ALL VENUES GREAT AND MUSICAL IN THE BIG APPLE (c) By Polly Guerin

Never a dull moment in New York City where cultural events, great and musical, excite and invite the inquisitive nature of the city’s citizens to get out on these glorious days of spring-like weather. Only in New York my friends, the best of New York. Here’s the scoop!!!

FORTUNY Y MADRAZO: An Artistic Legacy The Queen Sofia Spanish Institute pays homage to Fortuny in a seminal exhibition that analyzes the work of the celebrated Spanish artist and designer in the context of the family of artists from which he descended. Conceived by and curated by Oscar de la Renta, this will be the first exhibition to examine Fortuny’s groundbreaking work in numerous fields, from textile and clothing design to visual arts and elaborates on the origins and influences that shaped his extraordinary career. From the luxurious textiles to many of his clothing designs, the iconic Delphos dress, emphasized movement and the natural shape of an un-corseted body. November 30-March 30, 2013. Queen Sofia Spanish Institute, 684 Park Avenue. T 212.628.0420. Image: Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo, Peplos (detail) 1910-1920, Courtesy of the Museo del Traje, Madrid.

GRAND HOTEL, “People Come, People Go.” It’s The Blue Hill Troupe’s electrifying musical version of the classic play, The Grand Hotel, inspired by Vicki Baum’s period novel sweeps into the Theater at St. Clement’s with performances ongoing From Nov. 14 to 17 at 8pm and a 2pm performance on Nov. 17th . This multiple Tony Award-winning musical features music and lyrics in a powerful score that is certain to sweep you away with all the lavishness of the 1920s. It’s 1928 Berlin, the world is between wars and the stock market is booming and though the Grand Hotel’s revolving doors pass a cavalcade of desperate, ambitious characters, all yearning for one last chance at a better future. The Blue Hill Troupe supports the Go Project, a nonprofit mission to provide critical academic, social and emotional support starting in the early elementary years. At the Theater at St. Clement’s, 423 West 46th St. (between 9th and l0th Ave) For tickets call: 866.811.4111.

MUSIC FOR THANKSGIVING: The St. George’s Choral Society’s Music for Thanksgiving for choir and Organ is a timely program that honors ‘For All our Gifts,’ with Matthew Lewis, Artistic Director and Andrew Yeargin, at the organ. The program includes a commissioned work (World Premiere) by Andrew Bassi and also Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord, Isadore Freed; Hariu, Max Janowski; The Eyes of All, Wait Upon Thee, Jean Berger; Three Harvest Home Chorales, Charles E. Ives; Rejoice in the Lamb, Benjamin Britten. A select ensemble will sing: Paulus: Pilgrims Hymn, We Gather Together and Thompson: Antiphon. At the Church of the Incarnation, 209 Madison Ave., at 35th St. On Sunday November 18th at 3pm. Tickets $25 at the door. $20 in advance email stgeorgeschoralsociety@yahoo.com

META-Monumental Garage Sale at The Museum of Modern Art. For her first solo exhibition at MoMA, multimedia performance artist Martha Rosler will present her work Meta-Monumental, a large-scale version of the classic American garage sale, where visitors will be able to browse and purchase second-hand goods that are organized, displayed and sold by the artist and her floor assistants. From November 17th-30th and museum visitors will be encouraged buy, haggle over prices and make purchases, after get your photo taken with your purchase. At MoMA, 11 W. 53rd St.

Ta Ta darlings: Don’t miss seeing that delightful musical The Grand Hotel and I’ll be looking for you on Sunday, November 18th as I will be singing in the St. George’s program. Fan mail welcome: pollytalk@verizon. Polly’s blogs are best accessed at pollytalk.com just click in the left hand column for a direct link to visionary men, amazing women, poetry or fashion.

