~Jody Harrow
Impressive isn’t quite the right word. More like stunning is the way I describe the renovation of the museum and its exhibits. I’ve been a visitor to the museum since the mid-seventies. Now I walk up the steps to the doors in eager anticipation to see what revelations and connections I’ll be able to make when viewing their present exhibit.
The building is one of not many publicly accessible, untouched buildings in the NYC area still resplendent with its original grand staircase, well proportioned rooms, dark wood paneling with inlayed motifs, and stained glass. Materials we don’t get to see in modern buildings. I was sure since their renovation endured for more than 3 years, that all would be stripped away in favor of sleek modern.
I reluctantly pulled myself together when a friend prodded me to visit their inaugural show. I was surprised not only by their embrace of the old, but also how they polished and scrubbed without loosing the patina - and enriched the space with behind the scene modern amenities.
Some years back when I wrote a proposal to a search team for a position with the museum, I asked them to give me more than a nibble of the historical precedence for objects. And they’ve done just that!
Their exhibits are thought provoking when they are exploring cutting edge of modern design or bringing us back to a place and time that lets us know where the antecedent came from.
Their spacious but subdued garden has for decades been one of my favorite go-to spots to enjoy the tranquility of nature in a city teeming with action. This garden offers a more intimate setting than our oh so grand, ever so majestic park across the avenue - Central Park. I eagerly await Spring when once again I am able to sit on one of it's benches and enjoy the ever changing mood of nature.
p.s. right after we posted this piece we discovered our all time favorite clients, Tsao & McKown Architects designed this wonderful exhibit, Beauty. Now we love it even more! 😊