NYC & COMPANY NAMES THE NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY ITS FIRST CULTURE SPOT PICK FOR 2012
—Newly Renovated and Reopened Cultural Institution to Offer $5 Off Admission Throughout January—
New York City (December 21, 2011)—NYC & Company, New York City's marketing, tourism and partnership organization, today announced The New-York Historical Society is its first Culture Spot pick for 2012, a monthly program designed to highlight different arts organizations and encourage local and visitor exploration. More than 200 years old, The New-York Historical Society, the first museum established in New York, is located on Central Park West at 77th Street. In November 2011, the building reopened its doors after a three-year, $70 million transformation. It’s new features include modern galleries, a new children’s history library and museum—the first ever to bring American history to life through the eyes of children—multimedia installations in a gallery that focuses on New York's seminal role in the founding era of the United States, and a fine-dining restaurant by one of the fastest-growing multi-concept restaurant companies in the US. To celebrate its Culture Spot designation, The New-York Historical Society will offer visitors $5 off adult admission from January 1 through January 31.
“Those interested in discovering how New York City became what it is today are encouraged stop by The New-York Historical Society,” said Annie Bergen, vice president for Arts and Cultural Programs for NYC & Company. “With innovative exhibitions and an impressive collection of artifacts, the museum provides a fresh new perspective on the past that New Yorkers and visitors alike will enjoy.”
“The New-York Historical Society has re-imagined its landmark building as an engaging and enjoyable space within which visitors can learn about the extraordinary ideals of freedom and equality on which our nation was founded, while understanding that it would take many years and a civil war before these ideals were fully realized,” said Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of The New-York Historical Society. “This month we invite new and old fans of The New-York Historical Society to visit. I believe they will and be provoked to think differently about the past and about today.”
Throughout January, visitors to the museum will be able to enjoy its brand-new exhibitions and events. The month’s highlights include:
- Revolution: The Atlantic World Reborn
This is the first exhibition to relate the American, French and Haitian struggles as a single 18th-century global narrative. It features 300 artifacts, including the original Stamp Act (displayed for the first time outside the UK), as it was passed by Parliament in 1765, setting off the riots that led to the American Revolution; the only known surviving copy of the first printing of the Haitian Declaration of Independence; Napoleon’s authorization to French negotiators to sell the Louisiana Territory to the US; and the “Africa Box” filled with impressive craftworks and agricultural products from Africa, used by abolitionist Thomas Clarkson in his lectures against slavery (never before exhibited outside the UK).
- Freedom Now: Photographs by Platon
The African-American struggle for civil rights is the subject of a series created by British photographer Platon. His photographs sensitively capture the dreams, fears, disappointments and triumphs of a people who have striven for decades to overcome hardships and achieve equality in our society. Examples of works in the exhibition will include photographs of the Little Rock Nine, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birmingham prison cell, Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos, Muhammad Ali, and Joseph McNeil, who was one of the students who participated at the famous sit-in for civil rights at the F.W. Woolworth store in Greensboro, North Carolina, on February 1, 1960.
- Family programs at the new DiMenna Children’s History Museum will include scavenger hunts, quiz shows, educational workshops and a weekly Sunday story hour. Targeted for children ages 4–12, the DiMenna Children’s History Museum focuses on the life stories of a diverse selection of youngsters who lived in New York City from the late 17th through the 20th century.
- Narrated by award-winning actor and native New Yorker Liev Schreiber, “New York Story” is the museum’s new panoramic film, showcasing New York’s rise from a remote outpost to a major global city and using video projection, scenic elements, theatrical lighting and surround sound in the museum’s state-of-the-art theater.
- The New-York Historical Society has partnered with restaurateur Stephen Starr of Buddakan and Morimoto to create Caffè Storico (Italian for “historic”)—a new 74-seat dining destination serving lunch and dinner with a menu focused on cicchetti, small servings of dishes inspired by the Veneto region of Italy.
To take advantage of The New-York Historical Society’s monthlong visitor offer, patrons can pick up a discount coupon January 1–31 at Official NYC Information Centers in Midtown Manhattan, Times Square and Harlem, or Official NYC Information Kiosks at City Hall and in Chinatown; the coupon can also be downloaded from nycgo.com/culturespot.
To celebrate the month’s Culture Spot pick, Annie Bergen will host a special podcast with the president of The New-York Historical Society, Louise Mirrer. Trivia questions about the interview will be asked over Twitter by @nycgo each week in January for a chance to win one of two family memberships to the museum and other prizes. To listen to the podcast and learn more about the Culture Spot program, visit nycgo.com/culturespot.
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About The New-York Historical Society:
The New-York Historical Society, one of America’s pre-eminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering research, presenting history and art exhibitions and public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, The New-York Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered political, cultural and social history of New York City and State and the nation and to serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues surrounding the making and meaning of history.
About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide.
About the NYC & Company Foundation:
The NYC & Company Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational organization whose mission is to support tourism to New York City by promoting the arts and cultural organizations that make visiting New York City a special and exciting experience. Since its inception in 1999, the Foundation has focused on educating domestic and international audiences about the vibrant and diverse cultural community throughout New York City.
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Contact: Francisca Ovalle/NYC & Company 212 484 1270