ScandinAsia
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Mabel Marte, currently a senior at Syracuse University, is a Public Relations major with a minor in Spanish Literature.
During her 10-week internship in Studio in a School's Public Relations department, Mabel had the opportunity to join the participants in STUDIO's Arts Intern program during their weekly museum visits. This page is a report of Mabel's experiences as STUDIO's field reporter. |
The Moving Experience
July 27, 2011

Photo: John E. Barrett. Mahna Mahna & back-up singers © Muppets Studio, LLC
Some of my friends think it’s boring to go to a museum. “I can do that myself” and “I don’t consider that art” are just some of the comments I have to listen to. However, I think I found a museum that everyone would love, the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens.
After getting a bit lost and frustrated while trying to find this place, I finally stumbled upon this huge glass building with pink letters covering its façade. How could I miss that I kept asking myself? It was worth the frustration however, because it is one of my favorite museum visits this summer.
As soon as I walked in, I felt I was inside of a scene from the Bruce Almighty movie. Why? Because everything was impeccably white, except for the really intense dark blue and pink walls leading into the screening rooms. For some reason I loved the contrast of the bold colors and the subtle white that overwhelmed me at first.
Shortly after our arrival we toured the museum’s current exhibit, Jim Henson’s Fantastic World, which is really impressive. Apparently, “everyone loves the Muppets” except for me. What I enjoyed the most from the museum visit was the Behind the Screen exhibit. It is composed of thousands of artifacts that have been used in the movie, radio, and TV industry including: makeup, costumes, historic films, television cameras, sound recording equipment and television sets. My favorite part, however, were the computer- based interactive activities. You can record your voice over a dialogue from a film, create an animation, learn how to edit and even see yourself in a magic mirror. It’s a very fun, hands-on experience that everyone can enjoy and feel like they are part of a movie.
I will definitely come back to this museum to put my creative cap on, and have a laugh with some of my boring friends.
After getting a bit lost and frustrated while trying to find this place, I finally stumbled upon this huge glass building with pink letters covering its façade. How could I miss that I kept asking myself? It was worth the frustration however, because it is one of my favorite museum visits this summer.
As soon as I walked in, I felt I was inside of a scene from the Bruce Almighty movie. Why? Because everything was impeccably white, except for the really intense dark blue and pink walls leading into the screening rooms. For some reason I loved the contrast of the bold colors and the subtle white that overwhelmed me at first.
Shortly after our arrival we toured the museum’s current exhibit, Jim Henson’s Fantastic World, which is really impressive. Apparently, “everyone loves the Muppets” except for me. What I enjoyed the most from the museum visit was the Behind the Screen exhibit. It is composed of thousands of artifacts that have been used in the movie, radio, and TV industry including: makeup, costumes, historic films, television cameras, sound recording equipment and television sets. My favorite part, however, were the computer- based interactive activities. You can record your voice over a dialogue from a film, create an animation, learn how to edit and even see yourself in a magic mirror. It’s a very fun, hands-on experience that everyone can enjoy and feel like they are part of a movie.
I will definitely come back to this museum to put my creative cap on, and have a laugh with some of my boring friends.
P.S. WOW!
July 21, 2011

Ready (Re'Search Wait'S), 2009–2010. Courtesy the artist and Elizabeth Dee, New York.
Have you ever been in a situation where all you can say is wow, but not sure if it’s for better or for worse? Well, I can definitely say I was in a situation just like that after exploring Ryan Trecartin: Any Ever at MoMA PS1. Trecartin has created a series of seven films, which are broken into two parts. One consists of a Trill-ogy Comp (2009) and the other a quartet titled, Re’Search Wait’s (2009-10). The different rooms where Trecartin’s films are screened were very interesting and strategically designed by Trecartin himself.
The films touches on different topics in our culture like child play, dressing up, sexuality and the growing use of technology from a very young age. It is definitely a unique experience to say the least. I was a little overwhelmed by all of the films because it’s a lot to take in. Listening to high-pitched/auto tuned voices for over an hour can drive you insane. I recommend you to take your time to visit the exhibit a couple of times to fully appreciate the experience.
MoMA PS1 is a very open and welcoming museum. I really enjoyed my time there. Now I understand why Warm Up is so popular. The museum’s courtyard is spacious enough to hold a great amount of people for music and art.
