The museums of New York are required by the City to have one night when they are open for free. The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street is always “suggested donation.” A former curator at the Museum of Modern Art used to regularly only give them a dime when she visited, declaring that she had already made her contribution to the arts by living on the measly salary MOMA paid her. If you have the social aplomb or chutzpah, by all means follow her lead! A dollar is a more standard offering from the art-poor. Of course, this “suggested admission” does not include ticketed special exhibits. In the summer, the money you save on admission can be splurged on a cocktail at the rooftop bar, which can be quite crowded on a Friday or Saturday night, when the museum is open until 9 p.m. You can only reach the bar by a special elevator in the Iris B. and Gerald Cantor Wing, (left from the entrance hall through the Greek and Roman collection, turn right through the Michael D. Rockefeller wing). One Friday evening, I was there with friends and we noticed a new addition to the art collection, a crouching bronzed figure of nude man in a very realistic style. Few moments later we saw him being escorted out by security guards – a shame!
The Met’s collection is so extensive that it is best to focus on a particular country, art form or era that you are interested in. Here are a few suggestions: A cradle of Western Civilization tour would include the Greco-Roman, Egyptian and Assyrian artifacts and, naturally, the Temple of Dendur. You can explore the rich vein of Oriental art that ranges from early Chinese ceramics to a Zen room, onwards to the oriental influences (an emphasis on flat shapes, pattern and line rather than classic chiaroscuro, which uses shading to achieve a sense of light and space) that can be found in the late nineteenth-century paintings of Edouard Manet, Mary Cassatt, Paul Gauguin and others. The American Wing houses some amazing landscapes from the Hudson River School as well as Early American paintings and furniture, and the Louis Comfort Tiffany window. The costume collection in the lower level is also a great way to do some time travel. My personal favorite is the African and Oceanic collection of Michael D. Rockefeller – he bought not just masks and sculpture, but boats and architectural objects, all of which have a remarkable presence and power even out of their natural environments.