Art and Museums

Small in scale, yet teeming with life, miniature boxwood carvings have been a source of wonder since their creation in the Netherlands in the 16th century. The execution of these prayer beads and diminutive altarpieces seems almost as miraculous as the stories they tell and, in this first exhibition of its kind, the wizardry of the carvers who created these precious panoramas is revealed. Fit for a king, this magnificent cello was made for George IV when he was Prince Regent and is emblazoned with the royal coat of arms of Great Britain and the Prince of Wales' feathers. Its ribs bear the motto "Liberty and Loyalty." more »

Julia Sneden wrote: It never occurred to me that ironing was evidence of being out of step with modern times. Apparently, the rest of the world sends cotton shirts out to the laundry, these days. Not this old-fashioned (not to say retrograde) woman. Not only do I iron; I actually enjoy it. Handling the clean clothes, smoothing them on the board, gliding the hot iron as the steam hisses up around it, seeing the pristine, unwrinkled surface one has brought into being, is for me a sensual pleasure. more »

Roberta McReynolds writes: My mother asked me, out of the blue, to model for a painting she wanted to do ... minus clothing. Ever so slowly I turned my head 90 degrees to peer at this strange woman who looked and sounded exactly like my mother. Yet how could this be? Once my mother had effectively shamed me to the core with a single laser-beam glare from across the room because I had shortened the hem of one of my dresses above the knees. All my friends were sporting mini-skirts while I wore clothes more appropriate for a middle-aged woman. So, who was this woman and was I even in the right house? more »

A new exhibition at the New-York Historical Society examines three centuries of tattooing in New York, including the city's central role in the development of modern tattooing and the successive waves of trend and taboo surrounding the practice. Tattooed New York features more than 250 works dating from the early 1700s to today — exploring Native American body art, tattoo craft practiced by visiting sailors, sideshow culture, the 1961 ban that drove tattooing underground for three decades, and the post-ban artistic renaissance. more »