A Fresh Perspective For A New Year

My Top 3

After nearly two weeks off, a vacation filled with family, friends, rest, relaxation, and large quantities of baked goods, I am ready for 2009. Determined to make this year my most productive and fulfilling yet, I decided to take on the challenge of a new hobby. No, I am not building the world’s largest ball of yarn, nor am I growing a family of sea monkeys. Instead, I have taken up painting.

Though my resume includes only a few walls (the baseboards of which needed touching up when I was done), I went to the art supply store last week, my much more artistically experienced father in tow. With his help, I chose several tubes of watercolor paint, a set of brushes, and a book of techniques—plus a nifty little carrying case to store it all in. My dad purchased some supplies as well, and the next day we set up our acquisitions on the kitchen table and got to work.

An hour or so and a few spills, splatters, and splashes later, my dad, after experimenting with several techniques and color combinations, had painted a lovely little beach scene. I, meanwhile, had filled a piece of paper with several mud-colored streaks and then painted a flower that looked more like a pastel sea anemone than the orchid it was supposed to be. Technique, I discovered, is everything—and I had a lot to learn.

While practice makes perfect, so does patience, perspective, and observation, whether you’re learning how to paint, teaching yourself a foreign language, or nursing a sick sea monkey. And one of the best places for such patient observation is a museum, as few other spots feautre so many fresh and talented perspectives under one roof—especially now, as many of the museums in our area are or will soon be featuring brilliant new exhibits. And I’m sure my new hobby could benefit from all of them. Here are some of the highlights:

Art and Love in Renaissance Italy: Now at the Met, this exhibit explores the themes of love and marriage during the Italian Renaissance with approximately 150 objects that range from portraits and paintings to jewelry and glassware. Art and Love is on display until February 16—just in time for Valentine’s Day. In addition, curator Andrea Bear will be giving a lecture on the exhibit next Thursday, January 15 at 7 p.m. in Wallace Hall at the Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola (on the corner of 84th and Park). The lecture is free and open to the public, and it will be followed by a wine and cheese reception.

Masterpieces of European Painting from the Norton Simon Museum: Starting February 10, the Frick will feature five master works from 16th-and 17th-century artists Peter Paul Rubens, Guercino, Francisco de Zurbarán, Jacopo Bassano, and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, none of whom are currently represented in the Frick’s collection.

The Third Mind: American Artists Contemplate Asia, 1860 to 1989: Opening at the Guggenheim January 30, “The Third Mind” will explore the impact Asian art and philosophy have had on the American art scene. With approximately 260 works by 114 American and Asian-American artists, this exhibit is sure to be a lesson in perspective.

Paris/New York: Design/Fashion/Culture 1925-1940: On display through February 22 at the Museum of the City of New York, Paris/New York explores the themes in art, design, architecture, film, fashion, and theater brought to the forefront in—where else—Paris and New York during the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s. Featuring drawings, photographs, costumes, furnishings, and more from the likes of Coco Chanel, Salvador Dali, and Josephine Baker, the exhibit delves into our creative and culturally rich history.

Eudora Welty in New York: Photographs of the Early 1930s: Also at the Museum of the City of New York are author and photographer Eudora Welty’s Depression-Era photos of both her home state of Mississippi and New York, now through February 16.

Artists Making Photographs: Opening January 16 at the Whitney, this exhibit features photographs by artists like Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, and Robert Rauschenberg, alongside their works in other mediums. Perhaps they ventured into photography in an attempt to take on a new hobby for a new year as well.

No matter what your New Year’s resolution, interest, or hobby, these exhibits are sure to provide fresh new perspectives and a healthy dose of inspiration.