CULTURAL VENUES RESTORE THE BIG APPLE'S HEART (c) By Polly Guerin

The rush of cultural venues restores the city on new ground with good reason to get out and enjoy the rich heritage that only New York City can offer in such abundance. Only in New York my friends, the best of New York. Here’s the scoop!

EDVARD MUNCH: The Scream, A haunting rendition of a hairless figure on a road under a yellow-orange sky, says it all about the reaction to Sandy. Here is an opportunity to see for yourself. The Scream has garnered worldwide attention for the stark portrayal of the human condition. The Museum of modern Art’s special six-month exhibition of Edvard Munch’s iconic ‘The Scream’ (1895) is among the most celebrated and recognized images in art history. The exhibition includes a small selection of works of the same period drawn primarily from the Museum’s collection. Of the four versions of the Scream that Munch created, this pastel of The Scream, is lent from a private collection and will on view at MoMA through April 2013, at 11 W. 53 St.

THE ROLLING STONES 50 years on Film: In celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Rolling Stones, MoMA presents the first comprehensive retrospective which chronicles the band from the mid-1960s until today with documentaries, fiction features, concert films, music videos, experimental shorts, and archival footage, training the film careers of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood, as well as former band members, collectively as composers, performers, producers and actors. Over the past half century, The Rolling Stones have influenced music, cinema, and art, working with some of the most original directors of their generation. In The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater.

THE PURSUIT OF A VISION: Two Centuries of Collecting American at the American Antiquarian Society tells the story of the significant book, newspaper, and art collectors who helped develop and expand the Society’s collection, which is described as the greatest collection of early Americana in the world. On the second floor gallery, The Grolier Club present a groundbreaking examination of Italian-language publishing in pre-war America, ‘Strangers in a Strange lane’ showcases a wide range of literary works which entertained, educated and inflamed an Italian-language audience during a period of critical historical development. Free admission. The Grolier Club, 47 E. 60th St.

THE RODIN PROJECT: The Russell Maliphant Company performs the U. S. debut of its celebrated founder’s latest work, The Rodin Project. First presented in Paris this past January, it is inspired by the “energy and twisting” of the 19th century master’s forms. The six dancer piece blends street and contemporary idioms and features a score by the Russian composer and cellist Alexander Zekke. Dec. 5 through 9 at the Joyce Theater, joyce.org. Sneak preview and discussion with the choreographer Dec. 3 at the Guggenheim Museum, guggenheim.org.

THE SALON, ART & DESIGN at the Park Avenue Armory Nov. 8 to 12th opens with a gala to benefit the Kips Bay Boys & Girls club, Wed. Nov. 7th. Special events in the Tiffany Room, Friday Nov. 9th and Saturday Nov. 10th include Real Estate and Interiors: How does design affect the value of your home? In addition, French Flair: Top designers talk about designing in the French Style and Elements of Contemporary Style deatures the next generation of Interior Designers. At Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Ave. at 67th St. Info: thesalonny.com.

Ta Ta darlings!!! It’s quite a relief to be back on board with my PollyTalk column. I trust you are all okay by now. Fan mail always welcome at pollytalk.com and my Blogs can be reached by clicking on the left-hand column links on pollytalk.com.

DIAMOND JUBILEE AND STORYTELLING IN NEW YORK (c) By Polly Guerin

Music doth make mortals of us all and New York City’s diamond jubilee Mahler concert tops events coming up this week, with storytelling Beatrix Potter enchanting children. Only in New York, my friends, the best of New York. Here’s the scoop!!!

BEATRIX POTTER: The Picture Letters Bring a child with you and explore the extraordinary tale of how a largely self-taught artist and writer used a series of private letters to develop some of the most vividly depicted animal characters in all of children’s literature. The exhibition brings together for the first time twenty-two letters—including the famous Peter Rabbit letter---as well as printed books, original artwork, manuscripts, and early children’s toys and games inspired by Potter’s stories. Although Potter was most often associated with bunnies, mice and squirrels that she immortalized in her beloved children’s books, spiders, newts, snakes and snails held an equal place in her heart. At the Morgan Library and Museum, 225 Madison Ave. Opens November 2 through January 2013.

