of Art will be able to indulge in a taste of the iconic Lower East Side deli in a pop-up within the museum's cafeteria, Food & Wine reports. Through the end of summer, hungry culture vultures can choose from turkey or pastrami sandwiches, potato salad, pickles and a selection of Dr. Brown's soda. “Expert cutters” will even be on-site to serve up the hand-carved platters. The pop-up will occupy a temporary version of the downtown delicatessen, complete with a mini Katz's lightbox on display. The pop-up will be open Thursday through Monday starting at 11:30 A.M.
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December 14, 2018

This New Yorker wants you to take advantage of your ‘right’ to free admission at NYC museums

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and 12 other New York City institutions should be free of charge for New York residents, claims one local resident. New Yorker Pat Nicholson this week launched a website aimed at educating the city about the "right" to free admission to museums like the Met and others, as Metro reported. According to Nicholson, a 19th-century law states the Met should offer free admission five days a week in exchange for a rent-free lease on city property.
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August 10, 2017

EVENT: Enjoy live jazz in the stunning medieval gardens of The Met Cloisters

If checking out The Cloisters has long been on your to-do list, there's no better time to head north than for the museum's MetFridays. On Friday, August 11th (that's tomorrow!) and Friday, August 25th, The Met will host two hours of live 1930s jazz at sunset in their stunning medieval gardens. Performances will feature trumpeter Alex Nguyen, winner of the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Competition, and his quartet as they perform the same ditties that topped the charts when the museum was first constructed between 1934 and 1939.
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September 1, 2016

Art Nerd New York’s Top Event Picks for the Week- 9/1-9/7

In a city where hundreds of interesting happenings occur each week, it can be hard to pick and choose your way to a fulfilling life. Art Nerd‘s philosophy is a combination of observation, participation, education and of course a party to create the ultimate well-rounded week. Jump ahead for Art Nerd founder Lori Zimmer’s top picks for 6sqft readers! Summer's over, but you can alleviate some of the pain with a slew of arts events this weekend. Times Square Arts brings it with their September #Midnightmoment partnership with the Met Opera, and the Met Museum's gorgeous Manus X Machina comes to a close. Head over to Governors Island before it closes for the season to check out the Center for Holographic Arts, and head out to the Hamptons to enjoy Dita Von Teese while supporting Housing Works. Revisit the '70s with a Paradise Garage Reunion, or honor Captain James T Kirk with a group show inspired by Star Trek. Experience the hype that is the Japanese pop band Perfume, then educate yourself on the sprawl and settlement of the Bronx.
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