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Going MAD for New York's Museum of Arts and Design

Enjoy a respite from the hectic beat of New York City and step inside the cool, contemporary, and altogether fascinating Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) at 2 Columbus Circle in midtown Manhattan. This institution displays and interprets objects that celebrate innovation in craft, art, and design with special attention to workmanship. Exhibits change approximately eight times a year but never all at once, so there's always something fresh to investigate.

Museum of Arts and Design

"We strive to give visitors a cohesive experience," says Shannon Stratton, MAD's Chief Curator. "This is a relatively small museum, so having a personal connection with art is doable in a short span of time. A visit here leaves you exhilarated, not exhaustedrefreshed in outlook and perception."

A good starting point for visitors is on the sixth floor, where artists-in-residence work one day a week for a four-month period, with one or more always on hand. The studios are open so it's easyand encouragedfor visitors to walk in to see what's happening. A recent visit saw Christine Dias, who works in silicone and fiber, displaying a fascinating group of bracelets and necklaces. She urged me to pick up items, pointing out that getting feedback from the public is part of what makes the residency helpful to artists.

installation view studio job mad house

Installation view of ‘Studio Job MAD HOUSE,’ 2016. Photo by Butcher Walsh. Courtesy of the Museum of Arts and Design.

Currently, the exhibit Studio Job MAD HOUSE occupies two floors, plunging visitors into a whirl of color, design, and craftsmanship. Traditional applied arts practices including bronze casting, gilding, parquetry, stained glass, and faience are incorporated, all with a contemporary approach. Burj Khaliffa, the world's tallest building, located in Dubai, is shown here as a twelve-foot-tall clock tower clad in silver leaf. On the building is a gigantic King Kong á la Fay Wray, although this Kong is covered in Swarovski crystals. Airplanes with spinning propellers add to the sense of unreality. Another work, Pyramid, incorporates 17th-century blue-and-white Delftware with surreal elements including a gravity-defying kettle, a coffeepot, and a pipe referencing Rene Magritte. The entire exhibit is entertaining, a little bit as though you'd sipped from Alice's "drink me" concoction.

nstallation view of 'Atmosphere for Enjoyment: Harry Bertoia's Environment for Sound.'

Installation view of 'Atmosphere for Enjoyment: Harry Bertoia's Environment for Sound.' Photo by Butcher Walsh. Courtesy of the Museum of Arts and Design.

Art can be sonic, too, as in Harry Bertoia's Environment for Sound, which shows off the artist's "sounding sculptures." Walk through bunches of elegant metal rods and listen to the resounding tones that result when the metal is moved by wind or touch. On select days, MAD invites musicians to create sound recordings with materials that are part of the exhibition. Bertoia, a Renaissance man, also created jewelry, some of which is shown in the display Bent, Cast and Forged, along with monotype prints by the artist.

Studio Sunday at MAD Museum

Studio Sundays offer the opportunity for families to learn about art by interacting with artist-educators and artists in MAD's Artist Studio program, as well as to make art. MADmakes is a drop-in, hands-on series where visitors can test their skills at art making and creative production. MADreads, targeting preschool-aged children and their grownups, involves storytelling and book reading with a MAD educator, followed by a visit to parts of the museum's collection. There are special programs for teens, too, including meetings with artists.

MAD has a vibrant cinema program held in an intimate theater that often features films that support exhibits. The Eye on a Director cinema series spotlights underrepresented voices in film and video history, as well as panel discussions with film artists and curators.

MAD is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10am to 6pm; Thursday and Friday from 10am to 9pm, closed Mondays. Excellent docent-led tours are available most days at specified times and are well worth joining to help you better understand the works on display.

For more information, visit madmuseum.org.

About the Author

Mari S. Gold is a freelance writer whose work has been published in The New York Times, American Profile, Go Nomad, www.newyorkarts.com, Stratton Magazine, Go World Travel, and other outlets. A lifelong New Yorker and avid traveler, she also writes on food, theater, and other cultural events. Her blog, But I Digress…can be found at www.marigoldonline.net.

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