GUSTAV MAHLER, Eighth Symphony The Canterbury Choral Society’s 60th Anniversary Benefit Concert, Mahler’s 8th Symphony, takes place on Saturday, November 3rd at 8pm at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Under the baton of Charles Dodsley Walker, founder and conductor, this remarkable presentation engages a chorus of 600 and Symphony Orchestra. The Canterbury Choral Society will be augmented by The Long Island Choral Society, Faculty and Cadets from the US Military Academy at West Point and Coro ProMusica Mexico. Young singers from several schools lend their voices to the gala affair including Spence School and Trinity School. Order tickets by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800.

LOUIS C. TIFFANY, And the Art of Devotion Most of us know the artist by his famous Tiffany lamps, but his oeuvre goes way beyond this genre. This exhibition is the first to concentrate on Tiffany’s ecclesiastical division which was created when New York City was going through an enormous building boom in congregations (between 1890 and 1906). The exhibit focuses on the work Tiffany Studios designed and fabricated for America’s churches, and, on a few occasions, synagogues as well. Divided into 3 thematic sections, the visually striking exhibition focuses on cues Tiffany took from Western and Eastern decorative traditions, mingling Gothic and Byzantine elements with the flowing botanical lines of Art Nouveau, and many other styles. At The Museum of Biblical Art (MOBIA) through January 2013. FREE admission.

9 + 1 Ways of Being Political: 50 Years of Political Stances in Architecture and Urban Design offers a series of fresh perspectives on the ways in which, over the last half century, architects have responded actively and redeveloped political attitude to the ever-evolving condition of urban society. Comprised of works spanning the last 50 years, the exhibition presents a variety of institutional critiques through putting architectural stances in dialogue with the works of other urban practitioners; artists, photographers, and designers. At The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) through March 2013, 11 West 53rd Street. Te: 212.708.9431.

Ta Ta darlings: You will find me singing this Saturday in the chorus of the Canterbury Choral Society and I look forward to seeing you there. Fan mail welcome: pollytalk@verizon. Polly’s blogs are best accessed at pollytalk.com just click in the left hand column for a direct link to visionary men, amazing women, poetry or fashion.

FASHIONISTA'S HOLIDAY IN THE BIG APPLE (c) By Polly Guerin

No wonder New York City is called the Fashion Capital of the World; from textiles to fashion and celebrity book signing there’s more than meets the eye in venues this week. Only in New York, my friends, the best of New York. Here’s the Scoop

THE WORLD OF D.D. AND LESLIE TILLET If you are waxing nostalgic and want to capture the glimpse of textile history The Museum of the City of New York honors the memory of the legendary textile designers, the Tillets. The D.D. stands for D.D. Doctorow who married Leslie Tillet and 60 years later, the lyrical but never-published pictures she took for a feature for Harper’s Bazaar bring the story of their collaboration to life. The Tillets moved to Manhattan in 1946, reaching a level of recognition all but unheard of in the fabric world. Their best known patterns are chrysanthemums busting like fireworks in a mélange of color. American sportswear designer, Claire McCardell included Tillet fabrics in her collections and celebrities like Jacqueline Kennedy had a favorite Tillet sundress. At MCNY Fifth Avenue between 103 and 104th Streets. (Image above: The Tillets)

MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD Here’s a lesson in fashion history. For its revival of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” the Roundabout Theater is costuming the musicians and the ushers as well as the cast of almost 30 in period costumes befitting the 1890s era—-63 hats, 33 wigs, 32 costumed house staff, 16 bustles, etc. etc. To bring the story to the stage, playwright and composer Rubert Holmes created a multiple-choice musical, whereby audience members at each performance vote for an ending which the actors then perform. Costume designer, William Ivey Long created the elaborate costumes which create a brand new way to appreciate historical fashion.

