Museums all through New York Metropolis had been simply reopening within the wake of the COVID pandemic when Jane August launched what appeared like an easy plan: She would journey to each single museum within the metropolis, producing a brief video log of every one. She figured it could take three years at most.
However with 136 museums documented since 2021, she nonetheless has about 64 to go by her estimation. And with new museums opening and a few outdated ones altering so dramatically that they deserve a revisit, the 26-year-old now says she’s realistically aiming to finish the challenge earlier than she’s 30.
“At first, I began the challenge for myself to securely get out of my home and expertise tradition within the metropolis once more,” mentioned August, who grew up in Arizona and has lived in New York for 9 years. She mentioned she wasn’t a giant museum particular person earlier than beginning the challenge, and had solely been to round seven on the time.
However as she started, the plan shortly advanced.
“I made a decision TikTok can be a cool technique to doc this so my mates might sustain with my journey and possibly uncover one thing new,” August mentioned. Her viewers has since far expanded with about 40,000 followers throughout social platforms.
Museums massive and small, Manhattan and past
Visiting its museums has sparked a brand new appreciation for New York Metropolis, she mentioned, in addition to for the sheer breadth of what’s on provide, notably for these prepared to discover smaller museums and people within the boroughs past Manhattan.
And sure, she has favorites.
“I like Poster Home. It’s the primary poster museum within the nation, has nice programming and is free on Fridays,” she says of the largely unsung museum at twenty third Road and Sixth Avenue, which options graphic design and promoting posters starting from Artwork Nouveau to political propaganda.
Others on her checklist of favorites embody the Tenement Museum in decrease Manhattan and the Museum of the Transferring Picture in Queens, in addition to three Brooklyn museums: the Brooklyn Seltzer Museum, the New York Signal Museum and the Pink Hook Pinball Museum. She additionally has a tender spot for The Paley Middle for Media NYC in midtown Manhattan.
“They’ve archives with each TV present you may probably consider. It’s superb,” she mentioned of The Paley Middle.
Staten Island choices are well worth the ferry trip
As for town’s smallest borough, the ferry trip to Staten Island (free, with views of the Statue of Liberty alongside the best way) is effectively well worth the journey for museum-goers, she mentioned.
The borough options the Newhouse Middle of Up to date Artwork, in addition to the Alice Austen Home, a Victorian Gothic home necessary to LGBTQ+ historical past. It was the house of one of many nation’s earliest and most prolific feminine photographers, well-known for documenting town’s immigrant communities.
“You wouldn’t think about that Staten Island had one of many gayest museums in New York, devoted to a queer photographer, nevertheless it does,” August mentioned.
Staten Island can also be residence to the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Artwork and the Chinese language Scholar’s Backyard, which claims to be one in every of solely two genuine classical out of doors Chinese language gardens in america.
“It’s so peaceable and quiet, and I like driving the ferry,” August mentioned.
Benefiting from free days and gradual hours
Whereas museums might be costly, she mentioned she makes good use of museum passes at her native library, and that many museums have days or occasions when they’re free.
And since her “day jobs” are typically at evening — she works at completely different venues in ticketing and manufacturing, and in addition bartends — she’s capable of go to museums in the midst of weekdays, after they are typically much less crowded.
August lately grew to become a licensed New York Metropolis tour information, and she or he says it’s given her a renewed appreciation each of town and its guests.
She’s additionally seen a couple of developments take maintain, just like the rise in museum programming aimed toward youthful audiences and the development away from chronological reveals, which she says make return visits much less attractive.
“So many people are determined for third areas,” she mentioned, referring to a spot distinct from each residence and work the place folks can loosen up or socialize. “For lots of us, we’ve got a starvation to return again and go to once more, particularly when it’s free.”
Though massive museums just like the Metropolitan Museum of Artwork and the Museum of Trendy Artwork can actually be crowded, August says New York isn’t going through almost the stage of overcrowding as in European cities like Paris.
And at peak occasions and seasons, like summer season, it’s good to know there are many smaller museums to go to.
Seeing the entire metropolis
“I believe that is particularly necessary for the lesser-known museums that don’t usually get press or social media options,” she mentioned. “There are some small museums that get an enormous bump in attendance and press after I’ve posted my movies so it’s thrilling to have the ability to play a small position in that success.”
As for her motivation to proceed the challenge, she mentioned “it boils all the way down to the folks. I get to attach with fascinating and passionate people who find themselves making these museums what they’re and I get to attach with lovers who need to discover one thing enjoyable to do with their weekend.”
For anybody concerned about giving one thing like this a go for themselves, she says it takes a variety of endurance.
“Be ready to go to corners of town you by no means thought-about — I’m speaking edges of the Bronx and center of Staten Island,” she mentioned. “However in case you’re up for the problem, you’ll most likely acquire a variety of perception on not simply the museums and their content material, but in addition the communities they serve.”
