Good morning New York! This is my first early morning post, but I almost missed Museum Mile again this year and didn’t want that to happen to you.
Today from 6-9pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed off from 82nd Street to 105th Street, giving everyone the rare chance to participate in one of the biggest block parties of New York and enter any museum (within the mile) for free.
The official website has all the information, here’s a little insight into the history of the annual festival:
Begun as an initiative to spur the development of new museum audiences and to increase support for the arts during the fiscal crisis of the 1970s, Museum Mile was formed as a consortium by the museums that share the Fifth Avenue address. The first festival, held in June of 1978, was an instant success. Not only did it expose New Yorkers and NYC visitors to an incredible collection of New York’s artistic riches, it also brought together disparate New Yorkers. From the barrios of East Harlem and the townhouses lining the Upper East Side, to the winding streets of the Village and the clustered neighborhoods of the outer-boroughs, people came to celebrate their shared pride in their city. Museum Mile Festival promoted public awareness through increased visibility, accessibility and attendance at all the museums, and brought many New Yorkers to upper Fifth Avenue for the first time.
For those of you who have only ventured as north as The Metropolitan Museum, this is a good chance to discover some of the best museums you’ve never been to! The event starts at The Cooper Hewitt Museum at 5:45, but the REAL party starts at El Museo del Barrio:
Be sure to take advantage of the free admission and check out the current exhibit: Under the Mexican Sky: Gabriel Figueroa, Art and Film!
artwirth.com 