Hi friends, welcome back! Jon and I finally made it back to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for our Valentine’s date this past weekend. I had been interested in seeing the “Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts” exhibit before it closed March 6th so time was a bit of the essence. The exhibit opened December 10, 2021 so there was a relatively short time to see it. I grew up watching Disney, and Beauty and The Beast holds a special place in Jon and my heart, so we were excited. On Saturday morning we hopped on the subway uptown and had breakfast at Maman Bakery before heading to the Met.
There was a line outside the museum to get in (we went around noon), but it moved quickly and within about twenty minutes we had our tickets and were exploring the museum. This was the first time there was a line to get inside, usually we go later in the day and just walk right to the ticket counter. You can buy tickets online ahead of time, but for NYC residents it’s a pay as you wish, and you have to verify residency at the ticket counter. When we left around 4:30, the line was even longer, the frigidly cold day was very popular for the Met! (The pic below is from a prior visit)
Jon and I made a beeline for the Disney exhibit because our stamina isn’t always the best at museums, and the sign said the wait for the exhibit was half an hour. It was a little tricky to find because the museum is a bit of a maze, but we eventually found the line curving around the Greek and Roman Art room. The line was pretty long, it had about fifty people ahead of us when we got there, but it moved decently quick. At least we could observe the art while waiting in line. The plethora of marble butts kept the kids in line plenty occupied.
Unfortunately photography is prohibited inside the exhibit, others did but I respect the rules, so these few pictures below are screenshots from the Met’s Youtube video. The exhibit features “Sixty works of 18th-century European decorative arts and design—from tapestries and furniture to Boulle clocks and Sèvres porcelain—will be featured alongside 150 production artworks and works on paper from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, Walt Disney Archives, Walt Disney Imagineering Collection, and The Walt Disney Family Museum. Selected film footage illustrating the extraordinary technological and artistic developments of the studio during Disney’s lifetime and beyond will also be shown.” If you’re interested in this exhibit, you can watch a virtual tour here.
I thought this exhibit was very cool but it wasn’t quite the relaxing and peaceful experience I was looking for. I felt a bit rushed through because of the line behind us, and I wanted to get away from all the people and crying kids.
After this exhibit I got very hungry so we headed to The Eatery cafeteria for lunch. Sometimes you just need some chicken fingers and fries to give you energy. I will say, this was a large portion for around $13.
Jon and I have been to the Met a few times, so we’ve wandered through most of the rooms. I wanted to see something new I could take pictures of, so I found the “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” exhibit in the Anna Wintour Costume Center. The inspiration for this exhibit was Jesse Jackson’s speech at the 1988 Democratic Convention “America is not like a blanket—one piece of unbroken cloth, the same color, the same texture, the same size. America is more like a quilt—many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread.”
Per the website, “Approximately 100 men’s and women’s ensembles by a diverse range of designers from the 1940s to the present are featured. Enclosed in scrimmed cases that represent three-dimensional “patches” of a quilt, they are organized into 12 sections that explore defining emotional qualities: Nostalgia, Belonging, Delight, Joy, Wonder, Affinity, Confidence, Strength, Desire, Assurance, Comfort, and Consciousness.” I’m not a high-fashion person, but I thought this exhibit was fun to see how different designers interpreted different qualities.
My criteria was if I would wear something or not haha. You can see the whole collection here as well as their designers.
Some of the famous and more well-known designers:
Marc Jacobs:
Oscar de la Renta:
Zac Posen:
Michael Kors:
Isaac Mizrahi:
This collection reminds me of the infamous Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake Canadian Tuxedo red carpet look haha.
I would wear this “Cozy” outfit designed by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen all winter long!
I’d love to wear this all winter long too.
How incredible are these dresses, seems like something straight from the red carpet.
This exhibit is open from September 18, 2021 – September 5, 2022 and there will be a part two opening in September 2022. This exhibit was very popular, but we didn’t have to wait in line and could meander through at our own pace. I’d recommend checking it out, it’s a nice break from paintings and sculptures! Now that I’ve visited The Met a few times, it’s time to explore the other famous museums in NYC.
