midsummer art

Midsummer in New York, and yesterday, on the longest day of the year, I was lucky enough to attend the opening reception of the New York Historical Society's first contemporary art exhibit entitled, "Legacies: Contemporary Artists Reflect on Slavery," which opened to a rave review from the New York Times. It is the second installment of a three-part series devoted to the theme of slavery -- the first, which I was not able to see last night, is devoted to historical artifacts related to slavery in New York -- and was curated in part by the president of the Studio Museum in Harlem.

I brought Eliza with me to the exhibit, since much of her art is informed by her perspective on racial issues and how they affect her life. We realized very quickly, touring the three galleries in the ground floor of the grand building on Central Park West, that this is what we wanted our lives to be filled with: art, diversity, creativity and politics, hors d'oeuvres and wine. Pictured here, one of the artists explaining her homage piece to Seneca Village, a community of African-American landowners established in the early 19th century on a stretch of land located from 81st to 89th Streets, and later razed to make way for what is now Central Park.

The exhibit is wildly varied, from installations bedecked with random neon lights to Kara Walker's signature black and white cutout silhouettes, and does not speak to the viewer as a group of voices "wronged by the system." (Again, I refer you to the Holland Cotter's review in the Times.) All told, it was a lovely way to spend the evening, and I highly recommend a visit.