SUMMER ART EXCURSIONS | 2017
By Nicole Bray, Contemporary Art Consultant | info@mercercontemporary.com
It’s August, and while the galleries are closed, or at least metaphorically closed, you can always take a day trip out of the city to see some exhibits that would seem too unbearable during the winter months. See below for some of our favorite destinations.
Dia:Beacon
3 Beekman Street, Beacon, New York
Thursday – Monday, 11am – 6pm
Dia Art Foundation was originally founded in New York City in 1974 as a program committed to helping artists achieve visionary projects. A constellation of sites started popping up all over the city, New Mexico, Germany and eventually, Beacon. In May 2003, Dia:Beacon opened on the banks of the Hudson River in Beacon, New York, in a former Nabisco box printing factory. The museum presents Dia’s collection of art from the 1960s to the present as well as special exhibitions and public programs. Since its opening, Dia:Beacon has helped transform the city of Beacon into a vibrant arts destination for visitors from the region, New York City, and beyond.
Getting there: Dia:Beacon is located adjacent to the Beacon train station, which is served by Metro-North Railroad trains from Grand Central Terminal and Poughkeepsie. Trains run hourly in either direction during museum operating hours.
Storm King Art Center
1 Museum Road, New Windsor, NY 12553
Summer hours (May 26–September 2): Open until 8pm Friday & Saturday
Widely celebrated as one of the world’s leading sculpture parks, Storm King Art Center has welcomed visitors from across the globe for over fifty years. Located only one hour north of New York City, in the lower Hudson Valley, its 500 acres of rolling hills, woodlands, and fields of native grasses and wildflowers provide the setting for a collection of more than 100 carefully sited sculptures created by some of the most acclaimed artists of our time. Currently exhibiting works by David Smith, The White Sculptures, and Heather Hart, Outlooks, to complement its permanent installation of sculpture. These may comprise large-scale sculptures sited in outdoor galleries defined by sky and landscape, or smaller works and supporting materials shown in the Museum Building. Exhibitions include both works from Storm King’s permanent collection and loans from artists, private collectors, galleries, and museums.
Getting there: From Grand Central Terminal visitors can buy a ticket to the Beacon Station that includes Storm King Admission. From Beacon, they can get a taxi or Zipcar (located at 1 Municipal Plaza, Beacon, NY, about a half mile walk from the train station) to get to Storm King.
New Jersey Transit/Metro-North also provides service from Penn Station to the Salisbury Mills train station, three miles from Storm King by taxi.
MOMA PS1: Summer Warm Up
Every Saturday through September 2
22-25 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY
MoMA PS1’s pioneering outdoor music series Warm Up celebrates its 20th season in 2017, with ten Saturdays presenting the best in live and electronic music—both local and global—across a range of genres. Warm Up takes place every weekend from July 1 to September 2, featuring a lineup of emerging and established artists. Highlights include Jackmaster, ASAP Ferg, ACTRESS, Moor Mother, Laurel Halo, Mike Q, John Maus, Cardi B, Sophie, Jacques Greene, RP Boo, and collaborations between Total Freedom and Ryan Trecartin. An integral part of MoMA PS1’s contemporary program, Warm Up provides an opportunity to engage with today’s most experimental and innovative artists across mediums. Audiences are encouraged to visit the exhibition galleries and experience MoMA PS1’s diverse exhibitions of emerging artists, new genres, and adventurous work by recognized artists. Warm Up 2017 will take place within a site-specific installation by Young Architects Program winner Jenny Sabin Studio made of photoluminescent textiles that transform over the course of a day.
Getting there: From Grand Central Station take the 7 train to Court Square, Long Island City. MoMA PS1 is a 700ft walk from the station.
artREAL contributor Nicole Bray is the founder of Mercer Contemporary and guides private and corporate clients through each step of acquiring, selling, managing, and displaying artwork. She received her Masters in Contemporary Art (Hons.) from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York. She was the recipient of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Emerging Curator Fellowship 2015, and has worked at both an Auction House and for a distinguished private family. If you would like to contact Nicole, or if you are interested in starting your own collection, please email her at info@mercercontemporary.com or visit www.mercercontemporary.com.