Photo: Paris Street; Rainy Day (1877); Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894). Source.
Today’s forecast: wind, rain, gloom, more rain. Luckily, no art lover in New York ever has to suffer a dull Friday evening due to inclement weather. Here are the five major NYC museums that offer free/pay-what-you-wish admission today.
The Morgan Library & Museum
Photo: Interior, Morgan Library & Museum. Credit: Graham Haber. Source.
The opulent Morgan Library & Museum lets you enjoy another favorite rainy day pleasure: reading! Current not-to-be-missed exhibitions in their final weeks are: “Marcel Proust and Swann’s Way: 100th Anniversary,” an in-depth look at the creation of the widely-acknowledged literary masterwork of our time, and “Drawing Surrealism,” featuring more than 160 works by Surrealist masters such as Salvador Dali and Max Ernst. Free Friday evenings at the Morgan also feature live music and dining at the airy Morgan Cafe. Free Admission Hours: 7-9PM. 225 Madison Ave. at 36th St.
Museum of Modern Art
Photo: Lobby, Museum of Modern Art. Credit: Angus Oborn. Source.
Often considered the most influential modern art museum in the world, the MoMA has a dizzying collection of major works with current highlights including Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” the painting that has come to define angst in the modern age, and “Claes Oldenburg: The Street and the Store,” the 20th century artist’s visceral celebration of the mundane. Target Free Fridays tickets are available at the door and includes admission into all galleries, exhibitions, and films but go early as the line can get long! Free Admission Hours: 4-8PM. 11 W53rd St, between 5th & 6th Aves.
Whitney Museum of American Art
Photo: Exterior of the Whitney Museum. Source.
Renowned for its Biennials that introduce new and young artists to the world, the stylish Whitney is home to the city’s most avante-garde collection of 20th and 21st century art. Current exhibition highlights include “Blues for Smoke,” an interdisciplinary exhibition of contemporary art through the lens of the blues aesthetic, and “American Legends: From Calder to O’Keefe,” which showcases the artistic ground-breakers of our time. Pay-What-You-Wish Admission Hours: 7-9PM.945 Madison Ave. at 75th St.
Rubin Museum of Art
Photo: Front entrance, Rubin Museum of Art. Source.
The premiere American museum for the art of the Himalayas and surrounding areas, the Rubin Museum also hosts one of the best under-the-radar movie nights in the city. After viewing unique current exhibitions such as “Flip Side,” a look at the clues hidden in the text of Tibetan art objects, and “Living Shrines of Uyghur China,” a fascinating photographic journey through the Ugyghur region, grab any $7 drink at the Rubin’s chic bar and get free tickets to Cabaret Cinema, an excellent Friday night film series that explores the themes in the museum’s galleries. Free Admission Hours: 6-10PM. 150 W17th St, between 6th & 7th Aves.
Museum of Arts & Design
Photo: “Grapes” (2008); Ai Weiwei. “Against the Grain,” MAD Museum. Source.
The provocative MAD Museum explores the the blur between art and craft and showcases the myriad ways contemporary artists transform materials from wood to glass, fiber and beyond. Current exhibition highlights include “Against the Grain,” an exploration of the most cutting-edge woodwork of the day and “Playing With Fire: 50 Years of Contemporary Glass,” a mesmerizing catalog of gravity-defying glasswork. Pay-What-You-Wish Admission Hours: 6-9PM. 2 Columbus Circle.
