Gallery Conversations At The Museum Of Modern Art

June 14, 2011

This post is by Jessica Tiare Bowen, one of our contributors.

Walking into the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) is like having a smorgasbord of the finest gourmet food from every different culture around the world. Needless to say, it’s impossible to gobble it all up in one sitting without feeling impossibly overwhelmed and, dare I say, uncomfortably full. So instead of trying to cram it all in at once, why not try a delectable taste of one culture? In museum talk, we call these “gallery conversations”.

Saturday I headed to MOMA to sample one of these gallery conversations for myself. The conversation is led by museum lecturers, educators, graduate students, and even the occasional curator. They lead discussions daily at 11:30a.m and 1:30p.m. on specific topics of the museum’s permanent collection as well as special exhibitions. The lectures are free with Museum Admission. They cap out at 25 people, so be sure to get there early.

The gallery conversation I attended was on the special exhibit Seeing Red: Hungarian Revolutionary Posters, 1919, and was led by the very knowledgeable Jennifer Katanic. She led our group to three different sections of the museum, so that we got a proper introduction to the historical setting and art movements during this time.

First we went to see paintings by the Russian Kazimir Malevich, who believed that artists were not cameras, thus there was no reason to paint reality. Next up was the portfolio of wartime artist Otto Dix, who used his art to speak out against the atrocities of war. We ended with the works of Mihaly Biro, who had been actively involved in displaying his art on posters to help influence popular opinion regarding the Socialist revolutionary movement.

The gallery conversation lasted an hour, and Jennifer did an excellent job of making the exhibitions relevant and non-intimidating to the group. She welcomed questions throughout the tour. Upon leaving MOMA, I felt as though I had truly tasted a small sliver of the museum. Just enough to make for interesting conversation at my next dinner party, but not so much to make for nightmarish flashbacks of Art History class.

Seeing Red: Hungarian Revolutionary Posters, 1919 gallery conversations will be repeated on the following dates:

Sunday, July 10th, 2011, 1:30p.m
Saturday, July 16th, 2011, 7:30p.m.
Sunday, July 24th, 2011, 11:30a.m.

For more information about the gallery conversations, please visit the MOMA’s website.

Image via ana carina lauriano‘s flickr stream

Hi! I’m Megan,

a Scorpio sun and Libra moon who left her job in the music industry to travel and write full-time. Since then, i´ve explored more than 60 countries in the hopes that you will, too.

The world is made of magic and so are you!

Exploring Sicily’s Food and Wine Scene with WalkingWomen

22 November, 2023 No Comments

As someone who used to travel full-time, a lot has changed for me in the past few years. Pandemic aside, I’ve been more intentional about where, and how often, I travel. A big part of that has to do with finding beauty in what I used to view as mundane; things like a morning routine

Memories from My Childhood Summers in Charleston—Plus 5 Sights to See

4 May, 2021 No Comments

For about six or seven summers in a row, my family would make the car drive from our home in the D.C. suburbs to Charleston, South Carolina. While my dad’s family hailed from the Boston area, my mom’s family had southern roots and on summers when we couldn’t visit both sides of the family, we’d

Here’s Why Vacation Ownership With Hilton Grand Vacations is the Travel Solution You Need

8 March, 2021 No Comments

We’ve all stayed at a Hilton hotel at one point or another and, if you have not, you are at least familiar with the brand. The Hilton name has been around for more than 100 years and to date, there are more than 6,300 properties and resorts within the Hilton portfolio of brands.  One of these brands is Hilton Grand Vacations. Unlike a traditional fixed–week timeshare program, HGV

Here’s Why I Want to Visit Kerala (and you should, too)!

10 March, 2020 No Comments

Every so often, I write about a destination I haven’t been to. As much as I love recounting trips and sharing my experiences here on Bohemian Trails, I also love to dream; dream about people and places I’ve never crossed paths with. That’s the traveler in me, the explorer that believes in the magic of

My Favorite Caribbean Islands to Escape to This Winter

25 February, 2020 No Comments

Winter is in full swing, which means that there’s still time to plan that weekend getaway. An east-coaster from birth and having lived in New York for seven years, the Caribbean remains my go-to winter destination. In many cases, you’ll find direct flights (or nearly direct) and within a few hours, you are on a

Reflections on the Lake: Join us in Guatemala this New Years!

23 July, 2019 No Comments

Pack your bags, notepads and Yoga mats. We’re going to Guatemala! I am thrilled to announce that I’ll be co-leading another writing + wellness + wanderlust retreat over New Years! Mark your calendars for December 29-January 3. My co-leader, Heather Suzanne, is not only one of my favorite Yoga teachers I’ve had the pleasure of