CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT, HAPPY NEW YEAR AGAIN!!! By Polly Guerin

Here’s your chance to celebrate again with the Chinese New Year and Lunar events at the MET plus Black History Month then view St. Trinians jolly romps. Only in New York, my friends, only in New York. Here’s the scoop!!!
THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT
The Chinese New Year begins on February 3, the beginning of the lunar year ushering in a period of renewal and longevity. It extends to personal matters and all signs are poised to enjoy greater fulfillment during the year to come. The Chinese mark the occasion with a long list of traditions intended to bring good luck so celebrate new beginnings in the new year and sweep clean your house to usher in a brighter future. Increase your luck and wear something new on New Year’s Day, especially lucky red. Heads up it’s going to be an interesting year ahead.
LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL
Fun for Everyone: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Celebrates Chinese Arts and Culture on Saturday, February 5th from 11a.m.-4 p.m. The Museum rings in the Year of the Rabbit with interactive programs, art-making workshops and lively performances. Afternoon programs include a dramatic lion dance procession up the Museum’s front steps and into the building at 12.15 p.m., a Chinese tea ceremony at 2:15 p.m. and fan and ribbon dances at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. All events are free with museum admission with the exception of the one-hour children’s version of the Peking Opera’s Little Red Riding Hood at 3 p.m., tickets $15. A full-length production of the classic tale at 7 p.m., tickets $30. Complete schedule programs at www.metmuseum.org/lunarnewyear.aspx.
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
The Brooklyn Museum’s Target first Saturday offers FREE programs of art and entertainment each month. February 5th events celebrate Black History Month and the contributions of African Americans during the thirties, forties and fifties with programs inspired by the exhibition “Lorna Simpson: Gathered.” Highlights include 5-7 p.m. MUSIC, the Fat Cat Big Band plays behob and swing. 5:30 pm FILM, The Great Debaters (Denzel Washington) the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, who inspired students to form the school’s first debate team in the segregated South of 1935. 6:30-8:30 p.m. HANDS-ON-ART create a triptych portrait inspired by the work of Lorna Simpson. Museum admission FREE after 5 p.m. Tickets to events on first-come, first served basis. www.brooklynmuseum.org. 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn.
RONALD SEARLE, Celebrating a Great Caricaturist
In celebration of Ronald Searle’s 90th birthday year, The Forbes Gallery’s retrospective exhibit “A Lifetime of Drawing” spans the artist's wide-ranging career, from his rare World War II drawings to his successful work as a magazine and book illustrator, to the enormously popular series of “St. Trinian’s” drawings, to his work for movies and businesses and his famous drawings of cats. His wit is infused with compassion and a sense of the ridiculous, but above all there is joy in his work that evokes humor, silliness, pathos and absurdity in everything. At 62 Fifth Ave. www.forbesgalleries.com.
Ta Ta darlings!!! I’m going to a Chinese restaurant and celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with friends, just cause it’s reason to Celebrate new beginnings. Fan mail pollytalk@verizon.net. Go to www.pollytalk.com and click on any of my Blogs in the left hand column and also click on the link Polly’s feature article on Giulio Gari, which takes you to the Gari homepage.

CELEBRATING CULTURE IN NEW YORK VENUES (c) By Polly Guerin

The Big Apple brings the literary lions out of their dens where they escape to museum openings to warm up their cultural appetite and titillate their sensibilities. Here’s the scoop!!!
SET IN STYLE: THE JEWELRY OF VAN CLEEF & ARPELS A girl’s best friend: All that glitters in jewelry, timepieces and other precious objects by the celebrated jewelers Van Cleef & Arpels opens in a site-specific installation by design celebrity Patrick Jouin at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Showcasing some 300 pieces, time honored creations on view includes Princess Grace of Monaco’s engagement set and a bracelet worn by Marlene Dietrich in the 1950 Hitchcock movie, “Stage Fright.” The exhibit showcases some of the firm’s innovations such as the mystery setting in which the “Zip” necklace unzips into two bracelets. Feb. 18-through June 5th. http://www.cooperhewitt.org/.

CLOISONNE: Chinese Enamels

Breathtaking beauty on display. The Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design, Material Culture presents Cloisonne: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming and Quin Dynasties. The exhibit examines the rare technique in China from the end of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) to the end of the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). Because these objects were intended for ritual use, they have traditional Chinese forms. Indeed, the Lotus flower, a Buddhist symbol of purity, is the motifs most often encountered. Jan. 26th -April 17th. BGC Gallery, 18 W. 86th St. http://www.bgc.bard.edu/.

CEZANNE’S CARD PLAYERS

Get in the game and see how the peasants played cards. Created in the 1890s, while Paul Cezanne was living at his family estate, the Jas de Bouffan, outside of Aix-en-Provence, the artist undertook the series using peasants and laborers as models including card players engaged in the age-old ritual of their game. He also produced a large number of paintings of the individual farm workers in rarely seen preparatory oil sketches, watercolors and drawings in an innovative approach to express the essential character of his subjects. Feb. 9th-May 8th. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. www.metmuseum.org.

