Open Call

Free tickets to an exhibit at The Shed lured me downtown on a steamy Sunday afternoon. The amount of new construction in midtown truly astonishes--so many reflective glass towers on the west side!

The once "futuristic" entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel (opened 1937) adds a welcome contrast.

Hudson Yards keeps growing and growing.

"Open Call" commissioned works from 27 diverse artists, most of them a lot younger than me.  The exhibition occupied two galleries, not so different from enormous garages.  

The Crane & the Snake by Kenneth Tam

A Patterned Universe by Anne Wu

The Headless Headhunt by Caroline Garcia

Devil's Peak by Simon Liu 

The Tomb-Sweeper's Mosquito Bite by Pauline Shaw

We Love You Devra Freelander by Esteban Jefferson

The Earth Has Been Made a Place of Prayer by Aisha Amin

Passages by Tajh Rust (close-up)

True Love Will Find You in the End by Emilie Gossiaux

This multi-media work, the most compelling in my opinion, re-imagines how Hart Island, now New York City's potter's field, might have become the "Negro Coney Island."

Cities of the Dead by Ayanna Dozier

But I'm sorry to say, both the Shed and the Vessel offered more aesthetic stimulation than "Open Call" for this old fart.

And I loved these figures.

I really, really hope that Eric Adams can help reduce homelessness.  Dozens of these poor people sat or dozed on the steps of the old post office, now the site of the glorious new Moynihan Train Hall.  So sad!

Meanwhile, crowds gathered outside restaurants and bars with outdoor seating to watch Italy beat England for the European Cup.

Remember, says PETA:  leather is someone's skin.  Wear vegan.

I never noticed this entrance to Penn Station before.

Subway station mosaic tiles are another reason to love New York!