FASHION SYMPOSIUM Ivy Style will be FIT’s 12th fashion symposium, bring together diverse array of scholars, authors and designers to discuss, debate and celebrate the “Ivy League Look,” a distinctly American fashion genre that has been shaping the evolution of menswear for decades. Ivy Style has spread way beyond the university campuses where it began to become a major influence on many of today’s fashion designers including Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Thom Browne. You’re in for a treat. Speakers will include Richard Press, grandson of J. Press; journalist G. Bruce Boyer; designer Jeffrey Banks, Claudio Del Vecchio, chairman and chief executive officer of Brooks Brothers and Patricia Meers, FIT deputy director of the exhibition. Held in the Morris W. and Fannie B. Haft Auditorium, Marvin Feldman Center, second floor on Thursday and Friday, November 8 and 9th. Free to the FIT community and to students everywhere (with ID). To register call: 212.217.4585.

INCOMPARABLE: WOMEN OF STYLE By Rose Hartman This photographer/fashionista’s book is a photo gallery of the goddesses who populate modern glamour—-models, actresses, jet-setters, editors and celebrities, famous or obscure. Rose Hartman is a whirlwind on the New York fashion scene and I keep bumping into her at many a press opening. Earlier this year a retrospective of her work, Selections from the Rose Hartman Photography Archives, 1977-2011, was shown at the Gladys Marcus Library at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is a force and her uncanny lens is accompanied with texts by Anthony Haden-Guest and Alistair O’Neill with 132 color illustrations by the high priestess of fashion photography. Published by ACC Editions.

Ta Ta darlings: Looking forward to seeing you at the FIT Fashion Symposium. Fan mail welcome: pollytalk@verizon. Polly’s blogs are best accessed at pollytalk.com just click in the left hand column for a direct link to visionary men, amazing women, poetry or fashion.

COSTUME DRAMA AND SCULPURAL VISTAS (c) By Polly Guerin

There’s nothing like fashion to turn a New York’s fashionista heads up on Ivy Style and Costume Drama exhibitions, while cultural venues of quite a historical nature also dominate this week. Here’s the Scoop!!!

ALINA SCAPOCZNIKOW: Sculpture Undone, 1955-1972 Leave it to the MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art to bring the first large-scale survey of Alina’s work to the United States with over 200 works including sculpture, drawings, photography and archival and documentary material. The sculptor who began working during the postwar period in a classical figurative style, Szapocznikow (Polish, 1926-1973) radically reconceptualized sculpture as an imprint not only of memory but also of her own body. The artist left a legacy of provocative subjects that evoke Surrealism, Nouveau Realism, and Pop art. Third Floor Gallery, through January 2013. 11 W. 53rd St. Image: Petit Dessert 1, colored polyester resin and glass. Photo by Thomas Mueller.
BERNINI’S TERRACOTTA MODELS Another sculptor of quite another genre also intrigues with powerful results. To visualize life-size or colossal marbles, the great Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) began by rapidly modeling small clay sketches. Fired as terracotta, these studies are old, expressive works in their own right and preserve the first traces of Bernini’s fervid imagination and unique creative process that evolved into some of the famous and spectacular statuary in Rome, including the fountains in the Piazza Navona and the angles on the Ponte Sant’ Angelo. Bernini: Sculpting in Clay offers the viewer a more profound insight into the artist’s dazzling creative mind, and his impact on the fabric of Baroque Rome. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, through January 2013.
SYMPOSIUM ON IVY STYLE, past and present, here and abroad, in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name currently on view at (MFIT) The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology takes place from Thursday, November 8 and Friday November 9th, 9:30 am-5:00pm in the Haft Auditorium. Speakers include Jeffrey Banks and Doria de Lia Chapelle, co-authors of Preppy: Cultivating Ivy Style and Tartan: Romancing the Plaid. For complete schedule, go to fitnyc.edu/museum.
KATHARINE HEPBURN: Dressed for the Stage and Screen. Hepburn’s consummate skill as an actress (including her still record-breaking four Oscars) will forever live on, as will her unparalleled sense of style. This captivating display includes her personal collection of performance clothes, the wardrobe that she wore for publicity, and examples of her ‘rebel chic’ from her casual and rehearsal wear. AT the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Opens Oct. 18.
COSTUME DRAMA London Style puts the spotlight on London’s Victoria and Alert Museum, where 130 costumes, span a century of Hollywood design magic. Hollywood costume explores what an essential tool costume is in cinema storytelling and how intricate the relationship is between designer, actor, and director. Opens this month.
Ta Ta darlings: I’m vicariously off to London to see Costume Drama but may settle for Hepburn instead. Fan mail welcome: pollytalk@verizon. Polly’s blogs are best accessed at pollytalk.com just click in the left hand column for a direct link to visionary men, amazing women, poetry or fashion.