THE CHANGING FACE OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

The debate as to Shakespeare’s likeness continues, but in 2009, when the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon unveiled a portrait with strong claims to be the only surviving contemporary likeness of William Shakespeare (1564-1616), it created an international stir. The Jacobean-era painting had hung unrecognized for centuries in an Irish country house belonging to the Archbishop Charles Cobbe (1686-1765) goes on view at the Morgan Library & Museum Feb. 4th-May 1st. 36th Street & Madison Avenue. www.morgan.org.
Ta Ta Darlings!!! I’m definitely checking out those glamour jewels at the Van Cleef & Arpels exhibit. Fan mail: pollytalk@verizon.net. Polly Blogs: go to www.polltalk.com and click on the left hand column links like, thefashionhistorianpollyguerin.blogspot.com or amazineartdecowomen.blogspot.com etc.

NEW YORK'S CULTURAL TREASURE TROVE (c) By Polly Guerin

Where else in the world could you enter China’s Forbidden City, see a tale of Love and Fallout, view and bid on international antiques or watch Nordic Oscar Contenders ? Only in New York my friends, only in New York. Here’s the Scoop!!!
THE EMPEROR’S PRIVATE PARADISE Take a vicarious trip to Beijing. Showcasing sumptuous murals, furniture, Buddhist icons and decorative arts, almost all of which have never been seen publicity, Treasures From the Forbidden City exhibits 90 exclusive objects that once adored an exclusive compound in the Forbidden City. The exquisite works demonstrate the highest levels of artistic accomplishment in 18th-century China, which are augmented with photo murals of the Qianlong Garden and a video-simulated “walk through” of the Studio of Exhaustion from Diligent Service (Jaunqinzhai), the first building to be fully restored there. At The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Feb. 1 to May 1, Galleries for Chinese Painting and Calligraphy. http://www.metmuseum.org/.
RADIOACTIVE: A TALE OF LOVE AND FALLOUT
Portrays the romance of Marie and Pierre Curie in artist, Lauren Redniss’ original and engaging fairytale typeface illustrations (example pictured above) that cover the walls on the third floor of the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. The exhibit pays homage to Nobel Prize-winning couple with 50 illustrations that explore the discovery of radioactivity at the turn of the 20th century through reflecting the dangers inherent in the scientific progress. With a sense of whimsicality the artist also traces the Curie’s love story with all its intrigue, death and drama. A picture book of the same name as the exhibit, published by Harper Collins, is on sale in the Library’s bookstore. Through April 17th, www.exhibitions.nypl.org/radioactive.
THE WINTER ANTIQUES SHOW
Celebrates its 57th year as America’s most distinguished antiques show, featuring exceptional objects by 75 specialists in American, English, European, and Asian fine and decorative arts from antiquity through the the 1960s, all vetted for authenticity. A treasure trove of Southern hospitality is Grandeur Preserved: Masterworks Presented by Historic Charleston Foundation presenting over 50 works from two museum houses as well as highlights from Drayton hall and Middleton Place Foundation, the Charleston Museum and the Gibbes Museum of Art. Show hours 12 p.m.-8 p.m. daily except Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Daily admission $20. http://www.winterantiquesshow.com/.
NORDIC OSCAR CONTENDERS
Catch an exclusive sneak peak of the films chosen by the Nordic countries to compete for the Oscar nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film for 2010 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at Scandinavia House, The Nordic Center in America at 58 Park Ave at 38th St. The feature reel SIMPLE SIMON (rymden finns inga kanslor) runs on Wednesday, Jan 19th at 6:30 pm, $10 ($7 ASF members). Simon, 18, has Asperger’s syndrome. He knows nothing about love, but he has a scientifically perfect plan to find a girlfriend for his brother. http://www.amscan.org/.
TaTa darlings!!! Polly already checked out Love and Fallout, it’s not to be missed. Fan mail to: pollytalk@verizon.net. Go to www.pollytalk.com and click the links to my Blogs in the right hand column.

