Travels in the 2nd half

  In 1977, the New Museum opened in The New School for Social Research. With the goal of giving space and attention to contemporary artists that have not yet been “discovered” by the traditional art world. Over the next thirty years it bounced around in several sites, but it always looked to bring forward “new artists and new ideas.” In 2007, The New Museum moved into its permanent home on The Bowery. Part of what drew me to visit now was the reopening of the museum after a two year renovation and expansion that has doubled the size of its exhibition space. To celebrate its new space, the New Museum has put together a fascinating exhibit that fills its entire space. New Humans: Memories of the Future (ongoing) “explores how technological developments have inspired evolving definitions of the ‘human’”(from the museum’s website). It brings together works that explore the ideas of humanity that span the past 120 years, from Jules Verne and H.G. Wells to ET to today. From the series ...

  You can make the argument that the city of Tampa, Florida, might not exist today if it were not for the neighborhood of Ybor City . Yet many people, especially visitors to the area, know very little about this historic district. In the 1880’s, Vicente Martinez Ybor was looking for a new home for his cigar factory. He had already moved his business from Cuba to Key West, bringing it closer to his main market in the United States. He felt that there were two drawbacks to remaining in Key West. The island gave him very little room to expand the industry. And while Key West was close to Cuba, that proximity meant that progressive and pro-union organizers could easily move back and forth, building their relationships with workers in his factory. At this time, Tampa was a small town of around 700 residents, but it offered two important benefits to the growing cigar industry. First, it sat along a protected deep water bay, allowing ships to bring in raw materials from Cuba. Second, in ...