A day in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan

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The Whitney Museum of American Art in NYC always produces wonderful temporary exhibits. It also has its own excellent collection of works produced by American artists in the 20th and 21 centuries. They recently revamped their 7th floor display of highlights from that collection, and their current show makes me very happy.

“Untitled” (America) (ongoing)



Drawn from the Whitney’s permanent collection, this show features works that highlight key ideas in American art from 1900 through the 1980’s. What I really like about this collection is that it includes so many artists whose work I love. Paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe, Joseph Stella, Edward Ruscha, and many others are on display.

Summer Days by Georgia O'Keeffe

Dempsey and Firpo by George Bellows

Pittsburgh by Elsie Driggs

The Brooklyn Bridge: Variations on an Old Theme by Joseph Stella

The Subway by George Tooker

Day Clean by Eldzier Cortor

Large Trademark with Eight Spotlights by Edward Ruscha 


Best of all, in my opinion, “Untitled”(America) has brought out three excellent paintings by Edward Hopper.


New York Interior by Edward Hopper

Early Sunday Morning by Edward Hopper

Second Story Light by Edward Hopper


Claes Oldenberg: Drawn From Life (ongoing)



Claes Oldenberg (1929-2022) is best known for creating oversized statues of everyday objects. I am most familiar with his Typewriter Eraser on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. His ideas did not start as sculptures, but as drawings, where he explored the size and looks he wanted, This is an exhibit of some of those plans for statues and even skyscrapers.


Typewriter Erasers: Position Studies 

Typewriter Eraser: Scale X by Claes Oldenberg. Photo by Slowking4 via Wikipedia


Proposal for a skyscraper in the form of Chicago Fireplug

Bicycle on Ground


The Little Island




By the year 2011, most of the old shipping piers on the west side of Manhattan either had or were about to be torn down, and Pier 55, at west 13th street was no exception. Then came Superstorm Sandy in 2012, which pretty much killed what was left of its structure. Over the next few years several plans to either rebuild or replace Pier 55 were put forward, utilizing both public and private funds, and in 2018 a final choice was made.





In 2021, The Little Island opened. This 2.4 acre park was designed by the British firm Hetherwick Studio. It sits on top of 132 concrete structure called tulips, that range from 16 to 64 feet (5 to 13 m) above the mean high tide line. The landscape of the park includes its “main lawn” where visitors can relax, and buy a drink or a snack, and a playground for children. The main feature of the island are a series of paths and stairs that wind around to overlook points at each of its four corners. The paths are lined with trees and shrubberies, and there are several points where views of the city, or of the supports tulip, are available. There is also a 685 seat amphitheater where concerts and talks are put on.









Nuts and Bolts



  • Whitney Museum of American Art. 99 Ganesvoort Street, NYC. Open Wed - Mon 10:30 AM - 6:00PM (10PM on Friday). Adults $30/ Seniors and Students $24/ under 25 free.
  • Little Island Park - Pier 55 - Hudson River and 14/13 streets. Free Entry, but concerts may require a paid ticket. Open every day at 6:00AM. Closing time varies with the time of year, but not earlier than 9:00PM
Location: 99 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014, USA

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