Shortly after leaving PS1 we made our way to the Queens Museum of Art, which is bigger than I expected and will keep you busy for couple of hours. We enjoyed a brief tour of The Panorama of the City of New York, which was really impressive. I was able to spot my house, which I thought was really cool. The amount of time and effort it must have taken to create this extremely detailed panorama is what makes it so impressive.
The Queens Museum of Art is located in the middle of Corona, which is a very diverse neighborhood. The museum takes pride in connecting with the community by creating different programs.
For example we met with the international-renowned artist Tania Bruguera, who is sponsored by the museum and spoke about her project Immigrant Movement International. ”Immigrant Movement International is an ongoing long-term project that takes the form of a socio-political movement currently headquartered in the neighborhood of Corona, Queens. IM International engages with local immigrant community groups and political organizations in a series of public workshops, events, and actions.”
So take some time of your busy day and head over to Queens to explore their different museums.
The films touches on different topics in our culture like child play, dressing up, sexuality and the growing use of technology from a very young age. It is definitely a unique experience to say the least. I was a little overwhelmed by all of the films because it’s a lot to take in. Listening to high-pitched/auto tuned voices for over an hour can drive you insane. I recommend you to take your time to visit the exhibit a couple of times to fully appreciate the experience.
MoMA PS1 is a very open and welcoming museum. I really enjoyed my time there. Now I understand why Warm Up is so popular. The museum’s courtyard is spacious enough to hold a great amount of people for music and art.
Shortly after leaving PS1 we made our way to the Queens Museum of Art, which is bigger than I expected and will keep you busy for couple of hours. We enjoyed a brief tour of The Panorama of the City of New York, which was really impressive. I was able to spot my house, which I thought was really cool. The amount of time and effort it must have taken to create this extremely detailed panorama is what makes it so impressive.
The Queens Museum of Art is located in the middle of Corona, which is a very diverse neighborhood. The museum takes pride in connecting with the community by creating different programs.
For example we met with the international-renowned artist Tania Bruguera, who is sponsored by the museum and spoke about her project Immigrant Movement International. ”Immigrant Movement International is an ongoing long-term project that takes the form of a socio-political movement currently headquartered in the neighborhood of Corona, Queens. IM International engages with local immigrant community groups and political organizations in a series of public workshops, events, and actions.”
So take some time of your busy day and head over to Queens to explore their different museums.
The Brooklyn Experience
July 13, 2011

Vishnu Saving the Elephant (Gajendra Moksha)
During the nine years that I’ve lived in New York City I can probably count with both hands the number of times that I have visited Brooklyn, but I finally made it this year, and it was great!
The purpose of this year’s BK experience was to visit the Brooklyn Museum of Arts with the Arts Interns to enjoy a tour of their current exhibit, Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior, and to explore the museum’s conservatory lab. The Vishnu exhibit consists of paintings, sculptures, and ritual objects that were made in India. Inside the conservatory lab we learned about the different processes of restoring and enhancing an art work, a very complex process.
I was really impressed with the sheer size of this museum and particularly with the immense diversity of artwork on display. They offer a little bit of everything, from old to contemporary to modern, to places like India, America, and France. The staff at the Brooklyn museum was extremely helpful, which is always a plus because it makes you want to come back.
Towards the end of our visit we had a Q&A with the staff from different departments of the museum. They gave us a lot of great advice about following our dreams and expanding our horizons. As a young adult I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do with my professional life. And this year’s Brooklyn experience reminded me to continue to have an open mind and to try new things. Something I never thought I would be into might actually result in my perfect fit.
The purpose of this year’s BK experience was to visit the Brooklyn Museum of Arts with the Arts Interns to enjoy a tour of their current exhibit, Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior, and to explore the museum’s conservatory lab. The Vishnu exhibit consists of paintings, sculptures, and ritual objects that were made in India. Inside the conservatory lab we learned about the different processes of restoring and enhancing an art work, a very complex process.
I was really impressed with the sheer size of this museum and particularly with the immense diversity of artwork on display. They offer a little bit of everything, from old to contemporary to modern, to places like India, America, and France. The staff at the Brooklyn museum was extremely helpful, which is always a plus because it makes you want to come back.