CULTURE CITY and ITS RICH VENUES (c) By Polly Guerin

The treasure trove of cultural venues this fall fills the calendar with not-to-be-missed opportunities to acquire fuller knowledge on a scale from A to Z. Well you can’t help a girl wanting to improve her mind. Here’s the Scoop!!

THE 24TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FINE ART & ANTIQUE DEALERS SHOW The New York Times once described the IFAADS show as “a sprawling cabinet of wonders, an awesome hodgepodge of rare, beautiful and strange objects.” Fair description for the myriad of works or art, craft and design displayed represent a wide array or periods at price points from A to Z. However, the show is known for its high quality standards of quality. The world renowned “International Show,” founded in 1989 as New York’s first vetted fair; it was the first to require that all objects be authenticated by a panel of experts. This year’s show brings together 67 top American and European dealers featuring works of art, antiquities to contemporary including furniture, paintings rare books, jewelry, Faberge, maritime, textiles and ceramics. From October 19th through 25th at New York’s Park Avenue Armory at 67th St. Daily 11am-7:30pm. Last day Sunday 11am-6pm. Admission $20. For information about the preview party phone: 212.642.8572.
IMAGE: Daniel Crouch Rare Books exhibits an outstanding handscroll depicting Commodore Perry’s historic visit to Japan in 1854.
PICASSO BLACK AND WHITE They seek him here they seek him there, Picasso seems everywhere this year and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s presents another lesser-studied aspect of Picasso’s work, his use of black and white and gray. It’s an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see 118 black and white paintings, sculptures, and works on paper by the great Spanish artist, many of which are on public view for the first time, including “Mother and Dead Child II, Postscript to Guernica and Head of a Woman, Right Profile (Marie-Therese) oil and charcoal on canvas. Many of the works are on loan from the Picasso family. By working in black and white Picasso once said color ‘weakens.’ This is a new way to see Picasso and it shows how much he said with little. Through January 2013. Programs include the October 14th and 15th performance of Picasso’s Desire Caught by the Tail. At 1071 Fifth Ave. (at 89th Street) Phone 212.423.350
MASTER DRAWINGS FROM MUNICH The Morgan Library & Museum hosts an extraordinary exhibition of rarely-seen master drawings from the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich, marks the first time that that such an important group of drawings has been lent to an American Museum. The exhibition includes drawings from Italian, French, Dutch and Flemish artists of the Renaissance and baroque periods; German draftsmen of the nineteenth century; and an international contingent of modern and contemporary craftsmen. Among the artists represent are Willem de Kooning, Max Liebermann, Franz Marc, Johann Georg Bergmuller and Leonardo da Vinci. Through January 2013. Madison Ave.@ 36/37th Street.
EDVARD MUNCH’S ‘THE SCREAM’ This is a rare opportunity to see Edvard Munch’s iconic The Scream (1895) among the most celebrated and recognized images in art history, it goes on view at The Museum of Modern Art for a period of six months beginning October 24. Of the four versions of The Scream made by Munch between 1893 and 1910, this pastel-on-board from 1895 is the only one remaining in private hands. The three other versions are in the collections of museums in Norway. “As an iconic image, The Scream has garnered worldwide attention for its start portrayal of the human condition,” said Glenn D. Lowry, director of the museum. This haunting rendition of a hairless figure on a bridge under a yellow-orange sky has captured the popular since the time of its making and now is your chance to see it through April 2013. MoMA at 11 W. 53 St.
Ta Ta darlings: Don’t miss “The Scream,” where you might discover your own meaning in the painting. Fan mail welcome: pollytalk@verizon. Polly’s blogs are best accessed on the Internet just click in the left hand column for a direct link to visionary men, amazing women, poetry or fashion.

