Monday evening a friend and I attended The Eveillard Gift, a collection of European works on paper the Eveillards have given to the Frick Collection. At Frick Madison there was a gentle crowd in the fourth floor chamber, celebrating the acquisition. There was also confusion. Many of us thought the Gift was also represented on the second and third floors. There was scurring in and out of the enormous elevators. Who could complain? We feasted on old favorites: Vermeer’s Mistress and Maid, Bellini’s St. Francis in the Desert.
Among the Eveillards’ works I was especially fond of a little Goya. It’s a single figure, a man dancing and playing the tambourine.
On Wednesday, another friend and I agreed to meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We planned on seeing the Tudor exhibit. Maybe duck into the Cubism exhibit.
The only problem: the Met is closed on Wednesdays. So we scooted up ten blocks to the Guggenheim. Of course there was a long line. Everyone else had thought the Met was open. The line moved smoothly and we had a rather expensive, mediocre lunch in the pleasant cafeteria that overlooks Fifth Avenue and Central Park. We discussed plans for a Judson group and then walked up a few flights looking at the Alex Katz exhibit. I’ve always thought Katz’s work was boring. This exhibit didn’t change my mind. In fact, I admire the building more than most of the art presented at the Guggenheim.
Dancer Aileen Passloff’s memorial was packed with devoted students. On October 15th Judson’s Meeting Room celebrated her achievements.
“I wanted the dancers to look out from their own experience whether they’re falling or holding each other or even sitting next to each other. For me that’s a deeply human experience.” Aileen Passloff
Judson Memorial Church is bursting with pride. Governor Hochul, in a press conference at Judson, announced funding for abortion providers! That’s $13.4 million to 37 providers covering 64 clinical sites.
I’m confused. I have been reading Noah Gallagher Shannon’s terrific essay, What does Sustainable Living Look Like? Maybe Like Uruguay.
Mr. Shannon interviewed Urguayans like Ramon Mendez, the director of energy, who claims that the energy system is based on physical, social and geopolitical aspects. The country has decreased energy consumption by 20 percent.
Mr. Shannon writes, “All around the world, developed nations have locked themselves into unsustainable, energy-intensive lifestyles.”
Why am I confused?
Because President Biden has just stated, “Energy—particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean—should serve as the tool for cooperation, stability, security, and prosperity, not for conflict.” Huh?
This was said to celebrate Lebanon and Israel agreeing to end their maritime dispute.
Judson Memorial Church celebrated the blessing of the animals. Rev. Micah Bucey invited all living, deceased and stuffed animals to be blessed. When I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico I stayed with former Judsonites and their wonderful cats, 2/Too and MaGee. Micah blessed their photos. It was a loving, slightly batty (Judson, after all) service. It was capped with a reading from SONNY, the story of an elephant, written by Them Fogarty, illustrated by Ted Dawson. Lee Guilliatt created the stories.2/TT
