Category: art

Rockport New England Christmas

Most small towns have their Christmas celebrations in the weeks leading up to Christmas. With the exceptions of some church services, there is not much going on Christmas week in most small towns. I drove around Rockport on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and found out they were the exception.

I was surprised many businesses and restaurants were closed December 24th as I was traveling in Massachusetts. From locals that sounds typical. For many stores and restaurants in New York December 24th is important and they stay open at least part of the day. I found that some Rockport businesses were open on December 24th.

Santa arriving in the back of a vintage Chevy truck.

I also discovered that Santa arrives to visit the townspeople by the tree on Christmas morning. He arrives in vintage Chevy pick-up and passes out bags of fruit and candy to everyone. He even poses for a picture. I was told this is a favorite yearly tradition.

People in Rockport welcomed Santa on Christmas.
Santa gave out bags filled with fruit and candy.
Santa’s helper
People and their pets arrived in festive attire.
This dog has his own Instagram-Whatnorthseas. He is a very friendly border collie.

No businesses were open on Christmas as expected, except one, a coffee shop. The owner would not accept payment. Coffee, tea, and a pastry was free that morning while she was open. Many were leaving tips in the jar regardless.

The shop that had free coffee, tea and pastries. I believe this was Helmut’s Strudel.
Most painted building

Rockport is a wonderful little coastal town. It has many shops with a vibrant art community. One fishing stage in the harbor is said to be the most painted building in art classes in the United States.

It was fun walking and driving around town looking at holiday wreaths and decorations. Some used local plants or shells.

Many visit Rockport in summer. It is also a nice destination in winter, especially during Christmas.

Columbus Circle Holiday Market

Did you know there were holiday markets outside Europe? Where can you find holiday markets in New York City? One location is at the southwest corner of Central Park at Columbus Circle.

Hours

Monday- Saturday 10-8 Sunday 10-7

Items

More than 100 vendors sell hand crafted items and specialty foods. Some items are environmentally friendly. There is a food court area with vendors and tables to sit at. In other areas vendors sell hot drinks and other food items as well.

Clocks were made of various vintage books.
Chocolate covered soft meringues- Italian
Lanterns of many colors
Meditating Santa

If you are interested in buying a unique handmade item, head over to Columbus Circle- 59th Street and Central Park West by December 24th. You may be surprised what catches your eye.

Broadway Christmas

Are you in the holiday spirit? Do you want to know where to look for holiday or winter sites in New York City? They are easy to find in the tourist areas such as Broadway.

This year they have three snow globes representing Broadway shows on Broadway. I could only get two of them without people in front.

The Lion King

Life is like a snow globe. Its at its prettiest when it has been turned upside down.- Author unknown

The snow globes of Broadway are just one of the many Christmas/winter sites to view in New York.

National Cathedral Gargoyles

Gargoyles and grotesques of long ago were frequently scary images of monsters and mythical creatures. Today as some places replace ones that are wearing down in the elements, they may put in place ones based on real people or even characters from stories. One such place that is doing that is that National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Darth Vader is very high up. He is on the dark side of one section.

I heard they had a Darth Vader grotesque. I asked the guards at the Cathedral where it was located. They answered look on the dark side. They didn’t seem so sure of its exact location themselves. I had to ask someone wandering around. It is high up on the dark side of northwest tower of the cathedral. It is very high up and one would need good binoculars to locate it.

For help locating the Darth Vader grotesque look here: https://cathedral.org/what-to-see/exterior/vader/

Gargoyles

Gargoyles have pipes going through a section of their body, usually the mouth. The purpose is to lead the water away from the building.

Monster with curlers?
Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?
Two heads are better than one
Man-like creature with big eyebrows
Stick a fork in it- fishlike?
Definitely scary
Grotseques

Grotesques are like gargoyles, except they are more for decoration. They do not have a pipe protruding from a mouth.

A more traditional one
Making fun of the cathedral visitors?
Part man -part hooved beast
Appears to be a bagpiper
Angel rat

Many go to the cathedral to see the interior. If you plan to visit, bring a good pair of binoculars or a zoom lens. It is worth looking up.

The Green Man- NYC

Who can be found on many buildings in England? Whose image adorns the face of some buildings in Germany, France and others places? It is the Green Man.

Did you know it also can be found on buildings in the United States? There are at least three locations where the Green Man can be found in New York City. Below are some grotesque-like images I found on one Manhattan building.

The man above looks like he is gasping for air. Maybe he is affected by the pollution? Or is he simply sticking his tongue out at those passing by?
This guy does not look impressed. These Green Men all have foreheads made of leaves.
This Green Man seems to be laughing at those passing by.