AUTUMN AWAKENING, RICH CULTURAL VENUES (c) By Polly Guerin

Rich cultural venues drive the wealth of museum openings to keep New Yorkers and tourists busy in the world’s most fascinating city, fueling inspiration on a broad scale from historical to modern. Here’s the scoop!!! Image: Faking It: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop.

CROSSING BORDERS: Manuscripts from the Bodleian Libraries. For a rare glimpse into antiquity when books were unique works of art as well as repositories of knowledge, head uptown to The Jewish Museum for Crossing Borders, the meeting place of medieval cultures, where illuminated manuscripts from England’s Bodleian Library, established by Thomas Bodley in 1602 are on display. Renowned for its great treasures, this exhibition features over 60 works, Hebrew, Arabic and Latin manuscripts, the majority of which have never been seen in the United States including the splendid Kennicott Bible, the most lavishly illuminated Hebrew Bible to survive from medieval Spain. In addition to viewing the actual illuminated manuscript, visitors will be able to look at digital images of every page in several of the bibles and examine details on touch screens. At The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd St., through February 3, 2013, T-212.423.3200.
DURER TO de KOONING: 100 Master Drawings from Munich marks the first time such a comprehensive and prestigious selection of works has been lent to a single exhibition. The Morgan Library & Museum hosts an extraordinary exhibition of rarely-seen master drawings from the Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Munich, one of Europe’s most distinguished drawings collections. Durer to de Kooning occupies the Morgan’s principal galleries containing more than 60 Italian, German, Dutch, French drawings of the 15th through the 19th centuries with celebrated artists Rubens, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Titian while the second gallery features late-nineteenth-century and modern contemporary works. Through January 2013. 225 Madison Ave.
FAKING IT: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop While digital photography and image editing software have brought about an increased awareness of the degree to which camera images can be manipulated, the practice of doctoring photographs has existed since the medium was invent. Featuring some 200 visually captivating photographs created between the 1840s and 1990s in the service of art, politics news, entertainment and commerce, this exhibition offers a provocative new perspective on the history of photography. The photographs in the exhibition were altered using a variety of techniques including multiple exposure, photomontage, over painting and retouching on the negative or print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art through May 2013. 1000 Fifth Avenue.
SAGA SITES, Landscapes of the Icelandic Sagas. The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) presents a unique exhibition tracking the great, medieval narratives of Iceland, known collectively as the Sagas of Islanders, through the 19th century watercolors of British artist W. G. Collingwood and the contemporary photographs of renowned Iceland artist Einar Falur Ingolfsson. The first of its kind in the U.S., the exhibition explores the inimitable visual dialog forged between Collingwood and Ingolfsson and highlights the significance of the sagas within Ireland’s literary heritage and their enduring cultural inspiration. Free Admission. ASF, 58 Park Ave., @38th St., through January 2012.
Ta Ta darlings: Don’t miss an opportunity to see breathtaking treasures in the Jewish Museum’s rare illuminated manuscripts. Fan mail welcome. Polly’s blogs are best accessed at pollytalk.com just click in the left hand column for a direct link to visionary men, womendeterminedtosucceed, poetry or fashion.