Towards the end of our visit we had a Q&A with the staff from different departments of the museum. They gave us a lot of great advice about following our dreams and expanding our horizons. As a young adult I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do with my professional life. And this year’s Brooklyn experience reminded me to continue to have an open mind and to try new things. Something I never thought I would be into might actually result in my perfect fit.
Diamonds and Pearls
June 29, 2011

Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels
What could be more of a perfect way to start your day than with a visit to the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum! To my surprise their current exhibit, Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels was waiting to delight the public with an unforgettable experience.
Van Cleef & Arpels (VC&A) was founded in Paris in 1896 and soon became one of the most successful jewelers in the Parisian and international market serving royalty, style icons such as Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor, as well as modern-day celebrities like Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johansson, Madonna and many more. They opened their first boutique in New York in 1942.
The exhibit was divided into six themes which highlighted the history of the firm: Innovation; Transformations; Nature as Inspiration; Exoticism; Fashion; and Personalities.
The Innovation collection shows example of the groundbreaking Mystery Setting procedure, “in which matched gemstones are grooved and set in channels so the setting is invisible.” Some of the most notable examples are the Minaudière, a vanity case of the size of a clutch and the Art Deco line.
The Transformation collection is also very unique because VC&A was able to find a way to transform jewelry from one form into another like the Zip necklace. It is made of gold, rubies and diamonds that literally zips and becomes a bracelet. The Transformation line also described VC&A’s conversion from Parisian to American, introducing and combining different “Old World skills with New World taste.”
Nature as Inspiration emphasizes on “evoking the spirit, rather than slavishly copying the form.” The very famous snowflakes and butterflies motifs are still very popular, as well as their mixed-bouquet, brooches and bracelets of fruits and flowers.
Exoticism displays out objects inspired by various places around the globe like Africa, Hawaii and Japan among many others.
Fashion and jewelry have always been linked and VC&A has dedicated a Fashion Collection that displays jewelry inspired from different fashion periods. Some examples are the ballet-dancer and lovebirds brooches inspired by the 1950s sweet romance.
Personalities celebrates the parade of famous people whom have had an important role on making VC&A famous. This collection also displays objects that have been created from the collaboration with famous people.
Van Cleef & Arpels has played a leading role in jewelry design and style innovation and through this exhibit you can understand why. With more than 350 pieces on display, it won’t be an easy task to pick your favorite one.
Van Cleef & Arpels (VC&A) was founded in Paris in 1896 and soon became one of the most successful jewelers in the Parisian and international market serving royalty, style icons such as Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor, as well as modern-day celebrities like Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johansson, Madonna and many more. They opened their first boutique in New York in 1942.
The exhibit was divided into six themes which highlighted the history of the firm: Innovation; Transformations; Nature as Inspiration; Exoticism; Fashion; and Personalities.
The Innovation collection shows example of the groundbreaking Mystery Setting procedure, “in which matched gemstones are grooved and set in channels so the setting is invisible.” Some of the most notable examples are the Minaudière, a vanity case of the size of a clutch and the Art Deco line.
The Transformation collection is also very unique because VC&A was able to find a way to transform jewelry from one form into another like the Zip necklace. It is made of gold, rubies and diamonds that literally zips and becomes a bracelet. The Transformation line also described VC&A’s conversion from Parisian to American, introducing and combining different “Old World skills with New World taste.”
Nature as Inspiration emphasizes on “evoking the spirit, rather than slavishly copying the form.” The very famous snowflakes and butterflies motifs are still very popular, as well as their mixed-bouquet, brooches and bracelets of fruits and flowers.
Exoticism displays out objects inspired by various places around the globe like Africa, Hawaii and Japan among many others.
Fashion and jewelry have always been linked and VC&A has dedicated a Fashion Collection that displays jewelry inspired from different fashion periods. Some examples are the ballet-dancer and lovebirds brooches inspired by the 1950s sweet romance.
Personalities celebrates the parade of famous people whom have had an important role on making VC&A famous. This collection also displays objects that have been created from the collaboration with famous people.
Van Cleef & Arpels has played a leading role in jewelry design and style innovation and through this exhibit you can understand why. With more than 350 pieces on display, it won’t be an easy task to pick your favorite one.