NEW YORK: A GOURMET CULTURAL TREAT (c) By Polly Guerin

There’s a plethora of treats that only Big Apple venues can create to satisfy the cultural palate of discriminating New Yorkers. From the journals of celebrated historical figures to making connections with museum insiders and indulging La Dolce Vita, the gourmet treats are only in New York, my Friends, Only in New York. Here’s the scoop!!!
THE DIARY: THREE CENTURIES OF PRIVATE LIVES
Documents the practice of diary keeping by writers, artists and other celebrated figures who turned to private journals to document their days, sort out creative problems, help them through crises and to comfort them in solitude or pain. Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855) relied on her diary to escape stifling work as a schoolteacher; John Steinbeck (1902-1968) struggled to compose The Grapes of Wrath; Tennessee Williams (1911-1983) confided his loneliness and self doubt and Bob Dylan (b. 1941) sketched his way through a concert tour. Other great works on display allow us to observe the birth of such great works of art on view at The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Ave. at 36th St. www.themorgan.org.
CONNECTIONS SERIES OF ONLINE EPISODES
Get connected at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new online interactive feature that highlights the perspective and insights of Museum staff on works of art in the Metropolitan collection. Participants include curators, conservators, scientists, educators, librarians, digital media producers to name a few. Four episodes available later this month on January 26th feature: THE IDEAL MAN: Curator of prints Nadine Orenstein looks for the ideal man in art from ancient Rome to Hollywood and THE IDEAL WOMAN: educator Joseph Loh looks for the ideal woman throughout the Museum’s collection, from Queen Victoria to Madam X. Connections can be found at www.metmjuseum.org/connections.
FRENCH THRILLER UNREELS AT FIAF
Take an “Elevator to the Gallows,” the Louis Malle’s intriguing 1958 French thriller at the French Institute Alliance Francaise, 22 E. 60th St, tomorrow Tuesday, January 11th, with screenings at 12:30 and 7:30 p.m. It tracks the great Jeanne Moreau and her ex-paratrooper lover (Maurice Ronet) as they attempt to dispose of her banker husband with stunning view of Paris and a jazz score improvised by Miles Davis. Lino Ventura steals the spotlight as the police inspector unraveling the “perfect murder.”Members Free, purchase tickets $10. www.FIAF.org.
EATALY, GOURMET EATS ITALIAN STYLE
Welcome to EATALY where the gastronomic delights of dining al fresco inside the sprawling 200 Fifth Avenue location offers a varied menu to suit a hasty lunchtime treat to a gourmet meal. Five different locations include La Piazza, a stand up food and drinks bar serving tastings of salami, cheeses and raw bar; Il Pesce featuring Dave Pasternack’s take on Italian seafood; Le Verdure serves Italian style vegetable dishes and at La Pizza & La Pasta you can have Rossopomodoro pizza imported directly from Napoli. Manzo is the formal dining experience. Reserve: 212.229.2560, www.eataly.com.
Ta Ta Darlings!!! I plan to check out those private journals at the Morgan, get connected at the Met, see a thriller and eat Italian style. Fan Mail to pollytalk@verizon.net. For Polly’s Blog links go to: www.pollytalk.com.

THE NEW YEAR ROARS IN WITH CULTURAL PURSUITS (c) By Polly Guerin

It’s time to start the New Year, time to try something new, to broaden the mind, to go somewhere you’ve never gone before. It’s time to indulge your curiosity to open new doors to creativity and it’s time to go antiquing and museum hopping. Here’s the scoop!!!

THE WINTER ANTIQUES SHOW

Own a part of history!! The Winter Antiques Show celebrates its 57th year as America’s most distinguished antiques show, featuring exceptional objects exhibited by 75 specialists in American, English, European and Asian fine and decorative arts from antiquity through the 1960’s, all vetted for authenticity. Over 50 works from Historic Charleston Foundations museum houses include highlights from the plantations Drayton Hall and Middleton Place. At the Park Avenue Armory, 67th St. & Park Ave. January 21-30. Daily Admission $20. www.winterantiqueshow.com for details.
MANNERISM and MODERNISM

The Kasper Collection of Drawings and Photographs will be on view at the Morgan Library & Museum thru May 1. Why go? The art collection assembled for its distinctive character and superb quality offers visitors a rare opportunity to see old masters, modern and contemporary works on paper and photography assembled by American Fashion designer Herbert Kasper—and is a testament to both Kasper’s personal taste and his desire to build a truly unique collection. Pictured: Hans Hoffman: An Affenpinscher, 1580, watercolor and gouache on vellum. Do indulge yourself and have the Three Martini Lunch in the dining room. The address: 225 Madison Ave., at 36th St., 212.685.0008 http://www.themorgan.org/.

RENAISSANCE MASTERPIECE

Take a time travel trip to view the new installation of the works of Filippino Lippi (1457-1504) one of the greatest artists of 15th-century Florence. To celebrate the restoration, The Metropolitan Museum of Art is mounting Lippi’s Madonna and Child. A test cleaning revealed that beneath a thick, discolored varnish there was a beautifully preserved, richly colored painting. So breathtaking is the Old master that the pictures that along a number of objects from the Museum’s permanent collection, that it appears like a new acquisition. www.metmuseum.org. 1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd St.

ANDY WARHOL: MOTION PICTURES

Focuses on the artist’s lifelong fascination with the cult of celebrity, comprising a visual almanac of the 1960’s downtown scene. Included in the exhibition are such Warhol “Superstars” as Edie Sedgwick, Baby Jane Holzer, poet Allen Ginsberg, author Susan Sontag, among others. The artist’s cinematic portraits and non-narrative, silent, and black-and-white films include Sleep, Eat, Blow Job and Kiss projected on the gallery walls at large scale, some measuring seven feet high and nearly nine feet wide. At MOMA, 11 W. 53rd St., through March 21. www.moma.org.
Ta Ta darlings!!! You can’t blame a gal for wanting to improve her mind. Kasper’s collection really fascinates…so I’ll see you there and everywhere else. Fan Mail: pollytalk@verizon.net. To see Polly Blogs go to my website www.pollytalk.com and click on the link to Blogs in the right hand column.