In light of COVID-19’s shutdown, nobody much imagined they’d see the usual array of latex couture, wild lace and leather creations, and all the other fantastic wardrobe usually associated with the yearly Met Ball. But this year, even without our best and brightest celebrities showing up to show off, the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art turns 150 years old, so there had to be some celebrating!
This article on the Met’s website tells of the museum opening after five months and, for the first time dedicating its outside front façade area to banners. Yoko Ono is the artist who contributed the two banners that now adorn each side of the main building’s entrance. On a white background in black letterings, Yoko has printed the word DREAM on one banner and TOGETHER on the other.
This is certainly a positive way to welcome people back to one of NYC’s most famous art and cultural spaces.
As for what the Met is doing specifically to celebrate their special birthday year, the museum has partnered with Brooklyn-based jewelry brand Catbird. The brand, inspired by the works of women artists the Met presently displays in its permanent collection, has created four pieces. Examples include, bow stud earrings, influenced by an Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun painting. And a diamond necklace, created to resemble a water droplet seen on a petal in one of Margareta Haverman’s still life paintings.
Catbird also took the Met’s flimsy yet iconic metal admission button—pretty much known to anyone who ever walked into the Met, ‘back in the day’ (the buttons have been retired a few years now)–and reimagined it smaller, made as a 14-karat solid-gold charm.
The Catbird x The Met 150 collection can be seen here.
It seems nothing, not even a world-wide pandemic, can keep a good museum down!
Happy Birthday, Met.