See if you can find any Green Men in your locale. There seem to be more of these around than people know.

The Green Man

It resembles a man, but is surrounded by leaves or other plant life. It may have branches or vines protruding from its mouth or nose. It is seen on different pub signs and as grotesques on buildings or churches. What is it? It is the Green Man.

Oxford University- More of a man.

Although it can be seen in other cultures, the Green Man can be spotted around England. There are at least three Green Man Pubs in London and more are elsewhere. Several colleges at Oxford have the symbol on a door or as a grotesque on the side of a building. Churches and cathedrals in different counties have the Green Man decorating their edifice.

More a plant- Oxford

Although the true meaning may be unknown, there are many theories about it. Some see the Green Man as a symbol of rebirth or growth in spring. Others see it as a symbol of man’s reliance on nature. Another theory is it is a reminder that death awaits us all. One Christian interpretation is that the foliage coming from the mouth represents the life giving breath of the Holy Spirit. Other ideas about the meaning exist as well.

Magdalen College Oxford

Whatever their meaning or purpose, they are interesting to find. Look them up on the web and see where some of them are located. This site lists some locations: click here. If you are planning a trip to one of these areas, stop in and find one.

Temple Art

Is it a lion or a dragon? I think it may be a dragon. I looked online and could not find a similar image.

I took this image several years ago when in the Pusan/Busan area of South Korea at one of its lovely Buddhist temples. It was taken on an old Pentax K-1000 as slide film. I recently scanned this image.

Buddhist temples are known for their artwork. Besides statues of Buddha, the temples are like an art museum on the inside and outside. If in Korea or another Asian country, be sure to stop by one. You won’t regret it.

City College Grotesques

Where can you find the highest concentration of grotesques in New York City? The answer is on the campus of City College of New York.

Location

City College is located on Amsterdam Avenue near 138th Street. It is in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Manhattan just north of Harlem.

How Many Grotesques?

According to “The City College of NY 150 Years of Academic Architecture” written by Paul David Pearson (1997) the buildings are “encased with over 600 grotesque figures that directly relate to the educational function of each building. The figures were designed by Livingston Smith, a staff member in the post’s architectural office, modeled by G. Grundellis and cast in terra cotta.” I got this quote from another website. Scouting NY website says there are 1,000. I don’t think I was able to access close to either of those numbers walking around campus, however, there are a lot to see.

A professor? This looks to be modeled after a real person.
Engineering?
Looks like he has money, so business or finance?
Digging up bones- archeology
Painting- art
Music
How to Get There

In Manhattan take the number 1 subway line to 137th Street- City College station. Exit and walk up Hamilton Place and turn right on 138th Street. When you cross Amsterdam Avenue you are there. Anyone can walk around the campus. There are not many people there on the weekend, but I was still able to walk around the buildings. There are areas you can not walk on campus. Some streets or alleyways may be closed off with fences.

If grotesques peak your interest, it is worth a trip up the 1 train. It may also be a good destination prior to Halloween.

Kingston’s Murals

What happens when prices rise so high in New York City that renting or buying is out of the question for the average person? What happens when the cost of goods can be up to twice that national average and New York City has the highest income taxes in the country? If you said there would be an exodus, you would be correct. Many upstate communities have benefitted from this exodus, Kingston being one of them.

Midtown at Keegan Ales
Midtown area
Town that Supports the Arts

Kingston has benefitted so much so that some are calling it the new Brooklyn. Artists and others have moved up to Kingston due to the town’s much lower real estate prices and cost of living. Also, there are people who make the long commute from the Kingston area.

Kingston promotes art and it has a very active art community. There are several galleries and a gallery hop takes place on the first Saturday night of each month. The Midtown Arts District is trying to promote art tourism to the area. The put on an O+ festival in which murals are created. This fall festival brings in art muralists from around the world.

Uptown behind a building on North Front Street
On the back of a building that faces North Front Street. You can view this from the city parking lot on the side.
Where the Murals Are Located

Many of the murals are in the uptown and midtown areas of Kingston. In the midtown area some can be seen on the sides of buildings along Broadway and on streets that run parallel to it or interest it. In the uptown area, otherwise known as the Stockade District., the murals can be seen on streets that run parallel to North Front Street and on ones that intersect it.

The Kingston area saw a marked decline after the closing of the IBM plant in the 1990s. It is now making a resurgence. A more creative vibe is appearing. It affects other areas such as the restaurant industry. NYC’s loss is Kingston’s gain.

Midtown at Keegan Ales

Broadway in Midtown
The YMCA is on Broadway. If you go to their back parking lot behind the building you will see this one and another.
This is between buildings on Broadway in Midtown.